Fall Clean Up Guide
Spending time in the fall to clean up landscaping, lawn, garden, and the patio saves a ton of time in the spring and adds longevity to an outdoor space. Plus you’ll protect and all of summer time furniture, cushions, and grills from winter’s wrath.
Lawn
First on our list of fall clean up tips is the lawn. There are a few things you should do in the fall that will make your lawn thicker and greener in the spring.
- Towards the end of the growing season use a fertilizer designed to feed your lawn in advance of winter such as the Scotts Turf Builder WinterGuard Fall Weed & Feed I. It really makes a difference in the spring as it protects through the winter and kills weeds that might have spawned through the summer.
- Use a thatcher to loosen all of the dead grass that prevents new growth in the spring. This is a must if you intend to plant new grass seed in the cooler fall months. There are handheld thatcher for small yards and affordable corded models for larger lawns.
- Lastly, get out the lawn mower one last time and cut the grass low just before the end of the growing season.
Leaf Clean Up
It’s important to get all of the leaves up in the fall as they get down right gross by the springtime after a long winter. Plus they can prevent growth come spring.
- Rake leaves onto a tarp and pick up a pair leaf scooping claws to grab a bunch of leaves a
t once to make the job easier. There are also leaf loader tarps designed so that the tarp becomes a leaf carrier allowing for easy disposal into a paper garden refuse bag. - Stand up shredders like this one from WORX can reduce the volume by 90% and turn your leaves into a beneficial mulch for your garden
- Another great way to collect leaves is 3 in 1 blower, vacuum, and mulcher. They eliminate all of the back breaking bending and they’ll also mulch the leaves.
- Lastly, pick up a small flower bed rake which allows you to get into all of the nooks and crannies in the garden without mistakenly wiping out a plant or flower.
Garden
In the garden, it’s important to cut back plants, flowers, and bushes so that they can flourish in the spring. This process seems counter-intuitive, but it is important to prune back to prevent disease. About gardening has some great pruning tips.
Storage
Now that the leaves are collected and the garden is taken care of its time to store all of the items that made summer outdoors so fun.
Cushions
- Storing bulky patio furniture cushions in a closet can be tricky especially if closet space is at a premium. Consider a cushion storage bag that stores furniture cushions compactly and can be tucked away under a bed.
- Pick up a weathertight deck box and eliminate the need to store them inside. There are also storage benches that do a good job as furniture with added storage.
Furniture
- Next up gather all of the outdoor furniture and spray it down with a hose. Use a tarp or two to keep the furniture out of the winter elements.
- If you have a lot of outdoor furniture or other things like fire tables and patio heaters consider a small space shed to house all of the summertime gear.
See All Of Our Backyard Storage Ideas
Patio
After all of the leaves are cleaned up and the furniture is stored away focus on the patio. It makes sense to get it cleaned up to a certain extent to make the spring cleaning more manageable.
- Consider a Pressure Washer to really get all of the dirt and grime up after the spring and summer.
- Another good idea is to use a sealer on the patio to keep moisture from doing any damage. Sealers can be applied with a sprayer or a roller and do a nice job of reviving a patio especially if it’s natural stone.
Snow Removal
Now that everything is cleaned up and tucked away it’s time to get ready for the inevitable snowfall. We at the Urban Backyard focus on small outdoor spaces so there really isn’t a need for a mega snowblower, but it is important to be able to clear a path for egress and sidewalks etc.
- For about twice the price of a good snow shovel consider the Snow Joe Electric Snow Shovel or something similar. It’s ideal for quick snow pickups on decks, steps, patios, and sidewalks.
- Make sure to have plenty of pet-friendly snow melter on hand for sidewalks and walkways or consider a snow melting mat system that will keep walkways clear at the push of a button all winter long.
That’s it…it’s time to curl up next to the fire and enjoy all that winter has to offer knowing the fall landscaping clean up is done. Plus spring clean up will be that much easier.
Do you have a fall clean up tip? Let us know leave a comment below.
One of the things I like to do in the fall is add to my compost pile. With all the leaves falling and the garden dying off, there’s a lot of brown stuff to be recycled. I also add veggie and fruit paring to the pile over the winter. Sometimes the pile even steams a little when it is cold and the composting is working it magic.
Hi. Thanks for this article. I am just starting to take an interest in gardening, so it’s good to know of a website where I can come and get the basics on what to do and when to do it. I am going to look into the leaf shredder as I’d love to add the mulch to my compost.