The 15 Essential Fall Yard Cleaning Tasks

Football games and trips to the nearby pumpkin patch are associated with autumn. It also signals that you should prepare your yard for the coming winter. Making the proper preparations now will save you time and effort in springtime and ensure that you and your family are safe in the yard all year long. Follow our checklist of fall cleanup requirements to ensure you get the most out of your yard the following year.

1. Remove any debris.

Pests love the warmth and cover of weeds and fallen leaves as they prepare for the winter. To ward off vermin, clean up flower beds. Rose beds require extra maintenance because the winter months can be a breeding ground for disease on their leaves.

2. Maintain the veggie garden.

Remove old vegetable plants and detritus after the last harvest. In order to prepare your soil for planting in the spring, if you compost, now is the time to add a layer of compost.

3. Cut off errant branches.

If you neglected to prune diseased, damaged, or dead branches throughout the summer, do it now. Pruning stray tree limbs that can be problematic in the winter. Avoid having any branches break and fall during the impending winter.

4. Organize your gutters.

Fall cleaning doesn't just involve the yard. The ideal time to clean leaves and other debris out of gutters is right now. Make sure the drainage is working properly, use a small garden trowel to remove any obstructions, and then water off the area.

5. Let everything dry.

Hoses, fountains, and drip irrigation systems should all be completely dry before being stored. Your equipment could be harmed by water left standing over the winter.

6. Add air.

To prevent water from collecting and to ensure that nutrients will reach the roots over the winter, break up the soil. Small yards can be worked on with a garden fork, while bigger yards could need a walk-behind aerator, which should be rentable for a fair fee.

7. Provide lawn food.

Give your lawn the nutrition it needs to endure the long, chilly winter. To promote root growth and enjoy a lush, green lawn come spring, add a fall-application of high-phosphorous lawn fertilizer.

8. Mulch and rake.

Avoid letting falling leaves overwhelm you; if they are not dealt with, they could choke the grass. Use them as mulch for young trees, shrubs, and flower beds by raking, shredding, and composting them. If you use a lawn mower to mulch the leaves in your yard, you might even be able to skip the raking step.

9. Trim bushes and trees.

Cut back any dead branches and overgrown plants and trees. Pruning can be done right now without jeopardizing blossoms on perennials that bloom in the spring, such as lilacs and forsythia.

10. Make one final mow.

Before winter arrives, put your mower to a low setting and give the lawn a little buzz. This promotes quicker soil drying in the spring, which results in a greener grass.

11. Cut back and divide perennials.

Spread the word if your perennials this year truly went off. Plants can be divided and added to other areas where they will thrive. In the spring, this saves both time and money. Chrysanthemums and other perennials that bloom in the fall should be divided in the spring.

12. Guard plants that are vulnerable to cold.

Maintain the health of delicate perennials, shrubs, and roses throughout the chilly winter months. To protect plants from freezing damage, add mulch to the base and cover them with textile barriers. You can use a single sheet, blanket, or a combination of cloth and plastic to cover the plant, depending on its hardiness and your climate.

13. Plant fall annuals, shrubs, and bulbs.

Fall planting is the greatest time to plant some plants. It is now time to plant any new shrubs or spring bulbs, such as hyacinths, that you may like to add. As other plants become dormant in the fall, annuals like pansies are a terrific addition to keep your yard colorful.

14. Safeguard the deck.

Give the deck a thorough power wash to stop the growth of mold and mildew. You can rent a pressure washer from a garden store if you don't already have one. Add a weatherproofing stain after the deck has been cleaned and dried to guard the wood against moisture damage throughout the winter.

15. Organize and clean your tools.

Don't just store your gardening equipment in the shed and ignore it till spring. Spend some time cleaning them thoroughly and applying a thin layer of oil to avoid rust throughout the winter.

Following this checklist will ensure that your yard is beautifully winterized and prepared to amaze you with a lush, green harvest once the warm weather arrives. To learn  how we can help within your busy schedule, please click the buttons below: