Is Your Garden Ready for Winter?

You know that fall means raking leaves, picking up branches and doing general clean-up before the snow arrives. But are you taking care to make sure that your garden beds are prepped to thrive when the snow disappears in the spring?

There are a few tasks you should do in the fall to help your garden area stay as healthy as possible over the winter, including properly disposing of plants, amending the soil and adding mulch.

What to Do With Dead Plants?

You don’t have to remove every dead plant from your garden! If you prefer the look of removing them all, it won’t hurt anything to do so. However, if you’d like to save yourself some time and help add nutrients back into the soil over the winter, go right ahead and let dead plants stay where they are. You can cut them down or rip them out and lay them down in the dirt, or just let them die down naturally in the cold and snow.

However – you absolutely should remove any diseased plants. Don’t even put diseased plants in your compost as the disease or fungus can then be transferred back into your soil next year when you use the compost. Instead, put diseased plants in the trash or dispose of them on the edge of your property, far away from your gardens.

This article provides a good overview of what different plant diseases look like.

Soil & Mulch

You probably added compost or other soil amendments to your garden in the spring, but have you done so yet this fall? The fall is a great time to give your garden soil the boost it needs for spring success. When you amend your soil in the fall, the nutrients have months to get absorbed into the soil, providing an enriched environment for your plants as soon as they are put in the ground in the spring.

Till the manure, compost or other amendments into the soil, then add mulch or shredded leaves on top to help keep it in place during winter storms. Shredding the leaves you raked up and using them for mulch is a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way to both add nutrients back into your soil and get rid of your leaves. You can easily shred leaves by running over a pile of them with a lawn mower.

Mulching around plants in the fall can also help with weed suppression and prevent erosion. Take some time to mulch now, and you’ll save yourself some work in the spring.

Want Professional Landscaping Help?

If you’d like help with your fall clean-up, AC Yard Services is here to help. Give us a call at (207) 712-5554 to talk with our team.

One of the surest signs that warmer weather is really here is when tulips, daffodils and crocuses start popping up in yards and parks around Maine. The bright pops of color are always a welcome sight in the spring. If you’d like to add some early color to your gardens, the fall is the best time to plant bulbs. Do the work now and enjoy the fruits of your labor in the spring!

What To Plant

Tulips and daffodils are popular choices for bulb flowers that bloom early in the spring. You probably know that tulips come in many different bright colors, but did you know daffodils are also available in more colors than just the classic yellow? Both are good options for the edge of lawns, along walkways, or for a full garden bed that you want to really pop with color as soon as possible.

Crocuses are a shorter spring-blooming flower that will spread over the course of years. They are a good choice for planting in areas where you are okay with having flowers spread widely. Because they are a shorter flower, it is a good idea to plant them in clusters rather than a widely spread out line so the group of flowers is more easily seen. Planting groups of crocuses in front of daffodils or tulips can create a stunning visual impact that brightens your landscape soon after the snow melts.

How To Plant Tulips, Daffodils & Crocuses

Tulips, daffodils and crocuses all require well-drained soil to grow, though they will all grow either in full sun or partial shade. To plant, dig holes that are 2-3 inches deeper than the bulb is tall and leave a few inches between bulbs. Sprinkle some fertilizer in the hole, then, place the bulb in the hole with the pointy side up and cover with soil. Water well, but don’t soak the soil to the point where the bulb will be sitting in water for any length of time.

It’s important not to plant too early in the fall – wait until the soil has cooled down to sixty degrees or so. Bulbs won’t take root in warm soil. You can start planting bulbs in September and continue all the way until the ground is too tough to work. Bulbs need to be planted in the fall because they won’t bloom unless they have been through a period of cold weather.

Want Professional Landscaping Help?

If you’d like to have a yard blooming with flowers in the spring, but don’t have the time to plan out your landscaping, do fall clean-up and get bulbs in the ground, AC Yard Services is here to help. Give us a call at (207) 712-5554 to talk with our team.

Winter in Maine can be pretty harsh. Lack of sunlight, piles of snow and below freezing temperatures make life hard for plants. While it might be difficult for plants to survive outdoors, it doesn’t mean you cannot liven up your indoor living space with fresh greenery and colorful flowers.

Are you curious to find out which plants can thrive in an indoor setting during winter? Well, you’re in the right place. Here are some plants you can keep in any corner of your home to enjoy year-around perks without feeling the need to buy winter-specific plants. 

1) Cacti

Cacti are the subset of succulents and have properties to store water in roots, leaves and stems. The fleshy plants are more adjustable to the cold than any other plant of this type; hence, seating them in a pot can be an excellent planting idea. Adding them at any place in your home will give an exotic touch. You can try keeping mini cacti on your work table.  These plants need to be watered once in a while and they can survive with only a few hours of exposure to direct sunlight during winter.

2) Pine Tree

Potted pines can be brought inside for several weeks at freezing temperature for decor purposes, so you adore the daily dose of aroma paddling around your home. You can add one or more small pine trees to any corner of your home.

3) Winterberries

Winterberries are the iconic winter plants that will add a charm to your house giving your space an exotic feel. They can be used for decor and can add cool colors to your living room. Try placing a mini winterberry plant somewhere in your kitchen. We recommend you provide them with sunlight for at least four hours daily.

4) Snake Plant 

The plant with the best chance of survival in winters is the Snake Plant. Place it at the entrance of your house to add an elegant touch to it. You don’t have to worry about watering it daily. You can even ignore it for a week under the shade in any corner and its long straight leaves will still remain fresh.

5) Poinsettia or Christmas Flower

Poinsettia or Christmas flowers are the top sellers during the winter months. Associated with a pine-like terpenic scent, they only need a maximum of six hours of indirect sunlight each day. Christmas Flowers come in various colors giving a cozy vibe to your home.

No matter which of the above-mentioned plants you choose to beautify your indoor setting this winter, they will surely brighten up your space with minimal care and management.

Get in Touch

If you are still confused about which plants to pick for your space, get in touch with us at (207) 712-5554. Our team of experts at AC Yard Services would love to help you out.