Ho, Ho, Ho! Here Comes The Snow!

Like it or not, the official start of winter is just weeks away. And in certain areas of the country, that can only mean one thing—let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! There’s no denying that winter wonderlands are beautiful, but pay attention to sidewalks and walkways around your home. If your town is Johnny-on-the-spot with its salt truck, your grass is going to be an ugly mess next spring where the lawn meets the road. Here’s what you need to do before the first snowflake falls:

1.   Liberally sprinkle gypsum on all grassy areas that border streets, sidewalks, and driveways—anyplace that will be treated with salt or snow-melting chemicals.

2.   Apply my Winter Walkway Protection tonic. It’ll keep your lawn in great shape all winter long! Here’s how to whip up a batch: Mix 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, ½ cup of ammonia, and ½ cup of beer in your 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and apply it liberally over the gypsum.

3.   The freeze-and-thaw cycle of winter weather can damage brick or stone walkways. To keep them from popping to pieces in the winter, mulch over them with 6 inches of weathered hay soon after the ground freezes. It makes a decent walking surface, and when spring comes, you can quickly gather up the mulch and dump it onto your compost pile.

For more handy hints, helpers, and how-tos for every season, check out my Backyard Problem Solver book—FREE for 21 days! It’s chock-full of grow-how to help you get the yard and garden you’ve always wanted.