Preparing Your Yard for Winter

After the long growing season, your yard may look quite different than it did in the spring. The shrubs, bushes and trees surrounding your house have started to infringe upon the house, and it is best to take care of these problems before it gets too cold and the snow is upon us.

Step 1

Prune hard-to-reach limbs

Untrimmed limbs cause problems come winter where heavy snow and high winds break the limbs, resulting in roof damage. Pruning limbs can be a dangerous task for a homeowner—and even a seasoned professional—because it normally requires getting on a ladder with a saw or chainsaw.

A Fiskars extendable pruner will help take the danger out of pruning and trimming branches off your roof and away from your house. You won't need a ladder because the pruner extends up to twelve feet to take down high branches. You can also use it to cut lower limbs and save your back. Whether you are using the 15" saw blade or the steel pruning blade, the extendable pruner has what it takes to keep your house clear, while also keeping you safe.

Step 2

Prune easy-to-reach branches

For branches that are easy to reach, I like to my Fiskars folding saw that folds and locks for easy transport. The blade is strong enough to cut through thick branches, and it can be used for over or under hand cuts, providing great versatility.

Step 3

Clean up bush and shrub debris

Now that all the branches and limbs are cut away from the house, you can finish the job with standard loppers and pruners. Fiskars loppers and pruners feature a patented gear technology that multiplies leverage, providing up to 3x more power on every cut. I use these tools to clean up debris and make sure all shrubs and bushes are away from the house, allowing airflow and preventing mold and dampness. I have a pair of loppers and pruners in my truck and in my shed, so they are never out of reach.

Step 4

Simplify hauling yard waste

To make the branches you cut easier to haul away, use a loppers to cut them into more manageable pieces. Then, walk around the house, making sure every shrub and bush has been trimmed back and all dead branches are removed.

Step 5

Clean and store tools

Once all the limbs are off the roof of the house, the shrubs and bushes are cut back and the debris has been removed, it's time to clean and store my Fiskars tools. My house is now ready for winter, and thanks to Fiskars tools, I could do it all without even hauling out my ladder.