{"id":4413,"date":"2018-09-17T10:19:49","date_gmt":"2018-09-17T14:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aboutmpswr.wpengine.com\/?p=4413"},"modified":"2021-09-15T20:25:29","modified_gmt":"2021-09-15T20:25:29","slug":"fall-grounds-care-winter-preparation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aboutmps.com\/blog\/fall-grounds-care-winter-preparation\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall Grounds Care &amp; Winter Preparation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With the arrival of the \u201cofficial\u201d end of summer, and fall rapidly approaching, the reality is that another winter season is just around the corner. This means that cold, snowy, blustery weather will be here before we know it. While the cooler winter weather can be a good excuse to wrap up warm and stay indoors, as a homeowner, or commercial property owner \/ facility manager, you must be aware of how it can take a toll on your property\u2019s condition and potentially create long term maintenance headaches.<br \/>\nThere\u2019s a lot to do to get ready! To make sure your home or building &amp; property are ready for winter, there are definitely some maintenance tasks that you should carry out, before the weather turns cold for good.<br \/>\n<strong>Have a complete Fall Clean-Up done<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Rake the leaves:\u00a0<\/strong>Dead leaves can interfere with your lawn\u2019s ability to prepare itself for winter. Removing or mulching removes the leaves while allowing the spread of nutrients.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fertilize:\u00a0<\/strong>Your lawn\u2019s final feeding is an important one. Fertilizing\u00a0with a special autumn blend\u00a0of nutrients\u00a0helps grass roots stay strong and nourished throughout the winter.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get a jump-start on your spring planting:\u00a0<\/strong>Planting bulbs before the ground freezes can be great for growth when spring returns. Daffodils, hyacinth, tulips, and other flowers are excellent candidates for fall planting.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Clean out your gardens:\u00a0<\/strong>If annuals are just left to die in your garden, you\u2019re inviting trouble. Insects and other pests love to lay eggs in decayed plants. Don\u2019t let them get a foothold; make sure your gardens are clean and clear.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Trim your trees.\u00a0<\/strong>Trees with old, worn, or weak branches should be trimmed, especially those that hang over top of roofs and outbuildings. Branches can easily break under the weight of snow, and they can cause major damage to anything in their path.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wrap with Burlap<\/strong> any shrubs or trees that require additional protection from the cold and damaging winds of winter in order to prevent die-off of expensive greenery. These can include evergreens planted within the past year, plants exposed to heavily salted roads &amp; walkways, and broad-leaved evergreens (rhododendrons, boxwoods &amp; hollies)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Does your property have an Irrigation System?<br \/>\n<\/strong>Many properties have built-in <a href=\"\/residential-landscaping\/irrigation\/\">irrigation systems<\/a>. When the weather turns cold, it\u2019s essential to have your sprinkler system properly drained and blown out with compressed air. This ensures that any trapped water will drain, reducing your chances of suffering a pipe burst.<br \/>\nIt isn\u2019t a good idea to perform irrigation system shut-downs and repairs without training. These tasks require advanced knowledge of system design and engineering, and even a small mistake can cause major damage. To avoid these risks, we recommend scheduling a proper shut-down with a proven service provider.<br \/>\nYou don\u2019t want to be dealing with problems when spring returns, so make sure your system is \u201cwinterized\u201d and in good condition before the arrival of sub-zero temperatures.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Check your driveway, roadways, parking lots and walkways<br \/>\n<\/strong>All \u201chard surfaces\u201d should be thoroughly inspected for hazards and existing damage before the first snowfall. When having a look, check for potholes, cracks and uneven pavement. These should be repaired before winter arrives to help reduce the likelihood of a trip &amp; fall accident or water-pooling that can freeze-up and result in a slip &amp; fall incident.<br \/>\n<strong>Clear out your gutters and check for leaks<br \/>\n<\/strong>Autumn leaves can drop off surrounding trees and block your gutters and drains. This in turn increases the chance of flooding and damage to your roof. If the weather gets really cold, water trapped by leaves can freeze, causing potential leaks and other problems. Leaky downspouts or gutters can cause ice buildup on walkway areas with the freeze-thaw cycles we encounter each winter.<br \/>\n<strong>Check your outdoor lighting<br \/>\n<\/strong>The longer winter nights mean that you, your visitors, employees and customers may well be entering and leaving your house or building in poor light or even darkness. Now is the time to check that your lights work and replace or fix any bulbs that are broken.<br \/>\n<strong>Check your heating system<br \/>\n<\/strong>Before it gets really cold is the time to look at your heating system and verify it\u2019s all in good working order. Not only will it work better, you\u2019ll be able to catch any minor issues before they become bigger, more expensive ones. A well maintained heating system will also be more power efficient, helping you keep your winter electricity costs under control.<br \/>\n<strong>Check seals on doors and windows<br \/>\n<\/strong>The seals around your doors and windows can deteriorate over time and if they aren\u2019t in good condition, they may not work at keeping cold air out. Drafts and cold air coming in will increase your power costs, as your heating system will need to work harder to compensate.<br \/>\n<strong>Upgrade your lights, stripes and signs<br \/>\n<\/strong>Darkness falls early during the winter, and making sure your business is well-lit improves safety as well as visibility to customers. Parking lot striping and pavement markings should be refreshed to help guide vehicles along safely, and all walkways should have ample lighting.<br \/>\nDon\u2019t leave it too late to get your <a href=\"\/residential-landscaping\/\">residential<\/a> or <a href=\"\/commercial-services\/\">commercial property<\/a> ready for winter. A bit of time spent now can save you a lot more time and money in the months ahead.<br \/>\nPlease let us know if we can be of any assistance in the weeks ahead!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the arrival of the \u201cofficial\u201d end of summer, and fall rapidly approaching, the reality is that another winter season is just around the corner. This means that cold, snowy, blustery weather will be here before we know it. While the cooler winter weather can be a good excuse to wrap up warm and stay [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6295,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Fall Clean-up and Winter Yard Prep | MPS Property Services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Make sure your home or building &amp; property are ready for winter. 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