Preparing Your yard For Fall

Preparing your yard for the winter

​As the summer winds down, I caught up with local Garden & Landscape specialist Rob Corey, owner of The Gardener Halifax and Halifax Outdoor Decor, to find out his top tips for lawn and yard maintenance for Fall.

What are 5 things homeowners should do to their yard to prepare for the fall?

• Cut back perennials and remove annuals - once the weather starts to cool off, it's time to clean up garden beds to get them ready for the winter. Remove annual plants and cut back perennials. 
  
  
• Remove dead or diseased branches on trees and shrubs - pruning is to help maintain the appearance of the trees and shrubs as well as remove disease before it can spread to the rest of the trees.
  Note: Avoid pruning live branches at this time. To check if a branch is dead, scrape off some of its bark on a smaller stem to see if it's green inside. If it's not green and bendy, it's not alive. 
  
  
• Rake up and dispose of fallen leaves on the lawn - to keep your yard looking nice through the fall, rake up leaves and dispose of them as you see fit. You can choose to save them in compost bags to mulch and use to protect flower beds over the winter, or you can put them out to the curb.
  Note: If you're using leaves to protect your flower beds, make sure to book your Spring yard clean-up early as they book up fast. 
  
  
• Lower the mower to approximately 1.5-2.0" and give your lawn a final cut - in regions like ours where the season is wet and the snow accumulates, your lawn is susceptible to damage if the snow can bend your grass blades over or there are piles of leaves left on your lawn. To reduce fungal growth on your lawn (called snow mould), make sure to cut your grass short for the winter.  
  
  
• Apply a Fall fertilizer to your lawn in mid-October - this will stimulate root growth through November and even into early December. By helping roots grow before winter sets in, you are ensuring that the lawn will green up quicker in the spring and become more resistant to disease and drought.

What are the top projects homeowners want to have done to their yard before listing them for sale?

• Garden clean-up - gives the home a tidy appearance and enhances curb appeal
  
  
• Hedge pruning - one less task for new homeowners to take on and makes the property look great
  
  
• Plant new shrubs and/or flowers - adding a spot of colour or enhancing the look of an existing garden—or even creating a garden space where there wasn't one before to help buyer's see themselves at home in the yard
  
  
• Add planters to the front entrance - increases the perceived value of a home and helps it stand out in the neighbourhood
  
  
• Lawn repair - buyers love a lush lawn and addressing problem areas before you list increases the curb appeal, generally leading to higher offers when you go to list. 

What are the top requested projects for the Fall?

• Garden clean-up - It can take a lot of effort to prepare your yard for Fall. Garden clean-ups are one of our top requested services to prepare garden beds for winter. 
  
  
• Tree planting - Deciduous trees can be planted in the spring, as soon as the frost is out of the ground, or in the fall, from leaf fall until freeze-up. Conifers can be planted early in the spring until four weeks after deciduous trees have opened their leaves, or in the fall, from about the first week of August to the end of October.
  
  
• Project design for next season installations - When you're planning a large yard or garden construction project, you would benefit from working with a landscape architect. They can help you plan your gardens, decide where and what kind of hardscaping you need and how to set up your space as your own personal oasis. The design is just the first step, and most people don't realize that the planning has to come before we book the installation. Homeowners can have their project designed in the fall and winter and then work on the installation when time and budget allow. 
  
  
• Sod replacement - Summer can be hard on your lawn. Fall is a great time to replace sod while the weather is quite wet and before the winter freeze sets in.