18 Feb Challenges of a Mild Winter
We have had a very mild winter in Nebraska this year, which comes with a unique set of challenges. At Sun Valley Landscaping, our teams are gearing up to start performing spring clean-ups for our clients and preparing lawns for the warmer weather ahead. For those of us that enjoy spending our time outdoors, knowing warmer weather is around the corner is exciting, but the mild winter can be a concern when it comes to our landscaping.
Here are some concerns to consider:
Faster growth: A milder winter means plant life and lawns will come out of dormancy and green up sooner. Depending on grown temperatures, you may even be able to plant shrubs sooner and take advantage of the warmth.
Weeds: Your lawn and landscaping will rebound faster after our mild winter. Unfortunately, that means the same for weeds. You must treat your turf and landscaping early to stay ahead of weed growth. Weeds left untreated can quickly grow out of control.
Pests and fungus: Our long, cold Nebraska winters usually help kill or stall pests’ growth like different fungi and insects. Milder temperatures like this winter mean less time pests will require gathering their forces and reproducing. Our lawn care experts suspect we will see a surge in ants in the turf and around home perimeters this year. This would be an excellent opportunity to add our PPC (Perimeter Pest Control) applications to any of our lawn care programs. Our Fert+ and Bed Maintenance programs include pest management applications for turf and landscape beds to take the guesswork out of what to apply and when. Your lawn and landscaping may suffer from attacks earlier than usual, don’t delay in applying insecticides. To read more about common pests that harm lawns in Nebraska, click HERE. In addition to insects, fungi are the source of many plant diseases and can cause some plants to suffer from increased decay due to fungus. It is best to remove any leftover leaves or plant debris from fall to minimize growth. If you find you do not have the time to clean out your landscaping or don’t properly know what to trim and not to trim, our team of experts can help get you signed up for our Spring Clean-up program.
Heat — In the past, mild winters have led to dangerously hot summers. Areas of the Midwest have been known to go through prolonged droughts. The extreme heat of the summer is a real issue, and in times of severe drought can cause landscaping to die and lawns to burnout. To learn more about protecting your turf from burnout, click HERE!
Have you enjoyed the mild winter this year? If you find your spring activities schedule quickly filling up or your landscaping needs a quick refresh, but you don’t know where to start, give us a call today! 402-932-5407