Ultimate Fall Clean-Up Guide: Refresh Your Autumn Landscape

Leaves are falling, and crisper temperatures signal that now is the time to clean up your landscaped areas and garden beds before winter.

Five areas need your attention this fall when it comes to cleaning up your property:

Cleaning your garden beds
Mulching around trees and plants for optimal health and winter protection
Removing dead shrubs and trees before winter strikes
Creating a nutrient-rich compost pile
Winterizing your garden tools for lasting performance.

Also, don’t feel you must rush through your fall clean-up tasks. You can do each job at your own pace and timing.

Cleaning Your Garden Beds

As we head into the fall, remove weeds now to help prevent them from reseeding and sprouting in the spring. Prune the dead, damaged and diseased branches in your trees and shrubs to keep them healthy. Remove fallen leaves and other debris around patios and fire pits to keep them clean and looking their best while entertaining outdoors in the colder months of Zone 7.

Mulching Around Trees and Plants for Optimal Health & Winter Protection

Mulch insulates plant roots from frosts, freezes, and freeze/thaw events.

Mulch also keeps moisture in the soil longer and blocks sunlight, helping to prevent weeds from popping up during the fall and spring. Leaves can also act as mulch, adding nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil, benefiting plants in landscaped areas.

To keep your shrubs, perennials, and cool-weather annuals healthy during the fall, we recommend a 2 “-3” layer of mulch around them. It is also time to touch up your tree rings for better winter insulation. Be mindful not to pack mulch against the tree’s trunk.

Removing Dead Shrubs and Trees Before Winter Strikes

Fall is the best time to remove any dead shrubs and trees while the ground is unfrozen. It is a time to create new space within your garden beds and yard, providing opportunities to install new plant materials and refresh your outdoor living environment.

Are you still trying to determine whether any of your trees or shrubs are dead? Then, do the scratch test, lightly scratching the bark with your fingernail. If you see green underneath, you’re likely in good shape, and the plant is alive; however, if it’s brown or tan, there is a good chance that the woody plant is dead.

Don’t be afraid to be thorough with your scratch test. Just because one branch scratches brown doesn’t mean the plant is dead. Check multiple branches of the tree or shrub and complete the scratch test in areas closer to the trunk on the tree’s limbs or the root ball on shrubs.

How Can I Maximize My New Empty Bed Space? Fall is an excellent time to plant trees and shrubs so their root systems can start to establish over the winter. Consider a fall-blooming ‘sasanqua’ camellia for seasonal color or a green screen to entertain with more privacy.

Creating a Nutrient-Rich Compost Pile

If you prefer to recycle leaves and garden debris, start a compost pile. When cleaning up your landscape and garden beds, you can include spent summer annuals, leaves, and plant stalks.

Learn more: Fall Landscaping Tips 101

The compostable materials will break down over the winter and following months to produce loamy soil, which you can add to your garden beds and landscaped areas to amend the soil.

Winterizing Your Garden Tools for Lasting Performance

Your garden tools need care after working hard for you during the growing season. You can also extend the life of your garden tools when you clean them and put them away at the end of the fall.

Here are six winterizing tips for your garden tools:

Remove dirt and debris from your tools. Many garden experts recommend cleaning your tools with bleach and water to remove plant pathogens.
Sharpen your blades and add oil to prevent rusting.
Put away your garden tools, storing them in an area protected from extreme temperatures and moisture.
Remove all fuel from gas-powered tools.
For battery-powered landscaping equipment: take out and fully charge the batteries before putting away tools and equipment.
Check all your tools for damage; repair and replace them before you put your landscaping equipment away for the season.

You’ll be ready for next spring when you clean up, sharpen, and prepare your gardening tools and equipment before winter.

Trust Campbell & Ferrara for Your Expert Landscape Services

Our landscape and hardscape experts are ready to help you prepare for the colder months and transform your outdoor living environment from ordinary to extraordinary. Call 703-354-6724 or fill out our contact form to connect with us today for your fall drainage, planting, and hardscape needs.

Sources:

BudgetDumpster.com, The Essential Guide to Fall Cleanups.

Ibid, When to Cut Down a Tree.

Echo-USA.com, Fall Clean-Up Essentials.

MarthaStewart.com, How to Protect Plants from Frost.

Ibid, The Importance of Fall Lawn Cleanup Explained