It has to be mentioned: winter is coming. If you live in the Midwest, you might be feeling sad to see the beauty of summer fade. Knowing that snow is on the way, many homeowners give up on their lawn because they believe that there is no point in maintaining something that will soon be buried. However, fall is actually the ideal time to get to work on your lawn. If you give your lawn extra care when the end of the year is approaching, it will be much healthier in the spring. To save yourself a hassle, follow these four techniques to prepare your autumn landscape for winter.
Autumn Landscape
Clean your gutters. It is very important to clear your gutters of leaves before it snows. If you do not, water will build up and place stress on the gutters. In addition, water can seep into the cracks in your house and freeze. This can cause significant structural damage. Because cleaning gutters in the winter is dangerous due to slippery roofs, fall is the optimal time to do so.
Put the rake inside and mulch your leaves.
Fall is a gorgeous time. The red, yellow and orange leaves provide a beautiful and serene environment. However, though pretty, the leaves can be quite an annoyance. Why? It is because they need to be cleared out of your yard before it snows so they do not smother your grass. Most people practice the tedious process of raking them into piles so they can be removed. What you should do is mulch them. Mulching with a mower will spread the chopped leaves throughout your lawn and give your grass some last-minute nutrition. Your leaves will be gone by the time the snow melts in spring.
Fertilize your lawn.
You might think that it is pointless to apply fertilizer to your grass so late in the year. In fact, the opposite is true. If you fertilize your lawn at the beginning and at the end of fall, you will give your grass nutrients that will be beneficial in the spring. The grass will simply be stronger.
Clean the hard outdoor surfaces on your property.
If you have stains or things stuck to your driveway or walkway, it is best to remove them before winter. If those stains are still visible in the spring, it will be much harder to remove them. There is not much to removing the marks. Scrubbing them off will be sufficient.
To ignore your lawn before winter would be a mistake. Utilize the autumn landscape ideas listed above and you will see a healthier lawn and less property maintenance in the spring. For more information on autumn landscape techniques, contact the experts at Dean Bjorkstrand today.