As the cool weather starts to arrive in areas all around the country, we are once again faced with the question: what do you need to do to prepare your yard for fall and winter? If you are like some people, the colder weather makes you want to hunker down and stay indoors. It’s imperative that you make sure you do some preventative work first, to ensure that your yard will survive the fall and winter and be in tip-top shape when the warmer temperatures come back next spring. Keep reading to hear our 3 tips for preparing your yard for fall and winter!
Fall Aeration and Fertilization
Many of us tend to aerate our yard when the warmer temperatures arrive to prepare for the upcoming summer. But, fall aeration is just as important to your yard’s health as the spring application is. Aerating your yard allows water, oxygen, and fertilizer to have easier access to the roots deep within the ground. If you do this in conjunction with fertilization, you give your lawn everything it needs to survive its winter hibernation. With a really solid fertilization, your trees and shrubs will be stronger going into the cold months ahead. You will help protect them against damage from bad weather, insects and disease. If you do the work now, you’ll get the pleasure of vitality and better growth from your yard in the spring.Â
Assess your Fence
The fall is the perfect time to assess your fence and make any repairs that are necessary. Whether you have a privacy fence, split rail fence, post and dowel fence or no fence at all- fall is an excellent time to get to work. With the cooler temperatures, working outside in the heat will no longer be a barrier to getting the work done that you’ve been putting off. Take a walk around the perimeter of your yard and check for any loose, broken or warped fence materials. If you have broken pickets or posts, it’s easy to head to your local lumberyard to pick up the supplies to replace the bad pieces. Also, if you don’t have a fence at all or need one- a lot of contractors will offer labor discounts for doing the work in the fall and winter because it is their slow time and they welcome additional business. Whatever the case, don’t stay inside too soon before taking care of a fence that needs some addition. If you are in a region that sees acclimate weather in the fall and winter months, you will want to make sure your fence is sturdy and won’t be taken down by Mother Nature. Weather events like hail, heavy winds, rain or wet and heavy snowfall can all be very costly for a fence that cannot withstand the force. It’s easier to prevent the problem from happening before it happens, than it is to be left with costly repair costs from more drastic damage after the fact.
Leaf and Debris Removal
It can be tempting to just throw in the towel when leaves start falling, because who can keep up with all of that anyways? It is vital, however, to make sure to remove leaves and debris from your yard before the colder temperatures arrive. Wet leaves that are not removed can kill your grass, so make sure to rake the leaves or mulch them with a mower. If you leave them behind to be mulched, they can help return nutrients to the soil more quickly. If you’re not sure how to do this yourself, residential landscape services can be an excellent resource to care for your yard properly. Similar to leaf removal, you’ll want to also clean out any garden beds, prune back dead plants and perform a really thorough fall clean up. Remove any tree branches, trash, or other items that don’t belong in your backyard.Â
We hope that this quick guide on how to prepare your yard for fall and winter has been helpful. If you have any questions or need help with your fence repair materials, do not hesitate to reach out to a sales specialist. We readily stock a variety of types of hard to find fencing materials and can likely help with any type of project!
