FALL LANDSCAPE TIPS
Fall is about more than just cider mills, football, and foliage — it’s also a season where you should be putting in the work around the yard.
Contrary to what you may think, you can do your lawn, garden, and landscaping spaces a lot of good during the fall season to help maximize your investment, enhance your curb appeal, and set your yard up for successful and lush growth when the weather breaks for spring. Spring might seem like a long way away, but you’ll thank yourself when we get there for putting in the work in the fall.
In this post, we’ll cover why yard work and fall clean-up are crucial during the fall months, and how you can count on Kurtz Bros., Inc. for high-quality products to help your lawn and garden endure the winter and come back in full force next spring. Read on to learn more:
Fall Clean-Up for Yards: What to Know
First, let’s go over some of the fall clean-up basics for your yard.
Basic fall clean-up should include raking leaves and clearing your lawn of debris to prevent fungal diseases and pests from overtaking it. Clearing leaves and debris also ensures your lawn receives light, air, and moisture, avoiding any dead spots and enabling growth.
Fall is also a great time to focus on your lawn’s health. Consider aerating and fertilizing it to ensure lush growth when the weather turns for spring. Fall is also an ideal time to seed in any bare or thinning spots, as cooler temperatures make for ideal growing conditions. Just be careful of the fertilizer you use in areas that you overseed. Opt for a starter fertilizer rather than a conventional herbicide that facilitates growth and limits weed growth in these spaces.
Other fall clean-up tips include:
- Amend the soil in garden beds to help improve its quality. Use a high-quality compost to do this.
- Prune and trim trees and shrubs to remove dead or damaged branches. Doing so can also help protect your property from scratches or damage from branches and twigs in winter storms.
- Pull weeds before they can set seeds and spread throughout your lawn.
Preparing Your Yard for Winter: Plant Protection
Did you know that it’s important to protect your plants and vegetation during the winter months? This is especially true for non-native or newly planted trees or shrubs, as they can be susceptible to cold damage, frost, and winds that can harm their roots during the winter.
So what can you do to protect your plants? Here’s a look:
- Add mulch around the plants: Mulch helps to insulate the soil and protect the root system from freezing. It is especially helpful in Midwest climates that are subject to frost. Consider adding 1-2 inches of it around trees, shrubs, and perennials.
- Compost soil in garden and landscaping beds: Compost can also help add an insulating layer to plants during winter. It can also prevent erosion, help the soil retain moisture, and enrich the soil to offer the ideal growing environment come spring.
- Place protective covers over your plants: Frost cloths, burlap sacks, and horticulture fleece are all great examples of protective coverings that help protect plants from frost and the cold. However, covers should be regularly removed during the day to expose the plants to air and natural light.
- Ensure soil remains moist: It’s best practice to be sure the soil around your plants remains damp. Moist soil holds more heat than dry soil, which can help protect plant roots during the winter months. Just be sure the soil doesn’t become too damp to the point where it’s waterlogged.
Proper Fall Clean-Up Helps Reduce Work Next Spring
Putting in the work this fall can help make for less work when spring comes. Many of the fall landscape and clean-up tips that we’ve shared throughout this post help prevent lawn disease and pest infestations, bolster soil, and protect plants from winter damage. This will help your lawn and plants come back to life faster and healthier when the weather breaks for spring.
It’s best practice for property owners to budget 5 to 10 percent of their home’s total value on landscaping — why wouldn’t you take the necessary steps to maximize your return on investment? Fall lawn care and landscaping maintenance can help ensure you get the most out of your landscaping and it starts off spring looking great.
Contact Kurtz Bros., Inc. Today
Investing this fall in quality materials can help make your work easier next spring. Contact Kurtz Bros., Inc. today for more information on how to maximize your landscaping investment by putting in the work this fall. Our high-quality mulches, grass seeds, fertilizers, compost and other products can help prepare your lawn and garden beds for winter and make them look like new come spring. Contact us today for more information.
