Winter in Wisconsin’s Lake Country can be harsh, cold, windy and often snowy. Those of us who don’t like the cold tend to stay indoors more and bundle up when we do venture out, but about your plants, landscaping and outdoor equipment? Even a mild winter can be tough on them. 

How to Prep Your Plants & Outdoor Equipment for a Wisconsin Winter

Here are a few things you can do to help protect your garden, landscaping plants and outdoor areas from the plummeting temps, whipping winds and heavy loads of snow that can come with a Wisconsin winter. If you need any help tackling these winterizing tasks, schedule a crew with a Couple More Guys®. 

Give Your Plants & Trees a Big Drink

You may think now that the summer heat is gone that you can stop watering your plants, but your newer plantings, transplants, evergreens and trees will benefit from a deep soak. Dry winter soil can lead to root damage and “winter burn”. So keep watering until the first hard freeze to ensure your plants have enough moister going into the winter. 

Mulch Around Your Perennials  

Here in Wisconsin’s Lake Country, we fall in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5a and 5b, so you’ll want to apply 3 to 4 inches of mulch around your perennial, new plantings and any shallow rooted plants you may have. This will help stabilize soil temperatures and avoid destructive freeze-thaw cycles. You’ll want to wait until your plants gone dormant, which could take a little longer this year since we had such a warm October. Chopped leaves, evergreen boughs, straw, or wood chips all work well. Just try to keep the material a few inches from the direct woody stems or trunks to prevent rot and rodent nesting.

Wrap Up Your Evergreens & Shrubs

Some trees and plants, including arborvitaes and decorative evergreens, need a little extra TLC to make it through our cold and windy winters. It’s recommended that columnar evergreens and multi-stemmed arborvitaes be tied loosely with twine or strips of cloth to prevent heavy snow and ice from splitting them apart. Evergreens, broadleaf shrubs and the stems of some vulnerable deciduous trees can be wrapped in burlap to protect them from drying winds, critters and sun scald.

Protect Your Plants from Wildlife

Smaller landscape shrubs and the tender bark of small tree trunks can make tasty treats for deer, rabbits, voles and field mice during a long winter. The best defense is a physical barrier. Poultry wire and hardware cloth work well as well, just make sure they are tall enough to stop deer and deep enough into the soil to stop voles from tunneling under.

Store Your Equipment & Winterize Irrigation

Before the first big freeze, in-ground sprinkler systems, pools, water features and ponds should all be winterized and hoses should be disconnected and stored. Before it starts snowing, you’ll also want to clear debris from your gutters and downspouts, and cover or store patio furniture, fire pits and grills. 

Winterize Your Lawn & Garden with Couple More Guys®

Get more items checked off your to-do list with help from Couple More Guys®. We can do all sorts of heavy, labor-intensive and time-sensitive winterizing and seasonal tasks in and around your home or business, from prepping your lawn and garden to shoveling your driveway and helping with a winter move. Schedule your two-person, insured crew online today and let us get your lawn, garden and landscaping ready for a cold and snowy Wisconsin winter.