Fall Lawn Chores to Tackle Right Now

Fall is in the air and while it's nice to curl up on the couch to watch football, it’s also a great time to be outdoors. When it comes to your front yard and backyard, fall is a great time to do more than just rake your leaves. Planting in cooler weather allows for good root growth (roots grow best in cool soil) with a lower amount of water than what is necessary to nurture the same plants through spring and summer. Because of this, fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs and focus on landscape maintenance.

With this in mind, Tilly’s designers put together some garden “to do’s” before the first frost arrives. These yard work tips will make sure your yard is in great health for next spring.

Plant bulbs!

As soon at the weather stays reliably chilly it’s time to think about planting bulbs. One thing to keep in mind - bulbs are WAY more forgiving than we all think. You can dig a hole, throw a handful of daffodils in and cover them up… no need to worry about their spacing or direction. They will come up and look like a lovely little natural grouping.

Dig and divide perennials

Do this to perennials that have gotten too big. We shared this fabulous article the other day that gives a great overview of how to do this!

Transplant perennials

Transplant perennials or even shrubs that no longer fit in their location. Fall is a great time to give them a new home to thrive in.

Heel in any plants you purchased that haven’t yet found their forever home. If you leave them out of the ground in their pots the roots will likely freeze and they will struggle to come back in the spring. Get them in the ground now before it’s too late.

Transplant ground cover

Fill in gaps in your coverage - take it from a back-of-the-border or less conspicuous location and fill in that bare spot by your front door! This will ensure a cohesive look.

Weed

Removepesky perennial weeds (think poke weed, thistle, and knot weed) to get a jump on spring maintenance.

Compost

Dig compost into your beds for a nutritional jumpstart in spring! This is a great organic mulch that will help your plant health.

What to Avoid in Your Yard

Avoid planting evergreens (especially broadleaf evergreens like rhododendron and holly) too late in the fall as they are more susceptible to drying out. Even if you have a irrigation system, it will be a drain on your water supply and bills.

Consider Your Next Yard Remodel Project

Fall is also a great time to start thinking about any landscaping changes you may want to make in the spring. Planning a project takes time. Even if you use Tilly’s speedy professional landscaping service it still takes time to review the existing landscape, design improvements and budget the project. Starting in the fall or winter will give you enough time to plan comfortably and hit the ground running in the spring.

Happy landscaping!