It takes a lot of time, care, and patience to care for your yard. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that you care for your yard differently based on each season. There is not much that you do for your yard during the fall and winter, but there are some critical steps to take to prepare your yard for fall. Continue reading this article to find out all the ways to prepare your yard and house for fall.
Lawn Care
One of the best ways to get your yard ready for fall is to start with your lawn. There are a number of tasks you can perform to ensure your lawn is prepared for fall. If you do not think you are best suited to handle these steps, you can contact a professional lawn care company to care for your lawn. First, you want to make sure that your yard has the food it needs with fertilization. Fertilizing for fall is much different from how you fertilize throughout the rest of the year. You want to fertilize about six weeks before the first frost. If you notice that your grass is thin, now is the time to over seed it. It is essential that you do this six weeks before the first frost. If you notice that the soil is compacted, that is when you want to aerate it. An aerator creates openings in the ground to allow air, water, and nutrients into the lawn. Next, you want to make sure that you continue to water the lawn through the fall. You want to space out the watering because natural rain can make up for the watering. Make sure you continue to cut the grass timing to the growth of the grass. Finally, you want to make sure you take care of your weeds and leaves that grow and collect during the fall months.
Landscaping
Fall is the best time to add items to your yard. Fall is an excellent time for planting, renovating, and irrigating your lawn. Due to the cool temperatures and additional moisture, fall is a great time for new plants to establish themselves. This helps give plants the best environment to grow. In addition, this is a great time to consider drainage and irrigation for your lawn. Heavier rain in the fall will display problem areas where water may pool. If you would like to consider irrigation, you may want to contact professional landscapers to help with the installation.
This is also the time to consider adding new plants, shrubs, and trees. The temperatures and rain in the fall reduce the shock that a plant typically experiences when it gets transplanted. In addition, the shock is reduced as plants are in their dormancy period that happens in the winter. These conditions also encourage root development. This allows plants to have the most amount of time to grow before the heat and dry summer weather occurs.
It is important to feed trees and shrubs, but not your plants. Plants have a dormant cycle, and fall starts the process as they prepare for winter. If you fertilize or feed plants, it kick starts the growing process, and they use their energy on that. The growth is considered softwood, which is new growth and vulnerable. It may not be able to handle the harsh freezing winter. This could damage or kill the plants.
You do want to feed your shrubs and trees. Deciduous trees and shrubs use the winter to store their energy. Then, in the spring, they use the stored energy to direct food to create new growth.
Tree Care
Fall is the time to give your trees and shrubs some attention. Tree trimming should be on your to-do list as fall begins. If you do not think you can provide adequate tree care, you should consider contacting an arborist for tree services. Fall is the period of time when the growth period of shrubs and trees ends. They are beginning to enter their dormancy period. Some varieties of shrubs and trees that you may want to wait until spring to prune. If you are not sure which you should prune and which you should not, you may need a professional tree service.
You want to focus on trees that have dead limbs, especially in areas that are likely to get heavy ice and snow. You also want to remove the limbs before the bad weather comes. If you have rose shrubs, it is best to wait until winter to prune them, but if they are overgrown, you want to trim them in the fall. This is especially true if you live in an area that gets heavy snow. If you have any perennials with diseases, you want to prune them back to about two to four inches. You also want to destroy the pruning since they have some disease. Some plants and shrubs have shoots around or at the base of the plant. These are called suckers. It only takes one plant with suckers to multiply into a colony. You want to remove the suckers as soon as possible, getting as close to the base as you can.
Fencing Repairs or Installation
You want to make sure your fence can withstand the changing season. The summer bought heat, humidity, and sunlight. The winter is going to bring colder temperatures and possibly snow. You want to inspect your fence to determine if it is time to contact a fence contractor. A wood fence is more susceptible to problems than a vinyl fence. You want to make sure that your fence posts are structurally sound and that none of the boards are damaged or loose. If you see any rust or rot, those problems need to be addressed.
