Winterize Your Landscape: Crucial Steps to Protect Your RI Property

Rhode Island winters are not gentle. Temperatures drop below freezing for weeks at a time. Nor’easters dump heavy wet snow that snaps branches and crushes shrubs. Freeze-thaw cycles heave plants out of the ground and crack hardscaping. If you want your landscape to survive until spring, you need to prepare it properly in the fall. At Doug Greenwood Landscaping Co., we have been winterizing Coventry properties since 1998. We have seen what happens when homeowners skip these steps. Frozen irrigation lines that burst in the spring. Shrubs killed by winter burn. Heaved pavers that turn a patio into a tripping hazard. Every one of these problems is preventable. Here is how.

Winterize Your Irrigation System First

Water expands when it freezes. Water trapped in irrigation lines, valves, and backflow preventers will crack pipes, split sprinkler heads, and destroy components that cost hundreds of dollars to replace. Proper winterization requires shutting off the main water supply, draining the backflow preventer, and blowing out each zone with compressed air. This is not a job for a small home compressor. You need a high-volume commercial compressor that pushes enough air to clear every line completely. Most Coventry homeowners hire a professional for this. In Rhode Island, irrigation blowout should be done by mid-October. Do not wait until the first freeze is in the forecast. By then you are already gambling.

Protect Trees and Shrubs

Young trees with thin bark are vulnerable to sunscald. On cold sunny days, the sun warms the bark on the south side of the trunk. When the sun sets and temperatures drop rapidly, the bark cracks. These cracks become entry points for insects and disease. Wrap trunks with tree guards from the base up to the first branch. Broadleaf evergreens like rhododendrons and boxwood lose moisture through their leaves all winter. When the ground is frozen, roots cannot replace that moisture. The result is winter burn: brown dried-out leaves that do not recover. Protect these plants with burlap screens. Apply two to three inches of winter mulch in late November to early December after the ground has begun to freeze, keeping it pulled back from trunks and stems.

Cut Back, Drain, and Protect Hardscaping

Cut back hostas and most perennials to two to three inches. Leave ornamental grasses, sedum, echinacea, and black-eyed Susan standing for winter interest. Inspect patios and walkways for cracks and seal visible damage. Clear drainage channels. Disconnect and store all hoses. Shut off interior valves to outdoor spigots. Drain ceramic pots. Mark driveway edges with reflective stakes before the snow covers everything. Raise snowblower skid shoes over pavers to avoid scratching the surface. Use sand instead of rock salt for de-icing walkways to protect concrete, metal railings, and nearby plants.

Schedule Winterization Today →

📞 (401) 336-6032 | 33 Carr St, Coventry, RI 02816