Winter is still a bit away, certain larger-scale landscaping activities can be done then. And planning for the inevitable piles of yard waste is wise.

For many homeowners and others who work in their gardens and lawns, the winter months are largely the "low maintenance" dormant months for landscaping. Yes, but not always.

Residential Tree Care - Some Need More Than Others

Keeping the grass sufficiently watered and properly trimmed is fairly easy and straightforward. Winterizing the sprinkler system means doing nothing if you live in places like Phoenix, to major draining and checking if you live in harsh winter areas. 

Generally speaking, for most homeowners or property owners, winter landscape maintenance is probably the least demanding in terms of time and resources. 

Except for the trees, shrubs, bushes and other larger plantings. 

While you certainly don't have to prune or trim these softscape additions to your property, it's a matter of both aesthetics and good plant health to do so. 

According to one professional tree care source,

Generally, the best time to prune or trim trees and shrubs is during the winter months. From November through March, most trees are dormant which makes it the ideal time for the following reasons: Trees are less susceptible to insects or disease.

The Old Farmer's Almanac makes clear distinctions between which trees can and should be pruned in winter, that those that will not well with that approach.

Essentially, it comes down to a rule of thumb that says shrubs and trees that bloom on new growth should be pruned in the winter and early spring. Those that bloom on old growth, however, should be pruned in late spring or summer, or after their flowers fade.

In addition, the venerable Almanac provides winter pruning tips such as,

• Prune on a mild, dry day. This helps to prevent the spreading of waterborne plant diseases or damage from cold temperatures.
• Never prune too early in the winter, as incisions can dry out if the temperature drops well below freezing.
• Unwanted lower branches on all evergreen shrubs and trees should also be removed in late winter.
• Remove overgrown and smaller branches to increase light and air at the crown of the tree.
• Cut branches at the node, the point at which one branch or twig attaches to another.

But not every species of tree needs to be cut on. 

According to one source, most evergreens, for example,

"Will thrive for around 30 years if they are not beaten up with pruning every year, and of course they do keep growing through the lifespan."

Other "low-maintenance" residential trees include crape myrtles, magnolias, and Serviceberry trees.

A Shrub is a Bush is a Shrub

Is there a difference?

Actually, the only real distinction is in the choice of names: some regions tend to favor shrub, while other areas traditionally use the term "bush" to describe the same plant.

According to the website at The Spruce,

"As far as horticulture (the art and practice of garden cultivation) is concerned, there is no exact definition of when a plant is a shrub or a bush."

For our purposes, we'll stick with the (probably) more horticulturally correct term of shrub. 

A shrub, then, has been described as a woody plant with several perennial stems that may stand up, or may lay close to the ground. It will usually have a height less than 13 feet and stems no more than about three inches in diameter.

The point here is that many shrubs need to be pruned on a regular basis, and many of them can be pruned in winter. 

For example, some evergreen shrubs such as holly, yew, and boxwoods (along with spruce and fir evergreen trees!) in late winter or early spring when they are still dormant and before new growth begins.

The rule of thumb for shrubs is to prune immediately after bloom for flowering shrubs, and in late winter or early spring for non-blooming shrubs - particularly if you are planning heavy pruning.

By the way, Disneyland's famous plant sculptures depicting animal and characters consist of hardy boxwoods. 

When It's Time for Clean Up and Yard Waste Removal

Cutting, trimming, and pruning can be enjoyable and even therapeutic in a way, especially for those who love their trees and landscaping. One could go so far as to say that landscape maintenance is the fun part!

But yard waste removal and clearing up the debris? Not so much.

If you're only looking at a few wheelbarrow loads, or a couple of bags of clippings and trimmings, then it's a relatively easy task to haul these to your green recycling bin (if you have one and most folks do), or your compost bin (if you have one and most folks should!)

But what about the BIG piles?

It could be that you'll be doing a great deal of pruning, cutting, trimming, and perhaps even some uprooting and plant removal, thanks to the drought. And when you have piles and stacks of yard waste and landscaping debris you have to have a practical way to remove and dispose of it all.

If you don't own a truck you're already looking to find someone to help with the job. Which is just as well since large-scale yard waste removal shouldn't be seen as a DIY job.

Which is why Junk King specializes in yard waste removal as well as bulk junk removal.  

Call Junk King for Your Winter Yard Waste Removal Options

At Junk King we even offer you options for your winter yard waste removal.

Sure, you could do it all yourself if you have a truck, lots of time, and enjoy loading and unloading organic waste. And, yes, you could probably find someone to do it really cheap. Although there are likely to be guys with trucks willing to do the job, that option may end up costing you more than you hoped to save.

Which is why Junk King is your best choice for yard waste removal.

We will provide you with efficient, safe, and eco-friendly yard waste and debris removal so you don’t need to worry about getting rid of it after your project is complete. And our removal and hauling professionals will make sure that all of the debris is off your property so that you can get your outdoor space ready for winter.

Alternately, you can make use of our convenient, self-service MINI Dumpster rental option. 

These user-friendly and driveway-safe bins are easy to use and still hold up to 12-cubic yards of waste and debris. That's about five pickup bed loads, by the way. And we can often drop off a rental dumpster at your home in the same day, so call us today!

And did we mention that one of the best things about hiring Junk King is that we recycle most of the material we pick-up? This is proof of our commitment to being a green and eco-friendly junk removal service.

So, ready to take care of that winter yard waste removal chore?

It's easy! Just book online above or give us a call at 1.888.888.JUNK (5865).