Winter is knocking on your door – 7 yard cleanup tips to welcome it well prepared
Photo by Magic K
If you are still looking into this task, the global warming has bought you some time this year. To put black humor aside, it is high time for you to take care of your yard before it gets snowed in.
Rake the leaves
Rake and collect the leaves from your property. Once you are done clearing out your lawn and gutters, make sure to put the leaves aside for one last task. This year you will use some of them as mulch to help you add nutrients to your yard and keep the soil healthy for the grass to spruce back up in spring. You will need just the right amount to create a layer thin enough not to smother the grass.
Mow your lawn
If you cut your grass regularly and you are at the point when you no longer find the need to mow it, it is the right time for one last mow. Perhaps you will find this time-consuming and redundant, but I like manually spreading the number of leaves I found just right for the mulching of my lawn. Spread the leaves equally over the entire surface of your lawn and run the mower over it. It will not only cut the grass, but it will cut the leaves into tiny pieces creating a perfect layer of mulch for the grass. If, on the other hand, you did not manage to get to your lawn in time and it is overgrown, cut it, rake the cuttings, and spread the leaves. You can now run the mower through the leaves to shred them in pieces. The perfect amount and distribution will ensure to keep your lawn is healthy and without bold spots. Be careful, there is a thin line between thatch and mulch.
Get rid of the withered ones
Remove the dead plants from your yard. The annuals have done their service and now is the right time to clear them from your garden. Leaving them in will not increase their chances of survival, as there are none, so pull them out altogether, while making sure you remove the roots as well. You can put them in your compost bin along with the rest of the leaves. Make sure that your compost does not get compromised by any pathogens from diseased plants.
Prune the perennials
Even though general pruning of perennials is not done in fall and you can wait till winter before you do it, you are still allowed to cut any dead parts. While pruning signals a plant to grow faster, cutting out the dead bits will not send that signal and you will unburden the plant and your yard.
Remove the weeds
The best way of keeping the weeds under control is by pulling them out. Make sure to pull out an entire plant as any parts left in the ground will find its way back up. After that is done, you can apply a weed treatment to kill the weeds which are at this point trying to collect as many nutrients as they possibly can. If you want to look into organic ways of controlling the weeds, after you have removed them from the ground, look into options of using a corn gluten meal and herbicidal soaps.
Plant evergreens
Touch up your garden by adding some winter flowers. You need evergreens and the blooming plants to keep your garden colorful even at wintertime.
Have the final look around
Go through your yard and make sure that you have cleared out everything. Put any décor as well as patio furniture away to protect it from the bad weather. Clean your driveway. Listen to advice by Ryan's Gutter Cleaning and clear your gutters of any debris in order to prevent damage to your roof and the house during the upcoming cold and wet season. Clean your tools and put them somewhere you know they will stay dry. Clean your gutters. A professional gutter cleaner in Melbourne can really help you with this. Doing this will increase their durability.
These finishing touches may require some work now, but they will allow you to sit back and relax for the initial part of spring, while you watch your garden come back to life.
Bio: David Koller is a freelance blogger passionately interested in minor house fixes and home décor.
