If you live in West Michigan, including towns like Grand Rapids, Ada, Rockford, Byron Center, Hudsonville and surrounding neighborhoods, you already know winter doesn’t exactly roll in with a gentle touch. It comes barreling in, frozen, snowy and unpredictable. Every year we get asked at Torchwood Landscaping:
“Are winter landscaping projects possible?”
And the honest answer is yes, within reason.
That’s where a lot of homeowners get frustrated, confused, or even get burned by bad advice. Some contractors will say “don’t even think about it” and others will say “if you pay us, we’ll do anything.” But the truth is always somewhere in the middle.
This article is about being straight-up honest with you:
- What landscaping projects are just not worth doing in winter in West Michigan
- Why they’re not worth it (it’s not just “too cold”)
- When certain projects can be done but safely, depending on the weather
- What alternatives or adjustments will make winter work a success
Making winter landscaping decisions in West Michigan is rarely cut and dried. The goal of this guide is to help you understand the key factors that matter so you can make decisions with confidence, rather than relying on blanket “yes or no” answers from some contractor.
Why Winter Landscaping Projects Are So Different in West Michigan
Before we get into specifics, it’s worth understanding why winter changes everything here in West Michigan.
Unlike warmer parts of the country, our winters bring:
- Freeze-thaw cycles that just make a mess
- Deep frost penetration that messes with soil and materials
- Heavy snow loads that can be a real pain
- Frozen subgrades that make it tough to get things compacted right
- Limited daylight and just when you thought it was safe to go outside, the weather goes and changes on you
As a landscaper you’ve got to fight the cold, but we also have to work around soil science, physics, and long-term performance. If you don’t respect those factors, your project is just going to fail.
That’s why knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what can be done.
Landscaping Projects That Need The Right Conditions To Succeed
1. Tree and Shrub Planting (If The Ground Is Right)
You can absolutely plant trees and shrubs in West Michigan in the winter as long as the ground isn’t frozen so deep it’s going to cause problems.
This is an important distinction, because a lot of people are told you just can’t do it in winter, which also isn’t true.
Here are the key things to think about:
- If the soil can be worked and isn’t frozen solid
- If the frost layer isn’t going to cause the roots to heave
- If the plants are fully dormant
In West Michigan, this window often stays open through much of December and sometimes even into January, depending on the weather.
Here’s why dormant planting can actually work pretty well:
- Dormant plants aren’t actively growing, so they don’t get transplant shock
- The roots can settle into the soil before it gets warm and the plant starts growing again
- Snow cover can even help insulate the soil, keeping it warm in the winter.
And of course there are times when you should just wait:
- When the ground is frozen solid and won’t allow the roots to get in there
- When repeated freeze-thaw cycles make a mess.
So here’s the smart way to do it:
- Check the depth of the frost at the specific site
- Use proper backfill and make sure the roots are making contact with the soil
- Plan your planting window based on the forecast, not just the calendar dates
When done right, winter tree and shrub planting can be just as good as doing it in the spring.
2. New Lawn Installation (Seeding or Sod)
One of the most common mistakes people make in winter is trying to put in a new lawn.
The truth is grass just can’t establish in frozen soil.
Why winter lawns fail:
- Seed can’t germinate
- Sod roots can’t get into the soil
- Snowmelt just creates runoff, doesn’t let the water get into the soil
- Soil compaction makes it so the seed can’t even get a good contact with the soil.
Even dormant seeding is a recipe for disaster if you do it wrong. The seed just washes away, or germinates unevenly.
Instead of trying to put the lawn in in winter, try this:
- Get the groundwork done (if weather permits)
- Fix any drainage issues now
- Plan to put the lawn in in spring.
Getting the groundwork done in winter can actually end up making for a better lawn in the spring.
3. Extensive Soil Grading and Final Elevation Work
While some rough grading can be done in winter, final grading should almost always wait.
Why:
- Frozen soil doesn’t compact right
- Snow hides low spots and where water is getting in
- Spring settling is unpredictable, so you can’t anticipate how the ground is going to move.
Final grades control water flow, and if you try to do it in winter, you’re just going to end up with bigger problems later.
