Preparing The Yard For Fall

With just a few chores to do as Autumn approaches you can have your yard ready for the cooler season. Preparing the yard for Fall is discussed in this post today. 

Preparing The Yard for Fall

I use to say that Autumn or fall was my favorite time of year.  It was the season where all the leaves on shrubs, trees and plants turn a deep seasonal color.  I will admit that raking up leaves was NEVER a favorite until I got an powered leaf blower.  Now that I grow year-round in the geodesic bio dome it brought to my attention how preparing for fall can be one of the best times spent.  Below are some of my tips for preparing the yard for fall.

Sow Seeds

Autumn is a great time to sow seeds. Many of the cool crops you can grow in Autumn taste the very best grown in cooler temperatures.  

Mow The Lawn

Although grass growth slows considerably in the fall, it still needs to be mowed. Grass should be cut down to no lower than one inch by the end of the season. Cutting the lawn too low may stress the grass and prevent fuller growth in the spring. Gradually mow down your yard the last couple of weeks. This allows you to better gauge what areas need more seeding and fertilizer, and helps prevent browning over the winter.

Prune trees

Fall is the time to prune back the dead branches and reshape naked trees.

Aerate the lawn

Aerating your lawn allows for air, soil, and fertilizer to penetrate past the top level of soil. This enhances root growth during the winter months so your grass will have a solid anchoring when spring and summer rains come. The result is a lush and full yard for the upcoming season.

Spread Grass Seed

Fall is a great time to spread new grass seed in the bald or dying spot of the lawn.  When preparing the yard for fall,  it is a great time to do this. The temperatures are cooler and the dry season has usually passed making it perfect for most grass seed to germinate.

Mulch the Landscape

It’s time to get into the raised beds and landscaped areas around your yard and clean out the dead leaves. Once you have weeded in these areas you will want to lay fresh helping of mulch.  Mulching the landscape areas will help prepare the plants for winter and make the yard look amazing. 

Raking Leaves

 It’s not Autumn until a few piles of leaves have been added to the compost pile.  Raking leaves in the Autumn is super important because you will not want to leave them in the landscape or in the grass.  If you do not rake the leaves you could kill grass along with destroy plants due to fungus attracted to the wet leaves later in the season. 

Let’s Connect

I’d love to hear what you do to prepare for the Autumn season.  Please be sure to comment below or reach out to me on social media at @brenhaas.

Happy Gardening,