Autumn- the leaves changing colors, football games, pumpkin spice lattes, and flavored foods, and Halloween is right around the corner. Not far behind is winter, and getting your yard and garden ready can be a big, but necessary task. As the leaves cover the ground, pests look for the coziest of leaf piles to call home for the oncoming winter until spring arrives. The best way to avoid being greeted by these pests and make things easier for yourself in the spring is to maintain your lawn during the fall.

Keep the Rain Gutters Leaf-Free

Clogged gutters during Spring rains can cause some serious problems for your home, and a lot of potentially costly damages you’d rather avoid. Inspecting and cleaning them out will help reduce these potential problems, and prevent tree seedlings from trying to grow in your gutters as well when spring hits. Installing a rain gutter guard can help you keep out leaves and twigs, preventing clogs and damage.

Clear the Leaves

While there’s nothing better than watching the kids and family dog launch themselves through a fresh pile of bright leaves, leaving the piles of leaves can actually suffocate your lawn. You can shred’em up and use them as mulch and fertilizer for young trees, shrubs, and flowerbeds, or toss them into the composter for later.

Pull out the Trimmers

This is the perfect time to pull out the trimmers and cut away dead or damaged tree branches, as well as bushes and shrubs, to give them a good start in the spring, and prevent any problems during the winter.

Weed the Flowerbeds and Garden

Nasty pests love to hunker down in piles of leaves and dead weeds and vegetable plants, and clearing your garden and flowerbeds of debris means they’ll have no place to hide. Now is also a great time to aerate the soil in your garden and flowerbeds, and plant any flower bulbs or vegetables that will bloom in the spring and require a cold period.

Store your Hoses & Empty water features

Now that the hot months are behind us, it’s best to drain any water hoses and store them away for the winter to prevent them from getting damaged and requiring replacing. Now’s also the best time to empty water fountains, birdbaths, and any other water feature that doesn’t operate during the winter.

Feed & Mow one last Time

Before the snow starts coming in, give your lawn one last mow and fertilize it before the ground gets too cold. This will help your lawn perk right back up come spring.

Winter-proof Sensitive Plants

Some plants don’t like the cold too much, so while it’s still decently warm, winter-proof any plants that need a little extra help against frost and snow, and bring in any potted plants that need to completely avoid the colder temperatures of winter.

Call a Pro to get it Done

Getting everything done can take time, and if your schedule is packed and leaves no time to prep your garden and lawn, save yourself some frustration and time in the spring by calling on a professional landscaping company to help you keep your yard in tip-top shape for the winter.