Winter is a quieter season for planting and landscape management, but it is still a critical time for plant care across commercial grounds. Cold temperatures, heavy rainfall, frost and wind place significant stress on trees, lawns and planted areas, and can make your carefully designed gardens and grounds look unkempt and untidy. A professional garden and grounds maintenance team will have the expertise and skills to keep your plants in great health, even in winter. But what can you expect from this? And what are the important aspects of plant care in winter?
Tree maintenance and winter management
Winter is an ideal time for many essential tree maintenance tasks. With deciduous trees dormant and free from leaves, structural issues are easier to identify and address.
After storms or periods of high wind, your professional grounds maintenance team will examine your trees for signs of deadwood, damaged limbs or weak branch unions. It’s essential that these are removed to reduce the risk of failure and improve overall tree health. These works also support compliance with your duty of care by reducing hazards to people, buildings and vehicles.
Formative pruning of young trees can also be carried out in winter to encourage strong structure and balanced growth. For mature trees, selective pruning helps manage size and shape while reducing wind resistance. Any work should be undertaken by a trained and competent team, especially where trees are located near access routes or occupied buildings.
Ground conditions around trees should also be monitored. Prolonged waterlogging can affect root stability, particularly on clay soils or in compacted urban settings.
Hedge trimming and boundary management
Hedges play an important role in defining boundaries, screening views and maintaining a professional appearance across commercial sites. Winter hedge care focuses on control and structure rather than active growth.
Dormant-season trimming can be carried out on many species to maintain shape and prevent excessive growth in spring. However, you should be mindful of species-specific requirements, as some hedges respond better to late winter rather than early winter cuts.
Evergreen hedges benefit from light maintenance to prevent wind damage and snow loading, while avoiding excessive cutting during hard frosts. All hedge works carried out by a professional team should also consider wildlife protection, ensuring that no nesting activity is present, even outside the main breeding season.
Lawn care and turf management
Grass growth slows significantly in winter, but lawns still require attention to maintain surface quality and safety.
Your garden maintenance team should avoid unnecessary mowing, only cutting when conditions allow and ensuring blades are sharp to prevent tearing. Cutting heights should also be raised to help protect the grass plant and reduce stress.
Aeration plays an important role in winter lawn care, particularly on high-use commercial sites. Relieving compaction allows water to drain more effectively and reduces the risk of surface damage. Where lawns become heavily waterlogged, you may need to restrict access temporarily to prevent rutting and long-term harm.
Leaf clearance remains essential on turf areas, as trapped moisture encourages disease and weak growth.
Monitoring, planning and preparation
Winter plant care is as much about observation as action. Regular inspections allow you to identify issues early, from storm damage to disease or drainage problems. Clear records of maintenance activities and inspections also support effective planning and demonstrate responsible management.
As such, winter is the perfect time of year to review planting schemes, plan replacements and schedule improvements for the coming year.
Supporting long-term landscape health
Caring for plants in winter is essential to the long-term success of commercial landscapes. Through tree maintenance, hedge trimming, and lawn care, your grounds will resilient, safe and healthy.
For high quality, professional and reliable gardens and grounds maintenance you can count on, all year round, get in touch with the experts today, here at Green Scenery. We are Preston’s leading garden and grounds maintenance experts for both commercial and residential properties.