Fall Yard Chores: Get a Head Start on the Spring

Yes, it seems crazy to think about the spring already while we're still enjoying the fall season, but now is a great time to get ahead and prepare for next year. For those planners and do-ers out there, here's our list of chores, tips and tricks to do now to be ready for the springtime:

• If you have a sprinkler system in your yard and haven’t had it winterized yet, now is the time. It's important to shut down your sprinkler system before temperatures fall below freezing.
• Apply one more fertilization for the fall. For warm season grasses, you want to use a fertilizer that has very little nitrogen in it. For cool-season grasses, you want to apply a fertilizer that contains a high percentage of nitrogen.
• If the temperatures are in the mid 50’s or above, plants will still be photosynthesizing, which means you can still control broadleaf weeds. This is the time of year to spray the difficult to control weeds, like wild violets or ground ivy. As these plants move food into their roots, the weed control will also be moved, working to control these weeds so that they will be less of a problem next year.
• Fall is a great time to root feed your trees and shrubs. The best way to do this is to use a root feeder. You can purchase a root feeder at many hardware stores or home improvement centers, although most people hire a professional like Spring Green to do the work for them.
• Fall is also a great time to clean up your lawn mower. Many hardware stores provide this service, or you can do it yourself. If your mower has a 4-cycle engine, drain and replace the oil. Clean out the underside of the deck and scrape out the built up grass. Remove and sharpen the mower blade. Add a fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank so that it is ready to go next spring.
• Finally, be sure to unscrew your garden hose from the spigot if you expect temperatures to dip below freezing.

It’s not too early to start thinking about your lawn care needs for next year. Contact your local Spring Green professional to get more information about our services.