December lawn care tips

From Houston Lawn Care and Landscape Services:

• Winter tip for watering: In the event of a freeze advisory, please be certain to run your irrigation to fortify your plants and flowers. It takes longer for well-watered plants to freeze. After watering, then cover all the plants and flowers that are susceptible to freeze damage. Commercial landscaping stores sell rolls of white, woven fabric expressly made for quick and easy covering of plants. If some plants do get freeze damage, do not trim off the dead parts until late January, when most of the severe weather has passed. The dead parts will help defend the plants and flowers from another freeze.
• The irrigation schedule can be set to once a week until February if the rainfall has been moderate.
• Info on winter watering needs: Contrary to popular belief, the winter is a very dry climate. Ever got chapped lips? The fact is that the cooling weather withdraws moisture from the plants, moisture which has to be replaced to maintain the lawn and landscape in optimal condition.
• Mowing this month can slow down to a minimum, depending on the weather. Some winders are often wet. For appearances, the leaves may be blown and collected and the mowing postponed.
• Prune the roses that are spent to promote additional blooming during the holidays. Afterwards, aerate the soil lightly around them and add Color Star blooming fertilizer to each one.
• Broadcast Color Star blooming fertilizer among all the seasonal flowers are where the bulbs are planted.
• If your irrigation system does not have a rain sensor, and the rainfall is plenteous, feel free to turn off your sprinkler system until a time you deem proper.
• Winter info on insects: Severe weather is a natural insect exterminator. Hurray!