Don't Forget These Essential Fall Clean-Up Tasks

The official beginning of fall is just days away. While autumn is a beautiful season, it also presents a lot of work for homeowners. To keep your lawn as healthy as possible during the winter and into next spring, it's important to complete these tasks before the first snow flies:

- Rake and bag all remaining leaves: When snow falls on top of leaves, they get matted down on the turf and smother it until the snow melts several months later. The best way to avoid dead patches of grass in the spring is by raking or using a mulching mower in the fall. Excess leaves on the lawn also cause fungus, mold, and disease by blocking sunlight and reducing water evaporation even before winter arrives. It’s also important to remove leaves, pine needles, and twigs from your landscape beds and window wells.
- Weeding: Fall is the ideal time to weed your lawn to ensure that it will be healthy next spring. Please review our blog post Pull Weeds the Right Way to make sure that you correctly identify weeds and don’t injure yourself in the process. 
- Clean the gutters: It is important to complete this chore in the fall to prevent the moisture from leaves, twigs, and rain water from attracting mold, mildew, insects, and general rot. If the leaves become too wet, they can prevent water from passing through the gutters. Another thing to consider is that the water in your gutters can freeze and cause structural damage to the roof along with ice damming. 
- Fertilize the lawn: Using a slow-release fertilizer in the fall enables your grass to soak up the nutrients it needs. The fertilization process also makes it possible for your grass to recover from the heat and stress of the summer and prepare for the dormant period of winter. 
- Remove thatch build-up: Thatch is a build-up of roots that grow above the ground. When left unchecked, it prevents moisture, oxygen, and sunlight from reaching the nutrient-rich soil in the deeper layers of your grass. 

These are just some of the many tasks we recommend that you complete this fall. Keep in mind that The Lawnsmith offers fall clean-up, gutter cleaning, and several other services that will help your lawn and yard make a successful transition from fall to winter. 

Photo Credit: John Lund / Getty Images