As we head into the winter season, it’s a good idea to prepare the exterior of your home or business for the cooler months. While it’s true that there are little differences in seasons in Southern California—especially in the San Diego area—there are quite a few things that you can and should do to make sure that your property is prepared for the little bit of change we do see. Here are a couple of things that you or your La Jolla landscape maintenance team can do to prepare your property for the winter months:

Rake leaves

The winter months in Southern California might not mean drastic change, but it does mean one thing: fire season. A lot of fires are started when excess debris and dried foliage is left untouched in your yard. You can practice fire safety and preparedness by raking any leaves that may have fallen and throwing them away properly. This will help remove a lot of the risk that your property has in sparking a fire, and give you a chance to check that your yard is ready for the winter.

Prep your pool area

The one thing that does change in the winter in San Diego is the temperature—but just enough to make it too cold to use your outdoor pool. Prepare your pool for the winter months by checking the pH levels, cleaning the pool, and putting on any necessary covering that you might want to use in order to assure that your pool stays clear from debris through the winter months. Most pool maintenance teams don’t recommend draining your pool unless it’s absolutely necessary because the water used to refill the pool in a few months can be costly and wasteful.

Check your soil and prepare your garden

Though the odds are low that your plants are going to freeze over completely, you’ll still want to prepare your landscaping and garden area for the winter months by winterizing it. Plants tend to stop or slow their growth in the winter because of the changes in light. Because of this, you want to slow how frequently you fertilize your plants—or maybe even stop fertilizing altogether. We also recommend that you check the pH of the soil and cover or move any plants that won’t make it through the winter indoors.

Natures Design landscaping can help connect you with the right landscape maintenance team to prepare your La Jolla home or business for the winter months.