Every season comes with its own set of rules and checklists for your yard. Fall is a crucial time to prepare your yard and plants for winter so they get a good start come spring when growth comes again. There are a few things you should make sure to do before settling in for winter. This includes aerating soil, trimming and pruning, cutting the grass, and other important steps.
We’ve outlined a few of them for you below:
Make Sure to Water
With summer over, your plants may be susceptible to drought stress. Make sure to continue to regularly water them through fall and keep an eye on them as the weather gets colder. Don’t neglect watering plants just because the seasons change, they’ll still need hydration and nutrients.
Aerate Your Lawn
After all the rainfall of summer, moisture can pool in your lawn, even long after the rain has stopped. You’ll want to aerate the saturated soil to make sure the water and nutrients are dispersed and spread to other roots that need it. You can do this simply with a garden fork or use a larger device for a bigger area.
Feed the Grass
While your flowers won’t need more fertilizer, your grass will keep growing well into the low forties which accounts for much of early winter. Fall is a good time to feed the grass so it continues to remain healthy and grow through the changing weather. This also will strengthen the roots for when the new growth of spring comes.
Mow One Last Time
Shorter grass is harder to kill. Make sure to schedule one final mow during the season to get the grass down to just over an inch. Any diseases that come lurking in your lawn will have a tougher time with shorter grass and this will also prevent fallen leaves from collecting too much in your yard with less to catch them and keep them in place. Make sure not to go too short though.
Plant Shrubs and Trees
Fall is a great time to plant new shrubs and trees because it gives the plants a head start to establish strong roots as the season turns. Don’t pack the soil around these plants too tight (avoid the stomping method), let it aerate the same as the rest of the soil, and make sure to water. Nature and time should do the rest.
Prune Your Plants
Branches that are already showing lifelessness won’t last long when winter comes rolling in. If these are larger branches, they could become a hazard in high winds. Make sure to properly trim the dead parts of your plants and get any diseased limbs off an otherwise healthy plant. Leave these cuts exposed as they will heal on their own.
Look for a landscaping company near me with your questions and let us know how we can help you get your yard ready for the winter months.