As the days grow shorter and your thoughts turn to tailgating and football games, it’s easy to forget that your yard needs a little TLC before Old Man Winter comes calling. By taking care of essential upkeep and repairs now, you’ll be prepping your home’s yard and garden to handle winter and bloom next spring.
Home Improvement guru Bob Vila says these are the most common mistakes homeowners make during the Fall months:
Prematurely Pruning Your Trees
While it may be tempting to prune deciduous trees in the temperate days of early fall, you shouldn’t trim a tree before it’s dormant. Pruning too early, when the tree still has leaves, can increase the risk of tree-borne diseases. To keep your landscape looking its best, wait until early winter to thin crowded branches and remove diseased limbs.
Not Making Sure Your Porch and Deck are Safe and Secure
The last thing you need this winter is someone falling because of a slippery deck or a railing failure. Check the supports, stairs, and railings on porches and decks. Make sure the handrails can support someone slipping on snow or ice. Clean porch and deck furniture, and look for any needed repairs. Cover and store outdoor furniture and barbecues in a protected area so they’ll be ready to use again next spring.
Turning Off the Sprinklers Too Early
Don’t stop watering your lawn the moment the temperatures drop! Your grass still needs moisture until the ground freezes. Cool-season grasses, such as fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, experience growth in the fall, and they need adequate water to maintain healthy root systems.
Not Prepping Your Lawn for Winter… and Next Spring
Before the ground freezes and gets covered over by snow, clear leaves from the lawn, reseed patchy areas, and plant your spring flowering bulbs now. Fertilize the lawn with a high-phosphorus mix to ensure healthy grass in the spring. If deer are a problem, start deer-proofing by covering plants with netting and chicken wire.
Forgetting to Make Sure Your Snow Equipment Works
Check to see that all of your snow equipment is up and running before the first flurry falls. Organize your snow clearing gear. When snow arrives you’ll want to have shovels, roof rakes and snow blowers where you can get to them.
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