9 Must Do’s this Fall for your Yard Landscaping Fall Clean-up

 Yard landscaping for next year doesn’t begin next spring, rather, it begins this fall.  Proper fall yard maintenance lowers the risk of plant diseases next spring and ensures that your property is ready for the cold winter months.  

Here are 9 important Fall Clean-up must do’s: 

1. Remove all annual plants
There are sure to be plants in the yard that will die once the summer is over and all annuals should be removed and composted.

2. Put away summer furniture
Before items go into storage, remove and wash cushions and wipe items down so they are nice and clean. If you don’t have space, covers are a great idea.

3. Outdoor Lighting Audit
Go through your lighting system to clean lenses, replace bulbs, reposition fixtures due to this seasons plant growth and change the start/end time on your automatic timers.  This will insure you have working lights throughout the winter months. 

4. Weed one last time
Every garden needs a good weeding at the end of the season. Go through all your plant beds and edges and remove any weeds. This will prevent you from extra work the following spring. After you weed add compost to the soil and work it in so next year when spring arrives, your soil will be ready for new plantings.

5 Winterize the rain barrel
If you have a water-saving rain barrel, empty it as much as possible and then disconnect it from the down spout and hose so no more water collects in it. Then, turn the barrel up side down so you will not have frozen water.

6. Plant any bulbs for Spring
Preparing early by planting bulbs in the fall is like getting a present you forgot about once spring arrives.

7. Divide and cut back perennials
Take inventory in the your yard and see if there are plants that need dividing and plan to move part of it to a new location in your garden.

8. Feed/Fertilize the lawn
There are many products for various types of grass including fertilizer that is to be used in the fall.  You’ll have your yard working for you while the winter passes.

9. Rake up leaves
Rake those leaves. Once the snow flies, an unraked layer of leaves can get matted down over the turf and smother it all winter long. Raking or using a mulching mower in the fall helps avoid dead patches in the spring and keeps the yard looking nice and tidy too.