Every great football coach says, “Defense wins championships.” That point is highlighted below in the three greatest defensive plays in NFL history (let us know if you agree with our selections below). 

The connection to landscaping is simple. Winter is the most unforgiving opponent a landscape faces. Think of it like the legendary running back Barry Sanders, who found a hundred ways to cut through a defense. That’s how winter approaches your landscape - looking for any opening to create problems.

What you need is proactive protection. A plan in the mold of legendary linebacker Mike Singletary.

That mindset is how Yellowstone Landscape defends client properties against the coldest months of the year. Clients benefit because a good defense is proven to avoid costly spring repairs due to harsh winter weather.

Let’s get into the costs of a poor landscape defense compared to the wins available with a good defense.

Top 3 Greatest Defensive Plays

1. Malcolm Butler’s Goal-Line INT vs Seahawks (Super Bowl XLIX) 
2. James Harrison’s 100-Yard Pick-Six (Super Bowl XLIII)
3. Eric Allen’s 94-Yard Pick-Six vs Jets in 1993

Yellowstone Team Leader Q&A

Do you have a favorite football analogy you use with clients when describing winter prep?

Winter’s the red zone. All football fans know the red zone is where defenses are on their heels. Landscape crews have to bring their A-game and dig in to get properties ready for rugged winter weather.

What percentage of commercial properties actually do proactive winter protection vs. waiting for spring fixes?

It’s hard to know percentages, but we hear about too many commercial properties that don't play defense before winter and pay the price come spring. It’s like a coach preparing for only three quarters of football. Not being ready for the fourth quarter will get the coach on the hot seat. 

What’s the most expensive repair you’ve seen that could have been avoided with better winter prep?

Frozen pipes bursting cause costly problems that even go beyond the system. Plants can be ruined, and water can freeze on sidewalks, leading to slip-and-fall injuries. That puts owners in danger of lawsuits. Another costly thing is not defending against pests and disease at the end of the year. Not removing leaves on a lawn invites harmful bugs and fungus. A good fall clean-up is smart defense.

Knowing the Winter Threats to Your Landscape

When you think of defending your landscape against the most intense season, winter, think about these three college football greats:

1. Tim Tebow (Florida)
2. Tommie Frazier (Nebraska)
3. Bo Jackson (Auburn)

Below you’ll see threats just as formidable that can turn a property’s green spaces into a disordered mess.

• Compacted Snow on Turf: suffocates grass and causes snow mold
• Freeze-Thaw Cycles: cause cracks in hardscape and soil heaving
• Heavy Snow Loads: breaks branches and can crush shrubs
• De-icing Salt: burns plants and damages soil
• Winter Desiccation: dries out evergreens

The good news? Your landscaping provider should be able to defend against those winter-related problems. If they don’t have a good defensive plan, the cost can be high. First, there’s lost curb appeal due to an unkept look with scattered leaves and fallen limbs alongside damaged shrubbery.

Then, there are plant replacement expenses when spring arrives. It’s wise to protect valuable landscaping leading up to winter cold instead of paying more for replacement in April. 

Finally, there’s the worst-case scenario of a slip-and-fall injury on your commercial property. No one wants to see people hurt, or leave openings for frivolous lawsuits from bad actors using icy conditions to their advantage.

Yellowstone Team Leader Q&A

Which of these winter threats do you see causing the most damage across client properties?

The most worrisome is falling due to ice, but the most common damage is falling trees and limbs. Trees can crush cars and structures, and put people’s lives in danger. Huge limbs can be just as hazardous. 

Do you help clients with snow and ice management documentation for potential liability claims?

Yes. We’ve always kept detailed records on commercial snow removal. The past few years we’ve been able to give them extra details in real-time with new technology and tools.

Are there regional differences in winter landscape maintenance planning? 

Yes. For example, the Northeast U.S. has to focus on snow load management to prevent tree damage. Southern states are threatened by ice storms more than heavy snow. These mild-winter states can get caught off guard by frozen precipitation.

Your Defensive Line: Physical Barriers and Protection

It’s time to give credit to defensive landscaping techniques that rarely get noticed. You could say the same for some NFL greats that most people wouldn’t recognize.

Defensive linemen pressuring the QB into bad throws are unsung heroes.

When playing defense for your plantings, the following are unsung tactics:

• Anti-desiccant sprays
• Burlap plant wrapping
• Snow fences
• Tree wraps
• Mulching

Burlap wrapping helps shield plants from winter wind, snow, and salt spray, while anti-desiccant sprays reduce moisture loss due to frozen ground. Snow fences give snow and ice management providers a way to control where snow accumulates.  

