Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking their landscape won't need much attention during the cold winter months.

However, experts know that late January through early March is a crucial time for tree, shrub, plant, and garden bed maintenance.

Failure to care for your foliage once the temperatures drop can destroy your opportunity for a convenient and flourishing season next spring.

While your plants are inactive, it is necessary to stay on top of dormant pruning to protect your overall landscape investment. Proper care will grant you these vital advantages:

• Direct energy to remaining superior branches for significantly healthier springtime growth.
• Rescue older plants without insects and diseases around to infest the trimmed stems.
• Maintain appropriately sized plants for the space allotted with limited wound exposure time.
• Improve visibility of plants in need of trimming and redevelop the natural direction of plant growth.
• Naturally disguise plants that were drastically cut back among the idle state of winter shrubbery.

Knowing the THREE BASIC PRUNING METHODS will also help you care for your landscape in the most productive way possible:

1. Corrective: Regulate proper plant shape, size, and growth for a neat, natural look.
2. Rejuvenating: Stimulate new, prosperous growth by thinning out weaker plant material.
3. Preventative: Manage potentially problematic tree branches and take care of damaged or deteriorated foliage.

Rather than allowing the colder months to ruin your landscaping investments year after year, follow necessary winter pruning practices for healthy yards and plant beds.

If the season has you too busy to face the bleak outdoors for regular maintenance, be sure to contact Green Impressions for effective dormant landscape management.