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.
 |
 FOLDING WAGON WITH CANOPY GARDEN UTILITY TRAVEL CART  US $98.99
|
 FARM TRAILER GARDEN CART 13 REPLACEMENT TIRE US $19.99
|
 2 LARGE POLY WHEELS LAWNMOWERGARDEN CART MORE 13 5 8 US $3.99
|
 2 LARGE 12 POLY WHEELS LAWNMOWERGARDEN CART MORE US $2.99
|
 2 LARGE 12 POLY WHEELS LAWNMOWERGARDEN CART MORE US $2.99
|
 2 CAST IRON STAR WHEEL SM ENGINE CART CRAFTS GARDEN US $15.99
|
 NEW Outdoor Game Deer Gear Utility Garden Hauler Cart US $59.99
|
 Fisher Price Little People Garden Home Wheelbarrow Cart US $.99
|
 Partylite Garden Cart US $9.95
|
 IH International Cub Cadet 1 Lawn Garden Cart US $2.25
|
 Garden Iron Trolley Cart Deck Truck Dollhouse Miniature US $.98
|
 CUB CADET 1 GARDEN CART US $200.00
|
 Farm Crows Small Garden Flag 125 x 18 Pumpkin Cart US $11.50
|
 Suncast Hosemobile Reel Garden Watering Hose Cart US $9.99
|
 SHABBY VINTAGE CHIC GARDEN FLOWER CART TABLE serve TRAY US $99.99
|
 DEPT 56 THE GARDEN CART BX81 US $9.99
|
 VINTAGE AVON GARDEN BOUNTY FLORAL CART CANDLE W BOX US $1.99
|
 Agri Fab Gardening Tilt Dump Cart 45 0303 2 Hrs From LA US $49.00
|
 DELAFIELD COLLECTIBLE FLOWER CART GARDENING STAMP US $2.99
|
 RARE VTG GARDEN CART TOOLS FLOWERS LCD CHARM PIN BROOCH US $.99
|
 EZ Does It Utility Carts 8 Carts in One For Garden US $39.95
|
 GARDEN CART YARD CART SHOP CART WHEEL BARROW US $150.00
|
 Vintage Sterling Silver 3 D Charm Garden Janitor Cart US $9.99
|
 Flower Cart with Birdhouse Decorative Mini Garden Flag US $5.99
|
Related Articles: Lawn and Garden Cleanup
Sierra Walters » Blog Archive » Spring time yard cleanup tips
Spring time yard cleanup tips. Polka-dot lawn by riddle. Could you be making your family and pets sick? Also lawn care does pollute the environment when you use too much fertilizer? If you own a home with a lawn of course you want it to ...
Publish Date: 03/10/2010 11:26
http://sierrawalters.blogs.allotments-uk.com/
Spring lawn cleanup service, Commercial and residential we ...
Introducing our spring cleanup early bird special, Save time money and labor this spring. Utilize our spring cleanup service and you will love your lawn.
Publish Date: 03/01/2010 20:58
http://flattoplawnservice.com/blog/
Lawn Mower Accessories | DoItYourself.com
For gas-powered and electric push mowers, rear and side baggers make grass cleanup practically a non-issue, while homeowners who use a riding lawn mower have the most need of all for lawn mower accessories. In addition to extra large ...
Publish Date: 03/09/2010 1:00
http://doityourself.com/
