If you live in a climate where you get snow during the winter, you may think that you do not need to worry about maintenance on your lawn, trees or shrubs during the winter. But actually, there are a number of things you need to be concerned about regarding snow damage and its effect on your yard:

Tree and shrub damage

Before winter comes, you should prune your trees and shrubs and make sure that some branch does not come loose during a snowstorm and cause damage to your home, car or yard. That could reduce much of the risk. However, it is always possible that bad storms could still knock some branches loose, so pay attention in the winter if you see a potential problem area, and have it dealt with immediately.

In some cases, you may be able to wrap up trees or shrubs for the winter to protect them. Talk with your lawn care service expert about when this may be appropriate. You also may wonder if you should knock the snow off young trees or shrubs to prevent damage. In some cases, this might be okay, but in other cases, depending upon your trees and shrubbery, you may do more harm than good in doing so, especially if there is ice on the trees or shrubs. So proceed with caution before doing anything

Ice and snow damage on your lawn

It is important to have a lawn care professional put your lawn to bed before the winter with the right amount of fertilizer treatment, seeds, and cut it to a shorter length, this way it can survive and thrive during the cold weather.

In most cases, you do not need to worry about getting the snow or ice off your lawn, unless the ice is there for more than 30 days. And needless to say, putting salt-based products on your lawn to remove snow and ice will do more harm than good.

However, sometimes you may experience a condition called snow mold. Speak with your local Lawn Doctor professional on what to do on this issue.

Vole damage

Voles, or meadow mice, can tunnel  in your lawn  and cause damage which is often not detected until the snow melts in the spring.  Voles damage may appear quite dramatic however damage can be repaired in the spring.  Lightly rake the affected areas fertilize and overseed as needed.  To decrease vole damage continue mowing in the fall until growth subsides.

In summary, stay safe, and do any needed maintenance before winter to keep your lawn, trees, shrubs and your home safe during the winter. Good luck.