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Old Man Winter Can Be Hard on Your Lawn and Landscape

Evergreen tree in winter photoOld Man Winter benefits plants that need to be chilled to perform their best, but he’s hard on your lawn, shrubs, trees and many common plants. With the right winter care, Custom Lawn can help your Overland Park landscape survive and thrive in the days till spring. Here are some winter lawn and landscape tips to help you have the best looking yard come spring.

Dormant Plants Still Need Water

Winter-hardy plants in our area generally go dormant for the winter months. Even though the plants aren’t growing, they require water. Regular, but not excessive, watering keeps them alive for their spring renewal. Watering your lawn remains important for the same reason.

It’s particularly crucial to water trees and shrubs during winter drought conditions to keep them healthy. Long-term drought conditions compromise a plant and can cause it to die. It’s best to water when soil temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid freezing the plants’ roots which can damage them.

Potted Plants Need More Protection

Plants in pots and containers are more prone to winter damage. The relatively small amount of soil around the roots offers less insulation. Keeping potted plants in protected areas during the winter, such as in a greenhouse, enclosed porch or next to a windbreak helps to protect them from temperature extremes. Covering vulnerable plants can also help.

Winter Wind Ravages Plants

In addition to the problems of extreme temperatures and winter droughts, Old Man Winter blows strong winds that whip through a landscape. Wind causes cold temperatures to have a more extreme effect in what’s known as the ‘wind chill factor’ and the force of the gusts can break branches and even destroy some plants.

Wind also increases the risk of dehydration. Houses and fences provide a wind break for some plants, but if you are worried about particular plants, you can cover them with burlap for added protection. Just make sure to remove it early in the spring so you don’t inhibit its growth or have problems with mold or mildew.

Saturated Ground Leads to Frozen Roots

When the ground becomes saturated and then freezes, the plant roots freeze, too. This can kill landscape plants. One of the best defenses against winter plant deaths is adequate draining. Mix mulch and sand into the soil so that it drains faster. For best results, water only when air and soil temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit with no snow cover.

Protecting your plants from the hazards of Old Man Winter requires some know-how, and we’re happy to help our neighbors in Overland Park and surrounding areas. For more information about keeping your lawn and landscape healthy over the winter, call Custom Lawn and Landscape at 913-782-8315.

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    Cole does a good job keeping me up to date on his servicing of the lawn. Have been pleased with Custom Lawn for a long time.
    Jason has serviced my irrigation for years and does a great job! Always friendly and professional. Has a thorough knowledge of the system.
    Custom Lawn & Landscape does a fantastic job of taking care of our yard and their communication and information are top notch!
    Jason is very professional, polite and takes great care of us year after year!
    Daniel R. and Troy really got me out of a pickle and were quick/great with communication
    We have used Custom Lawn for all of our lawn care needs for several years. We have found them to be reliable and responsive to our concerns when we call. Shawn has really been helpful and diligent. I would recommend them if you are looking for a professional lawn care service.
    We are absolutely thrilled with the results of Cole Jensen's work from Custom Lawn! Throughout the year, Cole has diligently applied fertilizer to our lawn. Our lawn is lush, green, and immaculate, standing out beautifully compared to our neighbors' yards, which are plagued with weeds and dandelions. Cole's expertise and dedication have truly made a difference, and we couldn't be happier with the service provided. Thank you, Cole, for giving us a lawn we can be proud of!
    We had winterization done by technician Rene Flores and he was patient, respectful, and detailed-oriented. I was very happy about his great service and will sign up again next year!
    Sean O’D took over the lawn care for my yard last year. It was in poor to mediocre shape with wild violets and bare spots. But after a year under his care, this spring my lawn is like green carpet. Deep green color and thick without weeds, violets and bare spots. My neighbors have commented on how lush my lawn looks. I’m very pleased.
    Cole has been great informing us & doing a great job for our lawn!
    Daniel R. and Troy really got me out of a pickle and were quick/great with communication
    Seth, at Custom Lawn and Landscape, is doing doing great job bringing our lawn back to life. After only a couple treatments it's already made a world of difference.
    Seth does a great job, always professional
    I AM SO HAPPY WITH CUSTOM LAWN AND LANDSCAPE! MY GRASS WAS 2 FT TALL. NOW MY YARD IS SO BEAUTIFUL. THANKS TO TROY AND SAM. THANKS TO FRANCISCO AND JOSE P. YOU ALL ARE WONDERFUL FOLKS. YOU GUYS ARE 10 STARS IN MY BOOK. THANKS AGAIN!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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    I wanted to thank Chad for all of his work turning on and replacing heads in our sprinkler system. He has excellent attention to details and is very friendly.
    Our experience with Customer Landscape has from the beginning been amazing. Everyone has been easy to work with.

    Sean O’Dwyer lets us know when he will be at our home. He is very detailed with what treatment he will doing and the condition of our lawn and what we need to do.