Then, there’s mulching. This simple step insulates plant roots against extreme temperature fluctuations and prevents frost heaving. Finally, tree wraps tackle sun scald and frost cracks before they damage the bark, while also blocking rodent and lawn equipment damage. 

Huddling Up on Hardscape Defense

Three stout defenses for hardscaping this winter are below.

• Sealing

• Drainage prep

• Staking or marking

Sealing hardscapes is like putting your best cornerback on the opponent's top receiver. The idea is to avoid anything slipping through and causing hardscape damage. A good sealant helps prevent water from seeping into pores of concrete, pavers, and stones. 

If the water’s sealed off, that lowers the odds of freezing temperatures causing damage from frozen water expanding, causing cracks. Quality hardscape sealants can also keep salt damage and stains away.

“When water freezes on the surface of concrete, it expands by 9%.” ~House Digest 

Drainage preparation is similar to stacking the line of scrimmage to force a team to throw instead of letting their workhorse running back run wild. Proper drainage planning before winter forces water away from hardscape areas. No pooling to worry about, which eliminates hazardous icing over.

“22,200 people search for a slip and fall lawyer each month.” ~Google search data

A key part of a football field is the bright orange end zone pylon. It gives players something to aim for at the goal line corners. Marking a property for commercial snow removal alerts crews for what to avoid while plowing snow. This prevents property damage that would otherwise be full of expense and hassles.

Winter Landscape Protection for Turf

There are two levels to safeguarding your grass once winter rolls in. Foot traffic is the first level.

It’s vital to keep foot traffic to a minimum because frozen grass blades are brittle. And constant walking on the same path causes soil compaction, blocking oxygen and water from plant roots. Traffic should be routed around turf during freezing temperatures to avoid damage that’s often permanent.

Give clear communication to guide pedestrians on specific pathways. 

Second Level is Snow Pile Placement

Piles of snow should be moved at least ten feet away from grass areas and onto designated spots where melting won’t cause problems. Snow piles often suffocate turf by robbing it of air and light. Snow mold is another concern, along with concentrated de-icing chemicals burning the grass underneath snow mounds.

Yellowstone Team Leader Q&A

What’s the most underused but effective physical barrier you recommend?

Tree wrapping should be used more since trees are the most expensive parts of a landscape. Burlap wrapping for certain plants and deer netting is also underused. There’s a cost to these extra defenses, but less costly than replacing plants or trees killed by extreme temps.

Do clients often resist plant wrapping because of aesthetics? How do you overcome that?

This happens sometimes, but as long as you clearly communicate the risk of losing valuable plants or trees, clients understand. Other options include wrapping only the most expensive elements or using wraps that blend with the natural environment.  

What’s your system for marking hardscape features before plowing?

Since we map out and do regular walk-throughs of all client properties, we have a clear picture of where plowing will happen. We use easy-to-see flags that keep snow plows from hitting objects that would be damaged (e.g., hydrants, curbs, plant containers). To keep anyone from parking in the way of snow plows, those paths get marked, too.

Your Secondary Coverage: Smart Material Choices

What impacts every football team’s playoff chances? Pre-season workouts and second-half adjustments. With landscape defense planning, we can look at two pre-winter strategies. Then, we’ll break down key adjustments to make during the worst of a winter storm.

Fall fertilization builds the “muscles” of your plantings, providing the strength needed to endure winter weather. Stronger plants are ready to burst with health and vibrance when spring sprints back in the picture. 

Potassium in slow-release fall fertilizers does much of the heavy lifting. It strengthens plants’ cell walls while improving cold tolerance by regulating water movement. It also enhances root development and disease resistance. High-potassium winterizer formulas are often 10-0-20 or 13-0-44 ratios.

“Freezing and thawing of the soil can be harmful to plants." ~University of Nebraska Extension

Mulch is important year-round and should be replenished as needed to keep the depth at two to four inches. This matters in the fall, so plant and tree roots get insulated from freezing temperatures that could otherwise hurt the roots permanently.

Your commercial landscape provider should give you the right mulch options for your location. There’s hardwood mulch, softwood, and pinestraw. Each has pros and cons, with some materials even able to repel harmful insects (e.g., cypress and cedar mulch) 

Game Time De-icing

While Yellowstone Landscape has a large workforce capable of pre-staging personnel, snow equipment, and de-icing supplies, most providers have to begin de-icing after a storm hits. Winter storms can change directions and intensify quickly. So, it’s vital to know what your provider will be using to ensure safe walkways and driving lanes.

