Fall is upon us and even though gardening and mowing will soon end, there are many things that still need to be done to prepare yards for winter and next spring. With a little bit of care and some year-end work, your yard will be ready for next summer. Here are some items to include on your fall cleanup list:
- Mow your yard one last time so that grass will be shorter for the fall and winter season. It allows the grass to dry out and prevents the possibility of snow mold. You can mow your grass as long as it is growing during the fall months. Grass that is mowed also makes it easier to rake those fallen leaves.
- Clean out the debris from flower and garden beds. Make sure that weeds and leaves have been pulled and cleared. You don’t want to cause a hospitable environment for disease to strike your plants and for bugs looking for a place to burrow in for the winter.
- Also take the time to prune and trim plants and bushes, especially trees, shrubs and roses.Trim any falling
limbs or branches that could fall because of the winter snows. Roses that are pruned in the fall will be renewed in the spring. The pruning removes diseased or dead stems that could affect the spring blossoms and the size of the rose bush. - The best time to divide perennial plants is in the fall because it gives them time to take root again in cool temperatures. Your perennial plants need to have space to grow and flourish and dividing or cutting allows for
that space. Most plants should be divided every three years. - Leaving fallen leaves on the ground all winter will kill the grass underneath. Be sure to rake all the leaves and either dispose of them or use them for mulch. The much can then be placed around shrubs and young trees or left in flower beds to protect plants from the winter weather.
- Aerate your yard. Your grass may have become “thatch” which doesn’t let water penetrate the soil preventing good grass growth. If you have a small yard, you can use a yard fork of some kind and poke holes in the yard. A larger yard will require a walk-behind aerator that pulls soil plugs out of the soil.
- Feed the lawn. Fall is a good time to fertilize your yard to make sure that roots are ready for the spring season.
- Plant new bulbs, shrubs and fall annuals. Fall annuals will give your yard some much needed color and new bulbs and shrubs will be reading for sprouting and budding out next spring and summer.
We might see winter as a time to shut ourselves inside and hibernate, but winter in the garden is a little bit different. Plants do go dormant, but they are not dead. They are recovering and preparing themselves for the next growing season. At Aisling View we love the growing and blooming season, but we understand preparing gardens for winter gives them what is good for them while they recover. We can help get your fall cleanup done quickly and efficiently so all your plants are in the best position to weather the winter and give you spring greenery and summer blooms.
In addition to preparing your yard and gardens for winter, it’s a good time to take care of your tools and equipment, too. There are several other tasks to take care of your tools, supplies, and systems before winter, too:
- Water hoses will need to be dried out and put away to prevent freezing during winter.
- If you have a sprinkler or irrigation system, either will also need to be drained and dried out.
- Protect or put away clay and plastic pots. Clay pots that are allowed to soak up water then shatter when that water freezes. Bring them in out of the weather.
- Clean out gutters once leaves have fallen and been collected.
- Clean gardening and yard tools and store them in a dry place.
- If you have a deck, you may want to power wash it and add another protective layer of weatherproofing stain.
Fall cleanup for your landscaping is a service that Aisling View can do for you. We can turn weekends of DIY work into weekends of fall fun! Call us at 317-636-9408. There is still time to get it all done if you work with Aisling View!
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