fbpx

5 Ways to Prep Your Yard for Fall

Fall has arrived, which means it is time to bust out the lawn equipment for one last hurrah before the first big freeze. There’s a lot to do in such a short period, but by using an EZ-POUR® spout, your life just got easier. From mowing the lawn to trimming back your shrubs and bushes, we can help you fill up your equipment and get to work. Here are five ways to prep your yard for fall.

Mow Your Grass Down

Most people picture a warm summer day when they think about mowing their lawn, however, it’s actually good to let your grass grow longer during the summer months to help reduce weeds. Fall is the perfect season to cut your grass short in order to minimize the risk of snow mold. This fungal disease thrives under snow and results in patches of dead grass, which are noticeable once the snow melts. If you mow your grass in late fall, you should be good to go until spring rolls around.

Mulch Your Leaves

Nothing is worse than having to rake up and bag leaves countless times a season. Instead, try using the fallen leaves to your advantage by mulching them! All you have to do is take off the grass catcher on your rotary-action mower, and you’re ready to start mulching. By choosing this option, you’ll not only reduce large leaf piles and clean-up time but also provide nutrients back to your soil.  

You’ll want to make a few passes over each row of leaves to cut them into dime-sized pieces. Next, leave the chopped-up leaves on the grass and apply lawn feed. The nitrogen in the lawn feed will help the soil microbes recycle the carbon from the leaves. Come spring, your grass will be greener than ever before.

Aerate Your Soil

Help your roots thrive this fall by aerating your soil! This technique makes holes in the ground by removing plugs of soil to relieve compaction caused by foot traffic and create extra pore space in the earth to allow air, nutrients, and water to enter. Not only should this be done every fall, but you should also aerate your soil about two to three times a year if you can manage it. Aerating your soil requires a power lawn aerator, which you can easily rent from any home-improvement store. Pro-tip: make sure to rent a lawn aerator that removes plugs of soil rather than one that just pokes holes in the ground.

Trim Your Trees and Shrubs

Winter tree damage is all too common. Fluctuating temperatures, low soil moisture, and some regions’ tendency for heavy snow and ice storms make trees and shrubs more susceptible to winter damage. It’s best to step in and prevent as much damage as possible this fall before it becomes a problem.

The easiest way to tell which limbs are dead is to check when your trees still have their leaves. The early stages of fall are a great time to trim back dead branches before they get covered with heavy ice and snow. If you don’t trim these limbs back, the added weight could send them crashing down, creating a safety hazard for your home and family.

Another job that’s perfect for early fall is trimming back your shrubs. Trimming gives new growth time to harden off before the first freeze. This way, your shrubs will be in their best condition come springtime.

Weed Your Yard and Garden

Pesky weeds can do a number on your lawn and garden. Not only do weeds compete for nutrients with the plants you want to keep, but they also attract more unwanted pests, which spread diseases that could kill your grass and other plants. So, weeding your yard and garden is a must this fall in order to maintain healthy growth. 

Avoid sun-sucking, patio-destroying weeds by continuously weeding up until the first freeze. Start by targeting perennials and winter annuals like Canada thistle, field bindweed, poison ivy, mares’ tail, and shepherd’s purse. This will help ensure that these persistent plants won’t pop back up come spring. The more weeds you can pull out before winter, the less will grow back!

Shop EZ-POUR® Spouts Today!

This fall, we know you have a lot of work to get done before winter arrives. We want to help! At EZ-POUR®, we appreciate the hard work our customers put into their homes. We also value your time. That’s why we want to ensure that you are working as efficiently as possible all year long. Save yourself the money, hassle, and mess that poorly fitted spouts and base caps can cause you. Trust EZ-POUR® to set you up for success. Shop our website for affordable and reliable spouts, base caps, adapters, and more today.