We recommend utilizing the short winter season to prepare for a successful landscape experience in 2019. It may sound odd, but there are many tasks that should be performed during the dormant season that will benefit the landscape. It is important to accomplish these tasks sooner than later to prepare your grounds for Spring, before Spring arrives. Here are a few suggestions:

• Develop a master landscape plan for your community. Your service provider can help create this plan, which will act as a guide and resource tool for the community moving forward over the next 1-5 years, helping you prioritize projects, make educated decisions, and budget accordingly. A plan will remove the haphazard guess-work from the equation, which typically results in a mediocre final product. A master plan for the community will typically cost extra, but may be the best money you ever spend on the community’s behalf, as it will reap good returns on the investment. You will need to engage a competent service provider for a project of this caliber, likely one with a landscape architect or experienced designer.

• Engage your service provider to perform a site ‘Audit’ that lists items that need to be addressed such as safety concerns, enhancement projects, plant replacements, etc… This audit can help guide you in regards to more immediate spending needs and short term planning. An audit of sorts, depending on its complexity and scope, is usually offered by service providers at no extra charge. Conducting such an audit during the dormant season is beneficial, because many landscape related tasks are best performed in the winter season.

• Perform any major tree work or tree pruning during the winter season, as trees respond more favorably to such cutting when performed while they are dormant and not actively growing.

• Conduct ‘Rejuvenation’ type pruning of tired & overgrown shrubs and hedge rows during the winter season too. This type pruning refers to a significant cut-back of the shrubbery (usually removing ½ or more of the existing foliage) to re-shape and/or re-size the plant material. This service will promote the health and vigor of the plants resulting in an extended life-cycle, and create a safer environment while delivering a newer and fresh aesthetic.

• The dormant season is also an optimal opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with your service provider about the expectations and goals of the community, while scheduling all the work early in the year to ensure a smooth start for the upcoming growing season and minimize any surprises.

The dormant season is actually a busy time of year for your qualified landscape service provider.

Spring is less than 60 days away, so start preparing now!

Written by: Scott Oldham

Landscape Services, Inc. (LSI)