Snow is a major part of the landscape and weather during the winter months and is something you usually cannot avoid each year. However, when snow removal season arrives, it is important that you take into consideration your yard, landscaping, pavements, and other landscape features to keep them protected while removing snow and ice for safety and your own protection. Here are some recommendations to help you take care of your yard's snow removal for a healthy and protected yard landscaping.

Mark Pavement and Landscape Features

As a first step to keep your yard protected during the winter snowfall, you should plan to mark out some different features and areas within your yard that are nearby your pavement areas. Use metal t-posts, small flags, or similar posts to mark the edges of landscaping borders, the edges of pavement, or your propane tank. This marking will help you to know where these items are positioned in your yard once your yard is covered in a layer of snow. This is helpful to you or anyone else who may be handling the snow removal.

So, for example, if you hire a professional snow removal service, they will know where the edges of your pavement reach and where your lawn or rock garden begins. This can help prevent damage to your landscaping features or lawn by the snow removal blade. And if you want to remove the snow and clear a pathway to your propane tank for when it needs to be refilled, your propane professional will see where the tank's position is.

Use the Right Ice Melt Products

It is also a good idea to understand what types of ice melt products you can use in and around your yard and pavement. Using the wrong types of chemicals can cause damage and dead spots to your lawn and landscaping vegetation when the chemical crystals fall upon your lawn or pile up in a snowbank over your vegetation. In the spring, you will definitely notice when your vegetation does not grow in.

The wrong ice melt chemical can also cause damage to your concrete surfaces, especially when they are newly-installed over the past year. Some ice melt chemicals, such as calcium chloride and magnesium chloride are safe to use on concrete and won't cause spalling and other similar damage. When you hire a professional snow removal service to maintain your property's walkways and driveway, be sure they are aware of your preference in ice melt chemicals to keep your pavement free of ice and protected.