What You Need to Know About Fall Clean Up Services
Time for Fall Clean Up Services
As the days get cooler, the weeds and lawn stop growing so vigorously, and you may begin to forget about garden care. However, fall is an essential time to focus on your lawn.
Paying attention to your property now will make your spring and winter garden much more beautiful. It will also make it less likely that you will have any problems over the winter. Here are some essential fall clean-up tasks:
What Fall Clean Up Services are Important?
Get Rid of Debris
As trees drop leaves and branches and annuals die and dry up, you'll want to clean up the dead matter. Leaving dead vegetation on your lawn will make it harder for new grass to grow through in the spring.
Leaving annuals in the beds makes it harder for bulbs and seeds to spring up and makes it more likely that disease will be transmitted across seasons. Mice and rats live in the dead grass as the snow piles up over it, which makes it more likely that you'll have these kinds of pests in your home as well
Remove Dead Trees and Branches
By the end of summer, you'll know which trees and branches on your property are robust and growing well and which are weak or dead. Now is the time to get rid of this deadwood so that it won't fall during a winter snowstorm.
Furthermore, deadwood is a sanctuary for all kinds of pests like mice, rats, termites, roaches, etc. Therefore, getting rid of this kind of dead growth is important for pest control, as well as safety.
Trim Healthy Growth
In addition to removing deadwood on your trees or cutting down dead trees entirely, you also want to trim healthy growth on your shrubs and trees. Fall is the best time to prune and trim trees, since the sap is receding as the tree goes into a dormant period.
When you trim or prune in fall, less damage will be done to the tree. Trees should be trimmed to promote healthy growth, control shape, and eliminate any branches that may be more likely to fall. A good trim in the fall will make it much more likely that you'll have beautiful trees and shrubs in the spring.
Lawn Aeration
It is very important to aerate the lawn, especially if it has undergone an entire summer of frequent mowing and foot traffic. As the sod grows thicker, heavy debris under the grass makes it more difficult for oxygen to reach the soil.
Aerating provides an environment for healthy microorganisms and other beneficial insects to thrive. It is important to aerate before the ground freezes, but after the majority of summer activities on the lawn are finished.
Seed and Fertilizer Your Lawn
After your lawn is aerated is the perfect time to seed with cool weather grass seed. By planting while the soil is still somewhat warm and watering and fertilizing prolifically, you can jump-start the grass season and have a more robust lawn for the winter.
This also goes for any fall or winter annuals that you might want to put in. Fertilizing is essential during the fall. Make sure you fertilize the lawn well and also give any perennials that will continue to grow through the winter a dose of fertilizer.
Mulch
Even if you've kept up on mulching through the summer, your flower beds are probably looking a little bare by fall. It is crucial to provide a good thick layer of mulch in the fall to keep perennials and cold weather annuals healthy.
Mulching over bulb beds is also necessary to protect the bulbs from freezing over the winter. As an added benefit, a thick layer of mulch in the fall will last all winter, providing a barrier against weeds in the spring.
Repair Walkways
Winter has enough hazards with the ice and snow without also having to worry about irregular surfaces. Bumps in the path that didn't bother you in the sure footing of summer may become a serious problem in the winter. Remember that you'll have less visibility in the winter during evening hours. If you get home from work in summer and can see your way without any trouble, that may not be true in the winter.
It is essential to examine any pavers, concrete, gravel, and other walkway surfaces to ensure that they are sturdy and solid. Look for cracks or depressions that are likely to worsen with the pressure of snow and ice. It's much easier to work on the ground before it is frozen, so have the services performed before the first frost.
Why Do Fall Clean Up Services Matter?
Fall clean-up is important for the health and beauty of your landscape, but it is also essential for safety. Here are a few of the reasons why fall yard clean-up is an important part of preparing for the winter.
- Cracks and uneven surfaces and walkways can make footing more difficult in the winter, making slips and falls more likely.
- Dead trees or branches can be very dangerous falling in winter storms, so they should be removed in the fall before there's a risk.
- Caring for lawns and flower beds in the fall presents a more beautiful garden throughout the winter and in the spring.
- Removing debris properly will make it less likely that you will have a problem with pests over the winter or in the spring
Do it Yourself or Hire a Professional Fall Clean Up Services?
You're probably pretty accustomed to raking the leaves every fall, but as you consider all that is required for a thorough residential fall clean-up, you may be wondering whether you should try to do it all yourself or hire a professional. Here are a few things to consider as you make up your mind.
Tree Trimming Can Be Very Dangerous
There are a number of significant risks associated with trimming trees, including falling out of the tree, being struck by a limb or a tree that falls in an unexpected way, or being electrocuted because of branches falling around power lines. It is best to leave this dangerous activity to a professional.
At the point that you are having a landscape company out to take care of your trees, you may find it more convenient and affordable to have all of your landscape care needs taken care of at once.
Debris Collection Has Hidden Hazards
Cutting trees and branches isn't the only risky aspect of fall clean-up. Many types of animals are already beginning to seek out their winter havens in the fall.
Cleaning up dead grass, branches, and other debris may cause you to come into contact with a venomous snake or insect. You will be at a much higher risk using gloves to pick up debris manually than a professional would be at using professional equipment.
Fall Clean Up Chores are Time-Consuming
When you look at one task on the list, it may not seem overwhelming, but as you start to add up all of the things that you will be responsible for this fall, you may begin to decide that it is well worth the cost of paying somebody else to take care of it.
Raking all of those leaves, aerating acres of lawn, and mulching all of your flower beds can be a serious undertaking. This is especially true when you are using the tools typically available to homeowners. Raking your entire yard, aerating with spiked boots, and laying mulch by hand is much more difficult and is unlikely to be as effective as using professional tools.
What to Look for in Fall Clean Up Services
Once you have decided that you're interested in hiring professional residential fall clean-up services, what should you look for in the company that you're considering? Here are a few points that you should not overlook when picking a company.
Experience in Your Area
You want a company that has been working in your area for at least a decade or so. Such a company will have had lots of opportunities to learn about the specific flora and fauna in your area and what types of fall clean-up is most important. They will also know which pests are most dangerous and how to clean up in the fall to prevent unwanted pests in the spring.
Complete Services with Extensive Equipment
Don't settle for a company that shows up with a rake and a chainsaw and says they are going to handle everything you need to have done. Choose a company that is licensed, insured, and has a range of highly advanced equipment to get the job done right.
Choose Kinnucan for Fall Clean Up Services
We have been cleaning up landscapes for the fall and performing all other essential landscape maintenance in the North Shore for nearly half a century. We are fully licensed and insured, and we are certified arborists, so we know just what it takes to care for your plants and trees.
We are a full-service landscape maintenance company. We can take care of your fall clean-up and also manage your snow and ice over the winter. When spring comes around, we're happy to make your landscape gorgeous.
With a full-service company like us, you won't ever have to worry about making your landscape safe and beautiful. Contact Kinnucan today and get your landscape ready for the winter.