Autumn is in the air—and if you’re anything like our Plant Nerds, you’re dreaming of warm, pumpkin spice mornings, hot chocolatey evenings… and especially fall landscape maintenance! (Aren’t you?)
As the growing season comes to a close, you might think it’s time to wipe the dirt off our hands, hang up our garden shears, and let the landscaping descend into hibernating frost. But you’d be dead wrong. Fall is prime time to prep your property for the next growing season, not to mention rake all those beautiful leaves and prune those colorful perennials.
Here’s a handy checklist of what needs to be taken care of between now and the end of November:
1. Cut the grass one last time. Even if it’s cold, keep mowing the lawn until it stops growing. When grass blades grow too tall, they shade all the surrounding blades. Grass should be kept to about three inches year-round so there’s enough surface area to catch the sun.
2. Turn the mulch. Mulch nourishes your soil and protects your landscaping from the cold. Turning or “fluffing” the mulch will give your flower beds a fresh look. This should be done before the ground freezes.
3. Plan and plant. Believe it or not, fall is a perfect time for planting. Our landscapers regularly assess your property to determine which plants are thriving, if they need to be divided or re-spaced, and what needs to be filled in to make next year’s foliage even better. This is also the time to swap out your summer annuals for autumn-appropriate pansies and mums (in gorgeous fall colors, of course).
4. Prune the perennials. Your spent perennials should be pruned down to the ground during the colder months. This will direct the plants’ energy and nutrients into the roots for a better season next year. It will also cut back on snails and slugs, which breed in the fall and feed on dead plants.
5. Cut dead branches. Dead tree limbs present a hazard to your property during snow and high winds. Cumberland reviews the trees on your property monthly to ensure they have at least ten feet of clearance between the lowest limb and the surface grade. We maintain clearance from buildings and other structures as well.
Your property’s curb appeal is just as important to your business in the fall as in the summer—and we can help you tackle this list in no time. Give us a call and let us handle your landscaping during the changing weather so you can sit back, sip that pumpkin spice latte, and enjoy your season.