Checklist for Fall Garden Cleanup

Cooler temperatures and shorter days mean that fall is around the corner! You are likely busy with kids going back to school and you may not be doing more landscaping projects. However, it’s important not to neglect your garden during this time of year. To give your plants and lawn the best chance of surviving the long, harsh Edmonton winter, it’s important to prepare your garden this fall.  

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Rockland has a handy garden cleanup checklist for fall to keep your yard and landscaping healthy until next Spring:

Fall Garden Care

• Continue watering plants, shrubs and trees until the ground freezes.
• Add compost to garden beds or apply fertilizer.
• Cut back perennials.
• Collect seeds or dig up bulbs that are not hardy for winter.
• Top up mulch to protect and insulate roots to keep plants healthy.
• Pull weeds from garden beds.
• Remove annuals in late September or early October.
• Plant spring flowering bulbs.
• Remove any fallen fruit from garden beds.

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Fall Lawn Care

• Fertilize lawn using a fertilizer like Manderley Fall Fertilizer to reduce the stress of winter on your lawn.
• Aerate the lawn during your fall landscaping routine so that nutrients and water can penetrate the soil.  
• Lay grass seed to promote a plush healthy lawn in the spring.
• Rake and remove all leaves from the lawn. Rockland offers landscape equipment rentals including leaf blowers.
• Mow the lawn for the last time at the beginning of October with the intention to leave grass slightly longer.

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Fall Yard Care

• Clean garden tools and garden furniture for storage.
• Drain water from water features or other landscape features.
• Plant new trees and shrubs but keep an eye on frost warnings.
• Trim dead or unhealthy branches from shrubs or trees.
• Water and fertilize trees and shrubs until the ground freezes.
• Store any fragile outdoor décor items like lanterns, solar lights or pots.
• Remove leaves and debris from gutters.
• Drain hoses and turn off outdoor water after the first few nights of frost.

 

To read more about how to prepare your yard for fall, please check out our Ultimate Fall Landscaping Checklist. For questions regarding your landscape plans or about Edmonton landscaping supplies, please visit us in St. Albert or join our community of gardeners, DIYers and expert landscapers on Facebook.

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