Fall Yard Cleanup: 5 Things to Do This Season

Fall is in full swing, and many homeowners are starting seasonal cleanups to prepare their yards for the cold winter months ahead. This includes essential outdoor tasks like raking leaves, clearing twigs, and weeding garden beds. To make the most of the mild autumn weather, it’s best to begin yard cleanup early. However, you can still tackle these chores later in the season, ideally before the first frost or snowfall.

Keep in mind that the efforts you make this fall will lay the groundwork for a healthy spring. By addressing these tasks promptly, you’ll help prevent issues such as lawn damage, fungal diseases, and unwanted pests.

Read on for a handy chore checklist and discover why each task is essential for a thriving yard.

Fall Yard Maintenance Checklist

Here are the top five things to do this fall to encourage a healthy yard: 

  • Remove Leaves
  • Pick Up Debris
  • Trim Trees
  • Clean the Gutters
  • Protect Your Deck 

Let’s dive into more details about each task.

Remove Leaves

Raking leaves is hard work and can quickly become overwhelming if it’s not done regularly. To make it more manageable, consider doing it regularly throughout the fall season. You will only need a standard leaf rake with metal, rubber, or plastic tines and a pair of gardening gloves to protect your hands from blisters. To speed up the process, trade the rake for a leaf blower. Using either method, gather the leaves into a pile to remove them.

Don’t Skip It!

Failing to rake leaves can have consequences for your lawn. A thick layer of leaf buildup can smother, damage, and even kill your grass. It can also foster a buildup of bacteria and fungi. For example, the cold-weather fungal disease called “snow mold” thrives when wet leaves remain on the lawn for too long. 

How often you have to rake depends on a few things, like how many trees your yard has, the weather, and the leaves themselves. Leaves should be raked up before they create a heavy layer on the grass. This could be as often as every few days if you have a large number of trees. It’s best to rake before it rains or snows, or else leaves will become heavy, dense, and difficult to rake. Leaves should be raked and removed immediately if you believe they are diseased. 

Pick Up Debris

As spring and summer unfold, twigs and branches are bound to accumulate in your yard, especially if you have a lot of trees. Regularly clearing debris is essential for maintaining a healthy lawn, particularly in the fall before the weather turns colder. Start by collecting larger branches and twigs by hand, then follow up with a rake to gather smaller twigs, rocks, and pebbles. If you have pets, now is also the perfect time to clean up any pet waste in your yard.

Don’t Skip It!

Neglecting debris can stifle grass growth and lead to unsightly bare patches. Piles of twigs and rocks can also attract critters looking for a place to hide, hibernate, or nest. It’s crucial to remove pet waste as well, as bacteria like E. coli and salmonella can linger even in colder weather. These harmful pathogens can easily be tracked indoors on your pet’s paws, posing health risks to humans and animals. Taking the time to clean your yard will create a safer, healthier environment for everyone.

Trim Trees

Remove dead, diseased, or damaged branches to maintain tree health. Trimming these branches helps it direct its energy toward healthy growth instead of sickly areas. It also allows more sunlight to penetrate the canopy and reach the leaves. In addition to trees, bushes and shrubs benefit from trimming, too.

If you don’t have the right equipment or your trees are too tall to safely trim yourself, contact a professional tree company.

Don’t Skip It!

Eliminating weak branches and limbs reduces the risk of falling, especially during the harsh winter snow, ice, and wind. This can damage buildings if they hang over houses or sheds by crashing onto the roof and puncturing it, breaking windows, damaging walls, or even making the structure unstable. Not only are weak branches dangerous for buildings, but they could also seriously injure people and pets. 

Clean the Gutters

A clean gutter system is essential for effective rainwater management, directing water away from your roof. When gutters become clogged with leaves, twigs, and debris, water can’t drain properly, causing it to pool on your roof or around your home’s foundation. This saturation can lead to wood rot beneath the shingles, resulting in leaks in your attic or ceiling and promoting mold growth.

Don’t Skip It!

Avoiding gutter maintenance can have serious consequences. Clogged gutters can compromise the integrity of your roof and lead to costly repairs. To prevent these issues, schedule a professional gutter cleaning at least twice a year. An experienced expert can clean, inspect, and even replace your gutters if necessary, ensuring your home remains protected from water damage.

Protect Your Deck

It’s not too late in the season for deck maintenance. If you have a wood deck, start by clearing away any furniture, toys, and potted plants. Use a wood cleaner designed to tackle mold and mildew and scrub the wood with a stiff bristle brush. 

Afterward, rinse it with the hose to remove any residual cleaner. Another option is to use a powerwasher, but be sure to use a low setting and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to avoid damaging the wood. Never use a pressure washer on a composite deck.

After two days of drying, try the water drop test by pouring a couple of drips onto a floorboard. If the water is quickly absorbed instead of beading, staining or sealing is necessary. Start by applying stain or sealant to handrails, working top to bottom, and then focus on the floorboards. Allow at least 24 hours to dry, and reapply if needed. 

Don’t Skip It! 

Poor deck maintenance can lead to excessive mold, mildew, and, eventually, wood rot. Stain or sealant for your deck protects the wood from harmful UV rays that lead to fading and cracking wood.

Additional Recommended Fall Chores

Don’t stop yet – there are a few more fall chores you can do to fully prepare your yard for winter.

Weed the Garden: Winter annual weeds sprout seeds in the fall. This makes it the perfect time to nip them in the bud and deter them from growing into seedlings over the winter. Plus, the softer soil from autumn rains makes it easier to pull out their roots effectively. Come spring, you’ll have less rapid weed growth in your flower or vegetable beds.

Lawncare: Just because the weather is cooler doesn’t mean your grass stops growing. If the temperature is 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and it’s dry enough, continue regular mowing. To promote root growth, consider applying a fall lawn fertilizer.

Clean, Dry, & Store: Gardening tools, including the lawn mower, should be washed, dried, and put away for the season. Hoses, fountains, and sprinklers should be drained and stored. Don’t forget about lawn and deck furniture, garden decorations, plant pots, and kids’ toys. Leaving these items out during winter can damage your equipment and your lawn or deck.

How to Dispose of Yard Waste

So, what do you do when your fall yard work has been completed? Before you relax, determine the best yard waste removal method.

Most municipalities have yard waste collection or drop-off programs. Contact your village, city, or town for instructions on placing yard waste at the curb for collection. Different municipalities might require that waste be bagged, placed in another container, or left in loose piles.

Alternatively, if you have a compost pile or bin, you can compost leaves, grass clippings, and finely chopped tree and shrub twigs.

Oaks Dumpster Rental: Quality You Can Trust

Oaks Dumpster Rental wants everyone to enjoy the fall weather, from football games to pumpkin patches. Just be sure to leave time for outdoor chores – your yard will thank you in the spring with fewer weeds, better lawn growth, and healthier trees.

If your yard cleanup is larger than expected, consider a roll-off dumpster rental. Oaks Dumpster Rental offers a variety of dumpster sizes to meet the needs of your project. You can book a dumpster online or contact us to speak with our team and find a solution that works for you and your yard.

Author | Jen Burton, General Manager
Oaks Dumpster Rental