Rock salt is the traditional choice. It’s less expensive than modern de-icers, but it begins working pretty quickly. The problem is that this de-icer is most likely to damage plant materials.

Three alternatives to rock salt are:

1. Calcium Chloride. Effective to -25°F and is less damaging to plants.
2. Magnesium Chloride. Effective down to 5°F and is more environmentally gentle.
3. Calcium Magnesium Acetate. Biodegradable and non-toxic to plants, but is the most expensive and slowest acting choice. 
   

Yellowstone Team Leader Q&A

Which de-icing materials do you recommend most often and why?

It depends on the property type and the owner's preference. But the goal is the same everywhere - people’s safety. And to avoid the costs of spring landscape restoration, replacement plantings, and environmental liability. Calcium Magnesium Acetate is biodegradable and lowers plant damage risks and doesn’t affect soil structure.

Do clients push back on higher-cost alternatives to rock salt?

It comes back to good communication. Clients want to protect their budget. So, when they see their budget could get hit come spring due to not preventing salt damage, they’re on board with more eco-friendly de-icers. 

How do you educate clients on the ROI of material choice?

Our managers do a good job of explaining things like that before the first contract is ever signed. Also, we have a nice-sized knowledge base of case studies and articles we can share with them.

Special Teams: The Details that Win Games

Over the years, the gridiron’s seen the most exciting players who often only get on the field a few times per game - special teams. Five of the greatest (pro and collegiate) were:

• “Rocket” Ismail

• Adam Vinatieri

• Devon Hester

• Steve Tasker

• Ray Guy

Those players used tiny details to help their teams. The following landscaping details do the same for outdoor spaces.

Irrigation: Your provider should plan on winterizing irrigation systems in late fall. But they should also advise you on smart irrigation updates that could be installed to save money when spring returns.

Pruning and Structural Support: Best practices include removing dead and damaged branches that could break under snow weight. Thinning canopies reduces wind resistance and snow accumulation (especially with evergreens).

For structural support, cables can be used between major limbs. Any existing cables should be inspected for damage and rust. And split-trunks can be supported through trained arborists’ bracing. Stake young trees with flexible ties to minimize winter wind effects.

Key aspects of snow load prep include A-frame support for shrubbery beneath roof edges (where snow or ice chunks fall off). Anti-desiccant spray on evergreens is a defense against brittleness that heavy snow often exposes.

Lighting and Hardscapes

Proactive lighting strategies include cleaning lenses and housings. Yellowstone Landscape crews check for water intrusion during cleaning and test the bulbs. Timers are also adjusted for Daylight Saving and shorter days. 

Defending your hardscapes begins with properly working drainage. Gutters and downspouts should be cleaned out after all leaves have fallen. Downspouts may need rerouting if they cause ice dams on walkways. Any buried drain pipes may need flushing to remove hidden sediment. 

A landscape provider without hardscape experience might overlook loose pavers that need to be reset. Sand should be added to paver joints before the first freeze. Steps and walkways must be inspected for trip hazards that will be hidden by snowfall.

Documentation 

Comprehensive photos and video of your entire property before winter arrives should capture tree conditions, any existing damage, and drainage issues. These pre-existing conditions are evidence for property owners (crucial for insurance claims).

Next, inventories keep everyone on the same page as seasonal needs and conditions change. Plant inventories track species, locations, sizes, and health. Hardscape and lighting supply inventories make it easier to get replacements after any ice or wind damage. Winter storms change the look of a property, so an inventory is your “map”.

Emergency Protocols

At Yellowstone Landscape, we supply customers with details of our winter protocols, including:

• Tree failure response (who to call, which trees are highest risk, equipment access routes)
• Freeze protection (outdoor faucet locations and irrigation blow-out confirmation)
• How to reach property manager or owner or back-up contact person
• Priority snow and ice management zones
• Where snow will be pushed to

Yellowstone Team Leader Q&A

What’s the most overlooked detail in winterization that creates big problems later?

Some providers only do a basic irrigation blowout. A thorough process is a must at Yellowstone because hidden trapped water in valve boxes will freeze and crack valve bodies. Incomplete clearing can also damage backflow preventers. Even the wiring can be damaged if not checked for proper sealing.