If you notice that you have posts that are wobbly, boards that are caving in, or sagging gates, these are all indications that you have rot in your fence. If your fence is beginning to rot, it may not be able to handle the weight of snow and ice. You want to consider waterproofing your wood fence. If it has no sign of rot, you can keep it that way by waterproofing it. You want to make sure you are using a high quality waterproofing brand and do not skimp during the application of it. You are protecting your fence from damage, could preserve your fence and help you avoid replacement.
You want to rake leaves away from your fence. Raking leaves is tedious but an important part of caring for your yard in the fall. Leaves are great for capturing and retaining moisture, which is bad news for your fence because it can cause it to rot. If possible, you want to keep snow away from your fence. The weight of the snow can cause your fence to collapse.
Pest Control
Pest and insect control is best in the fall for several reasons. One is the beginning of the dormancy period for plants, shrubs, and trees. This is also the time when bugs are looking for a warm place to go outside of the cold. If you believe you have an internal or external pest problem, you may want to contact a professional pest exterminator to take care of your concerns. There are some ways you can pest control and prepare your home and yard for the fall and winter. You can use a product that is safe for shrubs and trees that will still suffocate the insect eggs.
In addition to treating plants and shrubs, there are some other measures you can take. First, you can screen all areas that are open to the outdoors. This can prevent insects from getting into the house. Next, make sure that you seal all cracks on the outside of your home. You want to use steel wool and caulk for this. Pay special attention to the area around utility pipes where they enter your house. Even the smallest hole can be attractive to insects and rodents. Finally, you want to make sure that your attic, basement, and all crawl spaces are dry and well ventilated. Most pets are attracted to moisture as they need it to survive.
Driveway Care
It is essential to get your driveway and walkways in shape before the cold winter weather. Snow, ice, and products that melt ice can cause havoc for these areas. If you make sure they are in their best possible shape, you may be able to save yourself some headaches during the winter and spring thaw. If you have small cracks and stains, you can fix those yourself. If you have more significant problems, you may want to consult a paving contractor. If you have cracks that are larger than 1/8 inch wide, uneven sections, or loose railings, you want to address those right away. Also, you want to make sure that you do not have areas where the asphalt has disintegrated.
Before you attempt any work on your driveway or walkway, you want to make sure they are clean. You can use a tool as simple as a screwdriver to clean out cracks and stains. Once you do that, you can begin to seal all cracks that you have. Freezing cold weather will expand any existing gaps you have. Once you have done all this work, you want to make sure that you maintain it.
Roof, Gutters, and Outdoor Faucets
These are key areas that you do not want to miss as you head into fall. Starting with your roof, it is important to make sure that you do not have any leaks. Once you see dripping from somewhere, it can be time-consuming to find the cause of the leak. It is critical that you resolve any leaks before snow and ice turn a minor problem into a major replacement. The best thing you can do is inspect your roof. You want to check every inch of it from top to bottom. You want to check your shingles for damage, curling, or cracks. You want to make sure that you do not have any missing shingles. Finally, make sure you inspect all of the metal flashing around the chimneys, vents, and valleys.
Do not forget the gutters. Your gutters are the drainage system for your roof. They divert gallons of water away from your house and the foundation. If there are clogged, they cannot function properly. They can also cause damage to the surfaces outside and cause flooding in your basement. When your gutters are clogged, they are more likely to corrode and rust. It is a great idea to put some type of guard on your gutters, if you do not have them, to prevent the falling leaves from flying into them.
It is also essential to check your faucets and prepare them for freezing cold weather. First, you want to make sure that all of your valves are shut off. When you shut off the water to the faucets, you want to turn on the outside faucet to get out any water that may be sitting. This can prevent them from freezing and bursting during the winter months.
The change of seasons can be an excellent time as we move from one season to the next. However, it can be devastating to your home and yard if you do not take some precautions. It is essential to take these steps to protect the outside of your house and yard as you begin to enter fall. You can save yourself a lot of hassle and headache by taking a few hours to inspect these areas. If you follow the steps listed here, you can enter fall and winter with no worries about your house and surrounding areas.