Often times we spend a lot of time getting our homes and yard ready for the spring and summer months. Obviously, these are the times of year where we will spend the most time outside, so it makes sense. But don’t forget about your yard once fall starts to set in. Here are eight things you can do now to help your yard come back strong in the spring.

1.     Don’t forget to water!

Just because the leaves are changing doesn’t mean your grass and plants don’t need water. Fall watering helps your lawn recover from summer stress and gain strength for the winter ahead. Also, if you fertilize in the fall, watering is needed for the fertilizer to dissolve and soak into the ground. So don’t put your hose or sprinkler away until the ground starts to freeze because your plants and water could still use the water!

2.     Fertilize

Ideally, if you want the best yard in town you should fertilize four times a year, BUT we know that’s not always possible. So if you can only fertilize once a year try to do it in the fall. Why? Fertilizing in the fall provides energy and nutrients for the grass roots as they multiply in cooler weather before the grass goes dormant. The roots will then store the food for the winter which will give them an initial growth spurt when the grass re-emerges in the spring. In order to give your yard the best shot, look to apply the fertilizer about three weeks BEFORE the last mowing for the season. Once you do that, remember to keep watering! This will help ensure a beautiful lawn come spring.

3.     Drain your garden hose

Before you put your garden hose away for the winter, remember to drain it. Draining the garden hose prevents water from freezing and causing the hose to split. If this happens you’ll have to buy a new one. So save yourself some money and remember to drain them before closing things up for the winter.

4.     Clear the gutter spouts

This is a fall chore that should be done every year. You will want to clean all the leaves from your gutter spouts before blockage damages your gutters and roof. A plumbers snake is a great tool to use for this if you have one. Otherwise you may have to get up on a ladder to clean everything out.

5.     Cut your grass SHORT

Before you cut your grass, make sure to rake and remove all the dead leaves before you get snow. Otherwise it will be a mess to try and do after the fact. Wet leaves are not fun to rake. Then you will want to set your mower to 1.5 to 2 inch length. In cold weather this will reduce the chance of getting snow mold forming and it will allow new grass to easily sprout up next spring.

If you’re not a fan of raking leaves, then consider investing in a mulching mower. A mulching mower shreds leaves into tiny flakes that settle into the fall grass and decompose into natural fertilizer. You might have to go over some areas two or three times to completely chop up the leaves. But it is a fast and easy way to take care of the leaves and grass- no raking involved!,

6.     Reseed late in the fall

Fall is the perfect time to reseed your lawn to have healthy grass for the following year. Too often people seed in the spring or summer, but its almost impossible to get the seed to survive once the summer heat kicks in. Not to mention the lack of rain. You will be a lot more successful if you seed your yard in the cooler, damper weather of late summer and early fall.

7.     Aerate your yard

To aerate your yard simply means to make holes in the ground by removing plugs of soil. It relieves compaction caused by foot traffic and creates extra pore space in the soil, allowing air, nutrients and water to enter. All of that helps roots to thrive. Again this is something good to do multiple times a year, but if you can only do it once, do it in the fall.

8.     Get ready for snow

Lastly, before the snow comes you will want to take a walk around your home and remove anything that might catch on the snow blower. Also take some time to put in reflection stakes if you have a long driveway. This will come in helpful once snow is flying!

So take some time this fall and prep your yard. Not only will it help it survive the winter, it will help things flourish the following spring. Not to mention save you the headache. All the hard work you put in now will pay off once spring hits! Best of luck!