These 6 steps are the essential fall yard cleanup and maintenance tasks to keep a healthy yard and house and prepare your property for winter. Spending time outside doing yard work will also allow you to enjoy the crisp fall weather and changing leaves! Read on for tips from our Junk It experts on how to make your seasonal chores easier than ever.
Clean gutters
Falling leaves and other tree debris are the main culprits that cause clogged gutters and downspouts. Be sure to clean your gutters and downspouts at least once after the trees are bare. Your gutters mustn’t be clogged in winter so that runoff from melting snow can drain properly.
If your gutters are clogged, your roof can leak, and snow and ice can accumulate and weigh down your gutters. This is something you don’t want to happen, as it can lead to needing extensive and expensive repairs.
Prune trees
Pruning your trees is essential for preventing fallen snow from weighing down branches in the winter. If branches are weighed down excessively, they can snap off. This would pose a severe problem if your tree were close to your roof or where you park your car.
Maintain your garden
Remove dead annuals and vegetable plants and add them to the compost heap for nourishment. Till the soil thoroughly and add compost from your current stash on top. Come spring, you will have healthy, nutrient-rich soil for your next round of planting.
Clean up those leaves!
Raking leaves is the quintessential fall yard work task. This is a great chore to involve the kids in, although they may become preoccupied with making a game of jumping in the leaves!
Fallen leaves make excellent compost, so add them to your heap.
Seal your deck
Fall is the time to seal your deck. Summer days on the deck will be behind us, and the harsh winter weather is approaching. Before applying a sealing treatment, clean your deck with a thorough power washing and let it dry completely.
Care for the lawn
Fall is necessary to fertilize grass to prepare it to become dormant in the winter. We recommend using a fall-specific fertilizer containing the proper mix of nutrients. It’s also a great time to lay seed to give your lawn a head start for spring.
Fall yard and garden care is vital for preparing your property to lay dormant in the winter and, in turn, having a beautiful yard come spring. Quite literally, the seeds you sow now will bear fruit come springtime. With these easy steps, fall yard maintenance will be a breeze, and you can look forward to a gorgeous yard through spring and summer.
