The cooler temperatures and dazzling foliage displays are a sure sign that summer has ended. It also signals that it’s time to do a final clean up. Making sure your landscape is ready for the winter is an important factor in hitting the ground running in spring. Think of it this way: you wouldn’t wait until two weeks before bathing suit season to start exercising, would you? No, you would start sweating it out months ahead of time. Well when I put it that way, it sounds like a lot of work – but in truth it isn’t and we’ve got your fall clean up plan right here.
Clean the Gutters – Ensure that your gutters are clear of fall leaves, especially before the snow falls. Otherwise you may have bigger problems as ice dams form.
Rake Up Leaves – A small number of leaves is not a problem, but you shouldn’t leave thick layers of leaves on your lawn. This blocks sunlight and air from reaching your grass and also gives pests and diseases a place to overwinter. Most cities offer curbside leaf removal, but the best thing you could do is reuse your leaves. After a couple passes with the mower, the leaves should look like tiny confetti. This confetti acts as a natural fertilizer and weed control agent for your lawn and garden…and the best part is that it’s free. Use the chopped leaves as a mulch in your garden beds or add it to your compost pile. Also be sure to leave a light layer of confetti in your lawn.
Fertilize & Overseed Your Lawn – Early autumn (September) is the best time to lightly fertilize your lawn to promote root growth and prepare it for the next growing season. Use a turf builder or fertilizer meant for winterizing lawns. Or better yet, use that leaf confetti. It’s also a good time to overseed your lawn so that it’s thicker and lusher next season.
Winterize Garden Beds – Remove debris and spent annuals to prevent plant diseases and pests from overwintering. This is when most people would also cut back their perennials, but we recommend leaving perennials and ornamental grasses standing over the winter (as long as they’re not diseased. If they have a fungus…get rid of them) for several reasons. First, this helps plants to complete their growing cycle, store up energy, and ensure winter survival. Second, it provides shelter for butterflies, hibernating native bees, dormant spiders, and many other beneficial insects as well as providing a helpful food cache for birds (think seed heads on coneflowers and black-eyed susans as well as grasses such as bluestem and grama). Third, it provides additional interest and beauty during the winter. If you’re concerned with appearances, just clean up in the front yard and let things go in the back. That way, you’re still providing a habitat for pollinators.
Winterize Your Irrigation – Standing water can freeze and crack drip-irrigation tubing. For a simple system, shut the water off, unscrew the tap-joint adapter, and use a high-volume, low-pressure setting on a compressor to blow the water out of the system. This is also the time to winterize your water feature. This typically means draining the water and storing the pump for the winter. But you can also add a heater to keep it going through the winter – just make sure you periodically add water to the feature to maintain the correct water level.
Clean Your Tools – Last but not least, late autumn is the best time to clean your tools. If you have a lawn mower, drain out the gas and sharpen the blades. Turn off the water for the hose and disconnect it from the spigot. Clean your garden tools (and plant containers!) before storing them for winter.
There. That’s it. Pretty easy huh? Come spring you can add cutting back perennials and grasses to your regular clean up and reveal a beautiful, healthy landscape.