1. Before the first freeze, make sure to stake the boundaries of your yard to indicate where grass starts and pavement/gravel stops.
2. Select and area where excess snow can be piled. This keeps the method to your winter madness in check.
3. If you are having someone snowplow, if you ask them to raise the blade 1-2 inches, you will help to prevent any damage to the blades of grass that may not be completely frozen, however, by now depending on where you are in the country, that ground is frozen solid!
4. Never use your yard for additional parking as this damages the grass. Your lawn is tough, but it does have its limits.
5. The next big common question that is often asked is which ice melters are the best to use? Especially people that have animals. You do not want them getting it on their feet and you certainly don;t want it being tracked into your home.  Although cheaper, never use sodium based ice melters near plants or your lawn as it is extremely toxic, a better choice is calcium chloride or sand. Sand is always a great option!
6. Mid-winter is a good time to walk around your yard and pick up any fallen branches, logs or other debris. Snow that falls on debris can smother the grass underneath it.
7. The last tip we have regards safety when it comes to walking around outside around your property during the winter. Remember, there could be ice under many spots, especially driveways, so we often recommend getting some type of grips that attach to the bottoms of your feet to give yourself extra stability. We personally love Stabilizers, another Maine based company.

Since these are rough times of the year for many, it may be a good idea to keep Greencare Landscaping and Lawncare in mind when it comes to those fall cleanups that we dread after the summer months . We also offer snow plowing and removal for those that do not want to do it themselves. That’s what we are here to do!

What is your most difficult challenge in the winter when it comes to maintaining your property? I think fighting the ice might be a common answer!

Flickr photo courtesy of sissidekroon

Greencare Landscape Management is committed to taking the difficulty out of coordinating the needs of the contemporary suburban landscape, and providing a single stop for your landscape needs. When you work with Greencare, you work with one contractor to manage every facet of your landscape.

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