As the days get colder, it’s time to start thinking about prepping your lawn and garden for winter. Here is our essential fall yard cleanup checklist to keep you organized.
1. Clean Out Debris and Leaves
As the trees keep on shedding their foliage, you will want to regularly remove the dead leaves and other debris that smothers the grass and hinders its growth. Cleaning the leaves and debris helps to keep away pests such as groundhogs and mice, as well as critters that might destroy your yard.
2. Give It One Final Mow
Drop your mower to lower settings and give the lawn a close thrill before winter sets in. This will help the soil dry out quickly during the spring, resulting in a lusher lawn.
3. Clean Up the Vegetable Garden
If you have a vegetable garden in your home, then it is time to remove all the dead leaves and debris around the yard. After their removal, you may now add a layer of compost to nurture your soil for planting during the next spring.
4. Aerate The Lawn
Breaking up the soil prevents water from pooling and also guarantees that nutrients will get to the roots over the winter. While a garden fork may do the job for small yards, bigger yards need a walk-behind aerator, rented at a reasonable price.
5. Clean Out the Gutters
The fall yard clean-up period is also an excellent time to clear out debris and dead leaves from the gutters to allow the water to pass through effortlessly to the drainage.
6. Divide The Perennials
This is an ideal time to cut back any overgrown perennials in your yard. You may transplant the plants into another place or a pot or share them with your neighbours.
7. Mulch Around Trees and Branches
Mulching around the trees and branches has several benefits, from hindering soil erosion to destroying weeds.
8. Protect The Sensitive Plants
Some shrubs and plants are unable to withstand too much sunlight and heat. Adding mulch to the base and wrapping the plants with cloth barriers helps to prevent them from freezing. You may as well move the potted plants indoors.
9. Trim The Rogue Branches
As you wouldn’t want any branches breaking and falling during the snow season, be sure to trim up the dead, diseased, or damaged ones.
10. Ensure The Drip Systems Are Dry
Ensure that all water from fountains, hoses, and drip irrigation systems are drained and stored in a dry place as water left over the winter may destroy your equipment.
11. Clean The Tools if and Properly Store Them
Take a good time cleaning your gardening tools and adding a light coat of oil to prevent them from rusting during the cold season.
Fall cleanup can be a bit time-consuming and challenging, but the hard work done comes out in the form of a lush and healthy garden. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and need some help this fall, contact us. We offer contract-free, top notch lawn & garden services to make sure your outdoor space is as beautiful and effortless as possible. Just sit back and enjoy! Lawn Troopers has your six in the fall and all year round.