Much as we wish that the crisp, golden days of autumn could stretch on indefinitely, the truth is that winter is just around the corner. All too soon, the snow will fly in Winnipeg, and your yard will be dormant and blanketed.
The countdown may be on, but there’s still time to invest in your yard before it’s too late! Use the tips below to ensure that your lawn and garden will awaken with the utmost possible health, vigour, and beauty come springtime.
Fall Lawn Care
Until the ground is frozen and/or the blades of grass are no longer green, you should still be caring for your lawn. Autumn is an important time to help your grass store up water and nutrients for next spring. It can also be a critical time for seeding, mowing, raking, and mulching. For a more detailed run-down, check out our post on Super Simple Fall Lawn Care Tips That Get Results.
Autumn Clean-up & Preparation
It may go without saying, but raking up fallen leaves is an important aspect of fall yard maintenance. Layers of slimy leaves can smother the grass and spread disease.
But fallen leaves can also play a crucial role in putting your garden to bed. Run dry, healthy leaves over with the mower and mix them with wood chips, straw, or grass clippings to create your own mulch. Spreading mulch over flower beds and around shrubs and trees can maintain moisture and help insulate the ground for more even winter root temperatures. Just remember to keep mulch from touching woody trunks and stems to avoid rot.
Clean up your yard, including fallen fruit, dead annuals, and spent perennials. Autumn is also a great time to start a compost pile, store summer bulbs, and collect seeds for the coming spring.
Over-Winter Planting
It may seem counterintuitive, but for the right species, fall is the perfect time to plant. Fall flower bulbs as well as edibles like garlic and shallots, prefer to over-winter in the frozen ground. And who doesn’t love some fresh green shoots appearing first thing after the snow melts?
Autumn can also be a good time to grow a bumper crop of cool-weather favourites like peas or to seed a cover crop of clover or rye that can be turned into your soil in the spring for added nutrition.
Perennial Plants & Weeds
Don’t forget to tend to your perennials in the fall. Depending on the type, some perennials prefer to be clipped back in the autumn, while others prefer spring pruning. If you’re unsure what your yard requires, a reputable local nursery or lawn care maintenance provider should be able to assist.
Like all perennial plants, perennial weeds are actively storing up food and water in the autumn, too. Take advantage of nature’s efficiency and get at them with some chemical weed control–organic/natural options are available. This will save you time and angst next spring.
Cleanr Property Maintenance
Looking for reputable yard and lawn maintenance in Winnipeg this fall? Our Fall Clean-Up service is just the ticket. To have your yard put to bed the right way for the winter, give us a call at Cleanr Property Maintenance today!
