SAN ANTONIO – With the colder and drier conditions of winter on the way, the time to winterize your yard is now.
There are two very important steps every homeowner should consider doing as we head in to the winter months.
"Right now, they would want to be doing compost, a quarter to half an inch over their whole yard," said Trace Hazlett, of Milberger's Landscaping and Nursery. "In the flower beds, they want to ad mulch to increase the organic material and it will help with winter protection as well."
Composting your lawn now helps it retain water all year.
In fact, SAWS has rebates from $75 to $150 off your water bill for composting and/or mulching in your yard. There are time constraints and a minimum purchase is required.
Watering is still important in winter, although its not necessary to do it as often as in the warmer months.
"As it cools off, it's still going to be about every second or third week for grass, in lieu of any rainfall," Hazwell said.
It may come as a surprise, but there are actually lots of flowers you can plant in your yard to give it some color in the wintertime.
"In the sun, your best performers are going to be pansies, snap dragons, ornamental cabbage, kale, and stock," Hazwell said.
Primrose and cyclamen work well in the shade.
There is one common mistake homeowners make in the wintertime: covering sensitive plants with plastic sheets.
"Plastic actually would translocate more cold. The damage would be worse wherever the plastic touched that if it wasn't covered at all," Hazwell said.
Instead, use products specifically designed for covering plants.