Crisp air, pumpkin spice, and apple pie…it must be fall! It’s a great time to visit an apple orchard, go for a hike or take a drive to see the fall colors. It’s also a good time to prepare next year’s landscape as your preparation now will save you a lot of energy next spring. Make sure that you follow a fall cleanup landscaping checklist to get your lawn ready for winter and next spring.
Mow The Grass
Preparing your lawn for the winter season is essential. Leaving your grass too high can result in matted grass, allowing it to be more vulnerable to disease. Cutting the grass too low is also not advised since this will result in the lawn roots being overly exposed to damaging winter elements. So throughout fall, you should gradually lower the height of the grass until the last cut before winter.
Once The Leaves Fall
The first task will be to clean up all the leaves and debris off the lawn. If you have a large number of leaves in your yard, you should be sure to remove them as soon as possible. Many people do not realize the importance of removing this debris. if you leave that stuff on your lawn, guess what could form? Mold! Do you want a moldy lawn that’s ruined for next year? No, you do not. So, rake or use the leaf blower to remove all the dead leaves. You probably will need to do that a few times before the snow starts to blow.
Fertilize
Late fall is one of the best times of the year to improve a stand of lawn grass, when an investment of time, sweat, and some lawn-care products will yield a healthier, greener, and denser stand of turf earlier next spring. You should give the required nutrients for the grass before your turf goes into hibernation.
Fall Is The Best Time Of Year To Plant Shrubs And Plants
The cold and moist condition of the soil helps the plants to establish their roots and get established in the yard.
Trim The Trees And Shrubs
If you find many dead and weak branches, remove them. In shrubs follow the “Three D’s” for knowing what to prune: the dead, diseased, and damaged wood.
Plant Some Bulb Plants In The Fall
There is nothing more beautiful after a cold winter than to look out your window and see the purple crocus or the yellow daffodil peeking up in your flower bed in the spring.
Sharing Perennials
Fall is a great time to divide and share your perennials with family and friends. Dividing or splitting your plant into multiple plants helps them perform better. Clump-forming plants like daisies, phlox, yarrow, feverfew, salvia, chives, daylilies, hostas, ornamental grass, and many spring bloomers are easy to divide in the fall.
Mulching In The Fall
Mulching around plants in autumn has all kinds of benefits, from preventing soil erosion to suppressing weeds to protecting plants from moisture loss. Mulching is a great way to keep your plants healthy and happy. The best time to mulch is after a little frost and before the ground freezes.
Outdoor Water Features
The best way to protect an outdoor water feature during freezing weather is to be sure to totally drain it and prepare the features for freezing weather. If it’s only going to be below freezing for a day or two, there’s a chance that the ground will stay warm enough to prevent water from freezing in the fixture, especially if it’s actively running water, as the turbulence in the water will help keep it from freezing. However, there’s always a chance that ice buildup can block the flow and cause the feature to freeze. It’s usually better to be safe than sorry.
Store And Clean Your Garden Tools
Keep your tools from rusting during the cold season by applying an oil coating such as linseed oil or even vegetable oil on the surfaces of your tools.
Clean Out The Gutters
Not all fall cleanup is in the yard. This is the perfect time to clear leaves and other debris from rain gutters. Check for proper drainage, clear out any blockages with a small garden trowel, and rinse with a hose.
Just remember that the hard work done in the fall will show up in the form of a healthy and lush garden for you, your family, and friends to enjoy next spring.
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About A & A Lawn Care & Landscaping
A & A Lawn Care & Landscaping can beautify your lawn and landscaping using our vast experience in turf grass management. Our complete lawn service is designed for both residential and commercial lawns and we keep your lawn healthy without harming your family, staff, or pets.