Do you have a standardized winterization checklist you walk clients through?

Absolutely. Our company uses comprehensive landscape programs. There are checklists for each season and category of service. Our winterization checklist is about as detailed as an NFL game plan. I believe one of Coach Belichick’s defensive game plans is in the NFL Hall of Fame. 

How do you handle emergency winter calls?

Our winter storm teams are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And our winter service trucks are dedicated to snow and ice removal only, so we can react quickly. Most companies have to mix lawn care equipment and snow equipment, which slows their response. Our new snow tech tools let us send notifications to crews instantly as a storm progresses. 

Your Game Plan – Yellowstone’s Defensive Strategy

The best football coaches have proven game plans. They give teams the greatest chance of victory. The same goes for a defensive landscape strategy. Yellowstone Landscape’s winter strategy covers three phases.

• Pre-Season (Oct–Nov): Walkthroughs, assessments, staging crews.

• During Season (Dec–Mar): 24/7 monitoring, proactive adjustments, communication protocols.

• Post-Season (Mar–Apr): Review, recovery plan, ROI analysis.

Branch and account managers walk properties to assess conditions in late fall. That’s in addition to crew leader inspections during regular maintenance. Gathering these details helps plan storm responses and provides guidance on staging crews before a winter storm hits. 

As winter weather ramps up in December, snow and ice crews are doing 24/7 monitoring. And as frozen precipitation begins falling, teams make adjustments based on advanced weather forecasting tools. 

What’s the main priority?

Communication with property managers. Part of that is enhanced via real-time updates through our GPS tracking and snow management software.

Once the post-season arrives, Yellowstone teams are in review and recovery mode. Winter damage is assessed - then repair and restore plans are made (often using documentation we discussed earlier).

The free template below can help you determine your ROI on defensive landscaping.

Defensive Landscaping ROI Template

Yellowstone Team Leader Q&A

How do you communicate weather updates and property status with clients?

Our logistics team uses the newest technology, so clients are almost along for the ride as we respond to an event. For snow and ice management, they can see when we arrive, finish, and get photos of before and after the clean-up.

What role does crew training play in executing the winter strategy?

Highly experienced crews make a huge difference in winter landscape maintenance. Our company does preseason snow and ice training, similar to the Safety Rodeos before landscape season in the spring. Part of the strategy includes shielding team members from freezing conditions by training on clothing (layering and waterproofing). I had a manager tell me years ago, “There’s no bad weather, only bad wardrobe choices.”

The Stats: ROI of Defensive Landscape Management

Defensive landscape management needs to show clients the return on investment. No different than football teams hiring a top defensive coordinator should result in more wins than the prior season. So, take a look at the time and money savings possible below.

What a plan helps you avoid:

• Negotiating with tree services during peak winter demand 
• Multiple contractor estimates and scheduling
• Loss of property use during spring repairs 
• Emergency phone calls during storms
• Stress of unexpected major expenses
• Insurance claims and deductibles  

Facts that provide evidence of winter preparation ROI:

1. Coniferous trees planted on the north or east side of a building can block winter wind, reduce the energy expended to heat the building, and decrease winter energy use by 20% (Utah State University).
2. 168 crashes in Indianapolis on December 3, 2024, after just half an inch of snow fell (WTHR News).

Yellowstone Team Leader Q&A

Can you share a study related to winter landscape defense metrics?

The International Society of Arboriculture reported roughly 5% of urban trees die annually due to stress from winter cold, salt, ice, disease, and physical damage. Sounds like a small percentage until you realize there are over 5.5 billion trees in U.S. urban areas. Defensive tactics would save many of those trees.

How do you recommend property owners calculate savings on slip-and-fall prevention?

Think about law firm stats like the average slip-and-fall settlement. It’s usually between $10,000 and $50,000. And this fact still surprises me: Injuries from falling cause 21% of preventable injury-related deaths - the same percentage as car accidents. 

Conclusion - Building Your Championship Landscape Defense

Winning isn’t an overnight thing. Every fan base knows this. It takes planning, preparation, and the right personnel. That's the key to a winning landscape, too. 

Prepping for winter before deep freezes show up means your landscaping will be hunkered down to endure the harshest months of the year. With that defensive mindset, your property should flourish when spring temperatures return.

Now, if you’re heading to a game this weekend, don’t get caught unprepared. Cold winds are already blowing in, so bundle up. 

And if you need a pre-winter property assessment to give you peace of mind, request a consultation with Yellowstone Landscape today.