Snow Removal Mistakes to Avoid to Protect Your Denver Landscaping

In Denver, it’s normal to see tons of snow during the winter months. Though the white stuff definitely makes the city feel more festive, it also means you have to clear the snowpack before it has a chance to turn to ice. Believe it or not, snow removal isn’t as simple as shoveling it away. In fact, it’s easy to make mistakes that can actually hurt your Denver landscape design. As long as you know what those mistakes are, you’ll be able to avoid making them yourself. These are the most common mistakes you’ll need to avoid if you want to preserve your landscaping for good.

Using Too Much Ice Melt

Ice melt is a wonderful tool to help you keep the ice from collecting on your paved walkways and driveways. That said, it’s possible to overdo it. If you add too much ice melt to your walkways, that ice melt can alter the pH in the soil around the pavement. This hurts your lawn’s ability to recover when the weather warms up and can leave you with a brown, ugly, or bare spot around your driveway and walkways. Instead, use caution. Spread the smallest amount of ice melt necessary to power through the buildup. If you notice granules collecting on your lawn, flush them away with your garden hose.

Scraping Past the Pavement

Shoveling is the simplest way to get rid of tons of snow in your driveway, but it’s not without its risks. You need to be cautious about where you place the snow and where the shovel scrapes along the ground. If you can, keep the shovel on the pavement with each pass. This way, the sharp edge of the shovel won’t scrape at your landscaping and carefully planted garden beds. Keep in mind that accidents will happen and some of the edges of your lawn and beds may look rough in the spring. Spread fresh grass seed along those areas at the beginning of spring and let the seed fill in the gaps.

Letting the Snow Build Up

When you’re tired of shoveling and clearing snow, the last thing you want to do is clear away the snow drifts across your yard. Unfortunately, ignoring those drifts can backfire. The weight of the snow and ice can cause the dirt in your lawn to compact. This makes it hard for the roots to spread and grow even when the soil thaws. Instead of letting those drifts collect and build up, spread the snow out as much as you can. This will help you keep the weight of the snow more evenly distributed across the rest of your yard.

Avoid These Mistakes This Winter 

These are just a few of the most common snow removal mistakes you’ll want to avoid making this winter. As long as you think about how your actions will impact your landscaping, you’ll be able to keep your yard in good shape throughout the colder months. If at any point you’re worried about the way your landscape looks, contact our team to schedule a consultation.