Fall landscaping isn’t just about makingthe autumn yardlook as good as possible.
It’s also about getting a jump on next year’s landscape.
Find out why thesefall choresare important and how to do them properly.
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Nutrients are passed to the root system, where they are stored for winter.
Next spring, your lawn will draw on those nutrients.
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Dethatch Your Lawn
A task related to raking isremoving thatchfrom the lawn.
If yourake leaves properly, you could dethatch your lawn at the same time.
Rake vigorously rather than just skimming leaves off the surface.
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Push the rake tines down firmly to dislodge the layer of thatch that lies just below the surface.
If so, then immediately undertake overseeding.
Continue Watering the Lawn
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Continue watering the lawn in the fall.
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Because the temperature is starting to drop, you won’t need to water as much as in summer.
But the fall can have its hot, dry spells, too.
Cool-season grasses need that water because they are working hard to store nutrients for the long winter.
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Water a warm-season grass for as long as it’s actively growing.
When growth stops, rainfall will be sufficient.
As a result, you shouldn’t have to mow as much as you did in summer.
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When growth seems to be coming to a halt altogether, mow one last time.
This will help it get off to a good start in spring.
Check the lawn forweedsand give a shot to get rid of as many as you could.
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When you see crabgrass flower heads, pull them off and dispose of them.
Your approach will be different for perennial weeds, such asdandelion.
The smallest root fragment left behind will result in a new dandelion next spring.
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Which plants should you remove?
Not only will your garden cleanup yield such material, but so will your leaf raking.
Some trees and shrubs don’t like to be transplanted in the fall.
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These are the plants with thick, fleshy roots, likemagnolia.
Transplant such species only in late winter or early spring.
But other types of trees and shrubs transplant well in fall.
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