Fall is a great time to focus on your lawn. Just because the cooler weather is arriving, it doesn’t mean it’s time to quit on your yard. Your grass, plants and shrubbery still need attention, and there are plenty of steps to take as you prepare for the winter and even next spring.

There are three areas you’ll want to focus on this fall. Cleaning, repairing and preparing your yard over the next few months will ensure that you still have a healthy lawn and great-looking landscaping all year long.

Cleanup

Fall is an optimal time to have any fallen limbs and yard debris you’ve accumulated over the summer season cleaned up. You’ll want to make sure that fallen limbs in hard-to-find places are removed, such as behind a shed, in the bushes or at the edges of your property.

Leaves are also a big focus of yard cleanup in the fall. Leaves fall closer to the end of the fall season in north Florida. They’re an eyesore, but that’s not the only reason you’ll want them taken care of quickly. Large quantities of leaves left unattended can block your grass from getting much-needed sunlight, air, water and nutrients. In some cases, leaves can also carry disease and draw pests that damage your yard.

Aside from removal, another option for your leaves is to mulch them with a mower, which provides your yard the nutrients it needs while keeping a clean look. It’s great for the environment and can save you time and money by cutting the use of plastic bags and lowering the need to use manufactured lawn care products.

Repair

Replacing mulch in your planting areas is often associated with the spring, but fall is a great time to mulch again. The summer’s heat and rain erodes your existing mulch causing it to break down and lose its rich color. Not only does mulching in the fall (and again in the spring) keep your flower beds and planting areas looking great all year long, it helps to protect your plants from the cold and retain moisture in the dry winter season.

You should also make sure that your trees and shrubs are pruned and trees are trimmed before the fall is over. This will help to control their size and growth until the spring. If you have a flower bed or garden, you should consider reexamining your plants in early fall and reorganize them to make room for any fall planting.

Prepare

The late summer and early fall is one of the best times to fertilize your lawn. Studies show that when you fertilize in the fall, much-needed nutrients are stored in the ground until the spring, when they help your lawn and plants flourish.

Eliminating weeds is another area to focus on in the fall to prepare for the coming months. You’ll want to have your weeds pulled and consider applying weed killer to any problem areas to curb weed growth over the winter and into early spring.

Lastly, if you do your own lawn care, you’ll want to make sure that your tools are cleaned before the winter rolls around. If you have an irrigation setup or hoses throughout your yard, you’ll want to make sure those are packed up and drained if you’re not going to be using them as much over the next few months.

Again, fall isn’t the end of the lawn maintenance and landscaping season, it’s just a time to take a different approach to maintaining a healthy living space around your house. If you’re in need of help with fall clean up and maintenance before the winter rolls around, contact C&A Landscaping by calling 850.329.0621 or contact us online.