Fall Landscaping Checklist
With fall here, now is the time to get some final fall landscaping items taken care of. Doing the below items will ensure that your lawn will be ready in the spring to come back strong from its winter hibernation under all of that snow. Below are some great ideas to consider for your home or business landscape. Remember that we are just a call a way and can take care of your entire landscape to do list!
Fall Check List
Aeration: Do you ever notice standing pools of water in specific spots of your lawn? If so then now is the time to aerate and give new life to those dense soil areas. What has happened is soil has become compressed and dense which is not allowing water to penetrate and feed your lawn properly in those areas. By aerating your lawn you are pulling 2-3” deep soil plugs out and allowing the soil to decompress and absorb water. This will allow water and nutrients to better penetrate and feed the roots of your lawn.
Time to Rake: This might sound silly to point out, but many people might not understand the damage that can be caused from not raking your leaves up right away. Some studies have found that if 20% or more of your lawn is covered by leaves and not cleaned up some real issues can arise. Some of these include smothering your grass and blocking sunlight and nutrients from getting in, creating a place for mice and voles to hide when spring comes, or even causing some molds to grow. So remember a little work on the leaves, means less costly work on the lawn later down the road.
Plant: Some plants do better if you start them in the fall instead of the spring. Do some quick research on the plants you are thinking about putting in to see if they recommend fall installation. If so a good rule of thumb is to make sure you dig a hole that is twice as wide as the diameter of the plant and about two inches less than the height of the root bunch. Planting these plants in the fall will allow the cool damp soil to allow the roots to grow in and establish a good firm base for the spring.
Feed Your Lawn: Grass roots can grow late into the season until the ground gets down to below 40 degrees. So don’t forget a final application of lawn feed is a great idea to ensure proper nutrition through the long winter months. Using a mix that is high in phosphorus will encourage roots to grow strong and deep, thus bringing on a greener lawn in the spring.
Trim Time: Taking a little time to go through your property to trim away dead limbs and branches will help keep your landscape safe. Snow and wind can cause dead limbs to fall on your home or car causing damage. Take some time to trim them away while the weather is still nice enough to do it safely. This is also the perfect time to cut back your perennials and get rid of those pesky annuals that have served their purpose. This will help to keep the snail and bugs away that feed on these plants. Also when you cut back perennials it will give them the best chance of coming back strong in the spring.
Don’t let this check list stress you out. Here at All Around Town our team of professionals are ready to take care of your fall landscaping check list for you. Give us a call today for a final fall prep and treatment that will have your lawn coming back strong next year.