Living in the snowy climate is undoubtedly dreamy. When snow falls, and you look out from the window sitting in your cozy chair. But as thoughtful as it sounds, many warnings are given to avoid injuries during shoveling snow.
However, it isn’t only people who need to worry about snow removal. A landscape can also be damaged when snow rolls in. Here are some ways to keep your landscape safe from snow damage. You can move snow or melt it.
Snow Removal: How to Protect Your Landscape
The purpose of snowplows and shovels is to move large amounts of snow, but if not used properly, they can cause serious damage to landscape elements such as trees and shrubs. Here are some tips on how to make the most effective snow removal:
Shoving involves marking your property so the driver can see what they are going to avoid. Mark the edges of driveways, beds, lawns, etc., with poles or sticks. If someone else will do the plowing, be sure they are aware of the unknown and also opt for snow removal services.
Clear snow as soon as possible to prevent it from hardening up and requiring more aggressive snow removal efforts – increasing the risk of damage to grass and woody plants. Plant trees and beds far enough away from concrete to prevent damage from paving.
It is detrimental to your shrubbery to pile snow on or against it. It can damage branches, cause excessive salt build-up, and stress the plants in the spring when they are emerging from dormancy.
If you can, reduce the amount of snow on your lawn. Heavy snow piles stress your grass and make it susceptible to fungal infections. If you must pile snow on your property, try to spread it out on sunny spring days to encourage it.
It would help if you used a snowblower to direct snow towards the appropriate areas. Take care to repair damaged sod as soon as possible after a snowplow has hit it.
If ice surrounds a branch, it’s brittle and can easily be damaged. Wait until the ice melts to see if broken branches need pruning. If they do, prune them promptly to avoid further damage.
Whenever possible, hire a snow removal contractor that can equip either their plow with a rubber or urethane blade or use a skid steer or a truck with a rotating broom to prevent damage to paver surfaces.
For best results, use a large push broom to safely remove snow from smaller areas of brick pavers such as walkways and patios. It would help if you did this while the snow was still fresh and loose for best results. Driveway snow removal can get easy with professionals.
Snow Melting: How to Avoid Salt Damage to Your Landscape
Occasionally, it makes more sense to melt the snow away by using chemical de-icers. De-icing chemicals lower the freezing temperature of the water so that snow and ice melt whenever it is still cold outside. They are especially useful for preventing slipping.
Shoveling services are easily available, but you have to be quick with bookings in the snowfall season.
Rock salt, or sodium chloride, is the most common de-icer, but it comes with a price. Salt-laden runoff can damage soil and plant roots, threatening or even destroying your trees and plants.
Salt is also harmful to the trees and shrubs along roadsides. It can wash into groundwater and surface water, affecting the environment. It can also damage concrete and masonry because it increases the frequency of freeze/thaw weather events.
You can track it inside your house and leave an unsightly white residue on your floors. It also leaves an ugly white residue on your shoes and boots.
In addition to de-icing chemicals needed to keep pedestrians safe, there are steps you can take to minimize their impact on your landscape. Here are a few tips:
They are planting sensitive plants where there will likely be salt exposure: near roads, sidewalks, etc. In these areas, annuals might be your best bet., Getting professional help home with snow removal services is never a bad idea.
Use potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and acetate compounds instead of rock salt. These alternatives are technically salts but are generally less harmful to the environment and plants. Always follow product label directions to avoid overusing a product.
Combine salt and sand or kitty litter to improve traction and reduce the amount of de-icer needed. Sand may be enough to reduce the amount of required de-icer.
Use a shovel to remove the majority of the snow and ice before applying salt. It will reduce the need for de-icers, making them more effective. Parking lot snow removal services are best to park your cars in the parking area.
Safety First
When shoveling snow and removing other snow from your yard, remember to use best practices. Making sure you and your family are safe is just as important as maintaining your landscape:
Make sure you keep your back straight and shovel with both your arms and legs, not your back; be cautious when operating snow removal machinery; and work at a moderate pace so as not to over-stress your heart.
