Have You Completed This Fall Landscaping To-Do List?

As Calgary moves deeper into fall, the chilling frosts will require homeowners to pivot away from summer growth and prepare for winter. This is not to say that your property cannot enjoy flowering plants, shrubberies, and robust curbside appeal. Autumn weather simply means it’s time to take on the dual task of landscaping beautification and diligent preparation. At Property Werks, we hope this fall landscaping checklist proves to be a helpful guide for our Calgary community members.

Prepare Your Lawn for Winter

Although lawn growth tapers off as the frosts increase, there are crucial steps that homeowners may consider so your grass bounces back even greener next spring. Consider having a professional aerate, fertilize, and mow your lawn one last time before the ground hardens and snowfalls.

Gather Fallen Leaves

Allowing leaves to cover grass and flower beds over the cold winter months tends to smother plant life. It may come as something of a surprise, but plants are generally only in a resting state during the frigid period. Failing to keep them clear of leaves and other items that cut them off from respiration can prove detrimental. It may be in your best interest to have leaves raked and transported off of your property.

Plant New Shrubs During Fall

It’s important to remember that spring is not the only season for planting. Early fall can be a highly productive time to upgrade your landscape with shrubberies. The cool moist period can give plants an edge on root growths.

A viable technique for planting shrubs during the fall is to make a hole double the size of the roots and shovel in loose soil. Then water thoroughly to embed the soil firmly, add more soil and repeat. Finally, provide your fall plantings with a warm mulch blanket to help them through any frosts.

Prepare Your Perennials for Spring Success

Undertaking fall due diligence of trimming back perennial can result in healthy and vibrant spring blooms. Fall is also the time to remove failing annuals from your flower beds and clean them up in a fashion that no longer makes them attractive to snails and slugs. These pests tend to feed on dying growth and breed during fall.

Trim Back Dying Branches

Although some homeowners leave dying branches until spring, autumn is actually an excellent time to deal with them. The primary reason is that allowing these limbs to fester means they are likely to impact the tree further. Squaring them off properly during fall reduces their negative impact and provides you with a heartier tree come spring. There’s plenty of landscaping tasks that are necessary during spring, why not be proactive and check this off the list?

Protect Your Plants with Mulch

Taking preventative measures against winter freezes should include plant protections such as mulching. Consider reviewing your mulching strategy with a landscaping professional who can point out plants and shrubs that are particularly at risk. Knowing where to invest your efforts is likely to prove rewarding and save you money.

If you are a homeowner who has fall landscaping questions or you are overburdened with work and family, it may be in your best interest to work with a Calgary professional. Property Werks ranks among the area’s leaders in landscaping excellence.