Prepare your yard for the Quebec winter
October–November is the window to prep your yard for winter. Our checklist to avoid spring surprises.
In Quebec, a yard that wasn't prepped for winter is a yard you find devastated in spring: yellow lawn, dead plants, cracked driveway. A few hours of fall prep saves weeks of spring repairs.
Rake leaves and debris
A layer of un-raked leaves smothers the lawn and breeds mold. Compost or dispose according to municipal rules.
Prune before the first frost
Perennials, shrubs, roses: prune before the ground freezes. Plants then send energy to roots rather than branches.
Protect fragile plants
Burlap, mulch, shelters: tailor the protection to each species. Young trees deserve a sleeve against rodents.
Prepare for snow removal
Decide where snow will go (not in front of the hydrant, not on plants), buy salt or calcium, check the shovel and blower.
Too much to do?
A Depanjo gardening jobber can do the cleanup, pruning and shelter setup in half a day. Many also offer seasonal snow removal.