Well, if they aren’t plowing it, they get their fleet ready for next spring.

domcorriveau:

All I can say today is, don’t do this! This 4 ft. shrub bed doesn’t need two heads back to back with 10 ft. VAN nozzles in it.

Snow is forecast for Western Washington.  This means we may see 2 inches, or 2 feet. It might be for 2 hours, or 2 days. It might hit 2 counties, or 2 borders. We never really know until it hits.

But what we do know is how it might affect our landscape. Fortunately, usually not very much.

If you walk on the lawn, it may damage the grass, but it will recover by Spring. If it it’s on the branches and twigs it looks pretty cool.  

If it is wet and heavy, take a broom and knock it off. If you shovel walks and drives, don’t pile it up on the small plants.

Most deicers are pretty eco-friendly now- so there isn’t much to worry about there. And the accumulation from sand usually doesn’t amount to much.

So enjoy late start or the day off, have some cocoa and turn that snowman into a snowscaper by putting a leaf blower in his hand.

Moss, unfortunately, is a regular part of our Northwest winter. What causes it, and what can be done about it?

Moss is the result of other factors.

First- low sunlight- this is why it thrives in shady areas, and more so during the winter. Prune up those trees or consider other plants than grass for that area.

Second, moisture. You can’t beat the rain, but you can improve drainage by aerating, building better soil for the grass to grow in, or putting in some drainage. Even something simple like  a surface drain will help.

Third, poor soil.Build that soil up so the turf grass can have good roots to compete, and apply some lime to lower the pH.

Fourth, thin grass. When it warms up, overseed with a more shade tolerant grass.

Fifth, cooler temperatures. Sorry, can’t help you here unless you want to put a sunlamp on the lawn- but the neighbors might think you are weird.

You can apply moss killer, and it works well. Make sure you read the label. However you will need to correct the other problems too. 

We live in a unique climate. We don’t often see cold weather damage unless we have sustained temperatures below freezing for several days, or we have a very bad wind chill. Some plants, or landscapes with exposure will see damage, while the same plant on the opposite end of town will thrive and do well, and not even hint at having damage. Some tips: Move planters inside, or even under cover will help. If really concerned about a plant, cover it with a sheet, or burlap. Try to minimize walking on frozen grass. In the northwest, we see more damage from wind and ice storms, than actual cold or freezing damage.