Here are some essential maintenance tasks to prepare your landscaping for fall.
Leaves are changing color, temperatures are dropping, there’s pumpkin-spice flavoring in everything, and stores are putting out their holiday decorations! Fall is here!
While gardening will be one less thing on your to-do list come winter, there is still some work to be done to prepare your landscaping for fall. After all, the better you maintain your garden now, the less work there will be in spring. Here are some essential maintenance tasks to prepare your landscaping for fall.
Clean Up Leaves
You’d be surprised at the number of homeowners who don’t realize the impact this can have on the health of your landscape. Leaves make a great addition to a compost pile somewhere far away from your garden beds. However, leaf litter can foster many issues when piled too high in your landscape. In winter, sunlight, airflow, and regular moisture are lower than in spring and fall, and our plants are already under stress. Too much leaf litter around the base of your plants will add to that stress. Leaves lying on the lawn prevent sunlight from getting to that section of grass, which can kill it. Also, repeatedly allowing leaves to break down can affect the soil’s pH, making it more acidic.
Mow Your Lawn
For proper lawn care maintenance, you should mow your lawn once more in the fall before your grass enters its winter dormancy period. Lower the blades on your lawn mower so the grass isn’t too tall before the first snowfall. Tall grass will be flattened by snow and could cause issues in the spring.
Control Weeds
Autumn is an excellent time to control weed growth in your landscape. During the fall, weeds work harder to save and store the sunlight, water, and soil nutrients that help them survive the winter. By applying weed killers as the temperatures cool down, you prevent new growth in its tracks and make removal easier in the spring.
Fertilize Your Lawn
Another important thing you can do for your lawn is to fertilize it in the fall. This gives your grass a boost of nutrients to help it recover from the summer’s stress and prepare for winter. In addition, fertilization promotes root growth, which is essential for a healthy lawn. The roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil, so the more developed they are, the better your lawn will withstand drought and other problems. Fall is also a good time to reseed any thin areas of your lawn. The extra nutrients in the soil will help new seedlings take root and establish themselves.
Questions? Lehnhoff’s Supply is Here to Help
If you still have more questions about fall landscape maintenance, the trained professionals at Lehnhoff’s Supply are here to help you.
Find us at 2708 Belair Road, Fallston, MD 21047 and give us a call at 410-510-7646. For tips, tricks, and to see what we have been up to, be sure to follow us on Facebook, X – Twitter, and Pinterest!
We serve but aren’t limited to, the following parts of Maryland: Harford County – Fallston, Forest Hill, Joppa, Edgewood, Bel Air, Churchville, Havre de Grace, Jarrettsville, Street, Aberdeen, Abingdon, and Joppatowne. In Baltimore County: Kingsville, Perry Hall, Overlea, Fullerton, Nottingham, Parkville, Towson, Carney, Loch Raven, Lutherville, Timonium, Hunt Valley, Cockeysville, Sparks, Glyndon, Pikesville, Reisterstown, Ruxton, Parkton, Glen Arm, Baldwin, Monkton, Long Green, White Marsh, Rosedale, Phoenix, and Fork.