    This is our second season with Custom Lawn and Landscape and we have never been disappointed with the service and communication we have received from Sean and the rest of the staff.
    Cole is always awesome and quick with recommendations. Our lawn has never looked better. Customer lawn has given us the perfect lawn!
    Aric Peters
    We LOVE our guy Cole!
    Thank you for always greeting our crazy dogs and helping me pick their toys up at the last minute (I’m sorry 😬)! We appreciate you moving with us and the great service!
    Rene provided us with great service and helped especially with our box demonstrating how it worked and some of the quirks with our system.
    Cole does a nice job, communicates well and my lawn looks great.
    Custom Lawn & Landscape does a fantastic job of taking care of our yard and their communication and information are top notch!
    Cole is not only kind , professional but exceptional in his work ethic. I appreciate all he does for my lawn care. Thank you Cole🌻
    Cole is on top of his game and friendly!
    Just like to say Seth our lawn technician does a great job! Our lawn looks great. Thanks Seth
    Sean never misses a spot. He genuinely cares about my lawn and customers. Great communication as well. Thanks
    Sean O’ Dwyer has been taking care of our yard for the past several seasons and it is always immaculate because of the work he does. I never have to worry about weeds, sparse grass or anything. He is always detailed about what he does! Thank you Sean
    Our technician, Sean O’Dwyer, has done a great job on our lawn! I appreciate the advance notice that our yard will be serviced and he takes great care that our dogs don’t escape!
    Cole does a good job keeping me up to date on his servicing of the lawn. Have been pleased with Custom Lawn for a long time.
    We love custom lawn and landscape. They have great technicians but our favorite is Cole Jensen. He proactively communicates with us what day he will be coming. He always gives us great feedback on the condition of our lawn and information about each application he applies. He is kind and easy to work with!
    Michele Schwab
    Thank you to Troy Wingert and his team for customizing a program for my lawn. Great customer experience and look forward to working with Troy and crew moving forward!!!
    Talk to Troy today and he was extremely accommodating and eilling to customize services for our needs! I left today feeling like my patronage mattered!
    When Custom Lawn took over my lawn maintenance, I had a weak lawn with bare spots and weeds. Now I have the best lawn on the block, thick beautiful grass and no weeds. Cole is always willing to go the extra mile to take care of us.
    During the rainy season you may call it Chaos! I call it good lawn service from Custom Lawn. I have never had a tire Spin in my yard because of mowing wet grass! Luis and Elmer mow, trim, blow off my driveway and patio. They are very courteous, respectful and when they leave my home it is always "a good job well done." Thank you Luis and Elmer. I highly recommend Custom Lawn Service to do your Landscaping and mowing.
    Jason is very professional, polite and takes great care of us year after year!
    Sean O'Dwyer is THE BEST Lawn Specialist....he helps make our yard look amazing!!
    Jason has serviced my irrigation for years and does a great job! Always friendly and professional. Has a thorough knowledge of the system.
    Cole has been great informing us & doing a great job for our lawn!
    Cole at Custom Lawn does a great job of keeping us advised on the needs of our lawn. He responds to our requests quickly. Cole lets us know when treatment is scheduled and never treats our lawn unless we have given the ok. We appreciate Cole’s high level of communication. We have used Custom Lawn for 2 years and notice and HUGE difference in our lawn. It is beautiful!!!!
    Always can count on Custom Lawn to meet and exceed my expectations of a great lawn. Always on time, great products that do the job, expert lawn specialist to give me needed information on keeping my lawn looking great. Always on time with applications. Thank you, Sean.
    I recommend Custom Lawn and Landscape for your lawn needs. Troy has been great to work with!
    We are very pleased with the service we recieved from Custom Lawn. Jason was very helpful, professional and efficient. He arrived on time, explained the services he was to perform and he was able to troubleshoot and rectify another problem we were having with our sprinkler system. Thank you for the great customer service.
    We have used Custom Lawn for all of our lawn care needs for several years. We have found them to be reliable and responsive to our concerns when we call. Shawn has really been helpful and diligent. I would recommend them if you are looking for a professional lawn care service.
    We are absolutely thrilled with the results of Cole Jensen's work from Custom Lawn! Throughout the year, Cole has diligently applied fertilizer to our lawn. Our lawn is lush, green, and immaculate, standing out beautifully compared to our neighbors' yards, which are plagued with weeds and dandelions. Cole's expertise and dedication have truly made a difference, and we couldn't be happier with the service provided. Thank you, Cole, for giving us a lawn we can be proud of!
    Sean O’D took over the lawn care for my yard last year. It was in poor to mediocre shape with wild violets and bare spots. But after a year under his care, this spring my lawn is like green carpet. Deep green color and thick without weeds, violets and bare spots. My neighbors have commented on how lush my lawn looks. I’m very pleased.
    Sean O'Dwyer has helped care for our yard through Custom Lawn and Landscape for a few years. Sean is polite, prompt and very professional. We highly recommend Sean and the team at Custom Lawn and Landscape. Good Work, guys!
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    Jason did a tremendous job repairing a break in the irrigation system and getting the sprinklers ready for the year. He was very knowledgeable, easy to work with, and communicative. I’ll be working with Custom on winterization of my sprinklers moving forward.
    Jason at Custom Lawn and Landscape was absolutely wonderful. We had an issue getting our sprinkler system to start up this season and he knew exactly how to fix it. Was very informative, answered all my questions and was very personable. Highly recommend Jason.
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    We had winterization done by technician Rene Flores and he was patient, respectful, and detailed-oriented. I was very happy about his great service and will sign up again next year!
    Rodrigo came out to winterize my sprinkler system. What an amazing ambassador for your company and very knowledgeable and efficient w the Rachio system! Custom Lawn is fortunate to have such a quality team member and technician! Thank you Radrigo and Cuatom Lawn!
    CWO.
    Wonderful service all year. Always on time, my yard had never looked better.
    Thanks for the extra care you have shown me. Thanks, Pam Thomas