Tips for Cleaning up Your Yard this Fall

Fall clean-up is essential to preserve the look and health of your lawn and landscape. A little work can help your yard and garden look it’s best when the snow melts away this spring. Here’s what you need to know about how to clean up your yard in the fall.

Tools and Supplies

• Rake
• Fertilizer
• Fertilizer spreader
• Grass seed
• Garden gloves

Cleaning Steps to Take this Fall
Cleaning your yard before winter hits doesn’t mean you have to hack everything down. Cleaning up your yard now means less work when spring comes. Here is what we recommend:

• Remove leaves from your yard: too much leaf cover can suffocate your grass and prevent oxygen from reaching its roots. Leaf cover can also trap moisture and prevent oxygen from reaching your lawn, creating a good environment for lawn disease to thrive. Cleaning up fallen leaves or mulching them with your mower will help promote your lawn’s health.
• Aerate the lawn: Alleviate soil compaction and help your lawn grow thick.
• Pull weeds and dead annuals and cut back perennials: clean up your landscape beds by pulling weeds and annuals.  Cut back perennials to promote spring growth.
• Fertilize the lawn: Fall is an ideal time to refresh your lawn before going dormant in the winter. Fall fertilization will assist in storing food and ensuring strong roots throughout the winter, and greener grass after the spring thaw. 
• Rake your garden beds: be sure to watch out for drip irrigation systems and sprinkler heads while raking and doing clean-up.
• Overseed your lawn: lightly spread grass seed across your lawn, adding extra seeds where there are dead spots.

Stop by our Lawn and Garden Center located in Litchfield for all your fall clean up needs!