Finish last-minute yard preparations

The air is crisp and the wind is bitter, so this can only mean one thing: Winter is just around the corner.

If you have been putting off completing your gardening and landscaping chores to get your yard ready for winter, you will not want to wait much longer. Colder temperatures are making it less pleasant to spend time outside, and snow could fall at any time. It would be best to get these tasks done sooner rather than later. Below is a list of items to consider when preparing your yard for the winter.

* If you have a garden, make sure to clean up anything left over that you did not harvest. When you have finished with that, you may want to till up the soil a bit to expose any unwanted pests.

* When you mow your lawn for the last time this year, be sure to drop your mower blades down to an inch. Collect the clippings rather than letting them sit on the lawn. Grass clippings left on the lawn over winter can increase your chance of snow mold.

* Prune back your perennials and place mulch around the crowns of the plants to protect them from the frigid winter temperatures.

* Remove your garden hose, drain out any water inside of it, and store it in your garage or shed for the winter.

* Prune any tree branches that you can reach from the ground to help protect them from snow and ice accumulation this winter.

* Place stakes three feet high at the ends of your driveway and sidewalk corners to alert snow plow drivers as to where the road ends and your property begins.

* Check your gutters to make sure they are clean enough for those warmer days this winter when melted snow may be draining into them.

* Finally, be sure to wrap your trees. You can do this using plastic tubing or hardware cloth. This can help protect the tree from sunscald or damage from wildlife during the winter. If your trees are fruit trees, be sure to clean up any fallen fruit or other debris from under the tree before the snow falls.

For more information on this topic, contact the Stutsman County Extension office at 252-9030.

Tags: life, garden