Instead, try this:
- Do as much rough grading as you can (if you can)
- Identify where your problem areas are
- Finalize the slopes and elevation once the ground has thawed.
4. Hardscaping Without Proper Winter Preparation and Protection
You can do some hardscaping in winter, but you have to do it right.
If you’re going to try it, you need to prepare and protect your work. Hardscaping projects can successfully get done in winter as long as they’re tackled a bit differently than they would be in the warmer months.
At Torchwood Landscaping, winter hardscaping tends to fall into one of two groups:
1. Projects that get prepped in the fall
- The excavation and base prep gets done in the fall
- Then the final installation gets done in winter when conditions permit
2. Full winter installs which require some special handling
- You make sure you’ve got the right depth and compaction of the base
- You’re using materials that can stand being in the cold
- And you adjust the install schedule so it works with the weather
For masonry or mortared work, you may need to use extra caution which can include:
- Tents or tarps to protect the work from the elements
- Some temporary heating to make sure the mortar cures right
- And checking overnight temps to make sure everything’s good to go
When you should probably put the hardscaping on hold:
- If the subgrade is frozen so you can’t get a good compaction
- During prolonged deep-freeze periods
- When the snow cover makes it hard to get a good reading on the layout or elevations
How well a winter hardscaping project turns out really depends on weather patterns, ground conditions, and preparation more than it does on whether it’s winter or not.
As long as you respect those factors, your winter hardscape project can be just as good in the long run as one that got done in the summer.
5. Irrigation System Installation or Major Modifications
You shouldn’t try to do irrigation installs in winter in West Michigan.
Why not:
- Waterlines are in danger of freezing
- Trenches collapse in unpredictable ways
- There’s no way to test the system
What you should do instead:
- Plan out your irrigation zones now
- Coordinate the layouts with your landscape design
- Get it installed as soon as the snow melts in the spring
Why Doing the Wrong Project in Winter Costs More Long-Term
One of the toughest things for homeowners to swallow is this:
Tackling landscaping at the wrong time doesn’t save you money. It usually just ends up wasting it.
Winter-installed failures often come back to haunt you in the form of:
- Dead plants
- Patios that have sunk
- Poor drainage
- Lawns that are washed out
Getting those problems fixed in the spring can end up being way more expensive than just waiting and doing it right from the beginning.
That’s why sometimes contractors have to advise against doing a project, even if that means putting a sale on hold.
What You Can Do Instead (Smart Winter Landscaping Moves)
Just because you can’t do certain installs in winter doesn’t mean you can’t do anything at all.
Smart Winter Landscaping Activities in West Michigan:
- Do drainage evaluations and come up with some corrective solutions
- Plant trees and shrubs when the ground isn’t frozen
- Get your hardscape prep work and stage the installations
- Do your design and master planning for spring and summer
- Pick out your materials and place an order early
- Get your permits and HOA approvals and utility locates
- Come up with a budget and set up a phased project schedule
People in the Grand Rapids area who do their planning in the winter almost always:
- Get a head start in the spring
- Avoid the contractor backlogs
- Make better design decisions
- Stay closer to budget
How Torchwood Landscaping Helps Homeowners Avoid Winter Mistakes
At Torchwood Landscaping, our winter approach is really all about long-term results, not just rushing installs.
Our process includes:
- Honest assessments of whether a project can be done in winter
- Clear explanations of the risks and rewards
- Looking for alternative solutions when installs should probably wait
- Spring-ready planning that saves you time and money
We’d rather earn your trust than rush a project that shouldn’t be done.
So, Can Landscaping Be Done in Winter?
The honest answer is:
- Some projects should wait, and that’s okay
- Some work can move forward safely with the right approach
- Planning in winter is actually a smart move for a homeowner to make
If you’re not sure which category your project falls into, a professional winter consultation can save you thousands and a lot of frustration.
Thinking About a Landscaping Project This Winter in West Michigan?
If you’re in Grand Rapids or West Michigan and you’re wondering what makes sense to tackle now and what should wait, Torchwood Landscaping is happy to walk you through your options and will even provide a free estimate.
Let’s get started on your winter landscaping project today!
