Eco-friendly Fall Cleanup for Lawn and Garden
As days become shorter and temperatures begin to drop slightly, it becomes time to think about cleaning up your lawn and garden and preparing for either a winter garden or next spring's garden. It's important that you perform all your fall preparations with care for the environment in the forefront of your mind.
Lawn care differs little during the fall. You do want to pull up any visible weeds and apply a good feeding of 100% organic fertilizer as soon as the weather cools. Before the first frost, check again for any weeds and remove those before winter.
Perennials should be cut back as soon as the leaves turn brown or mushy. Cut them near the ground. However, if you have seed stalks, such as coneflowers, which the finches love, you can leave that stalk tall.
If your perennial beds have become overgrown, fall is the time to thin them out for next season. You can divide them with friends and neighbors or transplant into containers or other beds. To divide the plants, simply dig them up with as many of the roots intact as possible. Then use a sharp knife to cut the plants into bunches or clumps. Each bunch should be replanted in prepared soil to the same depth as before. Be sure to finish this fast before early October so the new plants have time to establish roots to survive the cold months.
Annuals and vegetable plants should be removed from their containers or the soil as soon as they stop producing or the leaves turn yellow. You should remove fallen blooms, fruits, and other debris from the beds or containers also. Add the leaves and fallen fruits to your compost pile.
Trees and shrubs should not be pruned in early fall. You should wait until they have gone completely dormant. Otherwise, you could cause new growth to appear which will not be prepared to survive the cold weather about to arrive.
Prepare your mower for winter. You should clean your mower completely, scraping any debris or dried cuttings from the equipment and the cutting blade. If the blade has been cutting less sharply, go ahead and have it sharpened so it will be ready for next season. Tighten any loose screws, nuts or bolts. Then lightly oil the blade and moving parts as well as any areas where rust might attack.
If you really want to go eco-friendly, consider changing from a gas-powered mower to a push mower next season. It saves lots of emissions and provides you with healthy exercise. If you don't feel you can tackle your large lawn with a push mower, consider an electric mower to help save gas and reduce emissions.
Garden hand tools should be cleaned thoroughly and the metal parts lightly oiled to prevent rust. Then store in an organized manner in a dry location such as your garden shed or garage. This way you will know exactly where each tool is when spring returns.
Prepare winter tools and equipment. Bring your snow blower, snow shovel, or whatever tools and equipment you need in your locale during winter. Place these in convenient locations where you do not have to move summer equipment to get them out of the storage area. Be sure any power equipment is in operating condition and make any repairs now, rather than after the big blizzard arrives. It's so much easier to be prepared for winter than to move equipment around once the temperatures fall below freezing.
Get organized - In a hurry to make room for the snow blower, shovel and salt buckets? Don't forget to store your garden and lawn tools in a safe place. Clean all of your equipment and store it in a dry place to avoid rusting. Use a lawn and garden cart or organizer to keep all your tools together and to minimize the amount of space it takes up in your garage or shed.
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