With landscaping, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially when it comes to the care and maintenance of your property. But with proper research, design, and care, it can be a deeply rewarding and exciting experience! Here are some of the common mistakes that people make when landscaping their house in the fall.
Not Raking
You don’t just rake your leaves so that your lawn looks nice, though that is certainly an added benefit. With the threat of snow falling, you need to ensure they aren’t sitting on the ground, waiting to get buried. Matted leaves will do harm to your grass if they’re left under the snow all winter since the grass won’t get enough airflow, and your lawn can even develop snow mould, which is a lawn fungal infection that will kill it in patches.
Not Planning for the Long Term
When you’re landscaping in the fall, you shouldn’t just be thinking about what’s going to happen today or tomorrow. You should instead consider how your plants and landscaping will hold up over the upcoming winter months, and if they are viable options in the spring and summer. Planting a new tree might not be a great idea if it’s not the kind that can survive cold weather, for instance.
Levelling Your Garden
If you have a green thumb, you may love the spring because you get to start gardening again. In that case, at the end of the fall, you may choose to cut down your entire garden or level it. However, that can be really dangerous for ecosystems that thrive off your garden in the winter. This includes pollinators that will help your gardens and insects that eat pests in your home.
Not Aerating Your Lawn
Most people aerate their lawns in the spring. As a result, the holes become the perfect place for weed seeds to hide and, subsequently, for weeds to start growing. Your soil does need to be loosened up, but it can be done in the fall, preventing the overgrowth of weeds in the spring.
Overlooking Tree Protection
Regardless of whether a tree is old or new, you should be protecting it from winter damage at the end of the fall, which often means wrapping it in a material like a burlap to keep it from getting buffeted in harsh winds, snow, and ice. This also applies to shrubs that can be killed in extreme temperatures.
Need a hand with prepping your landscaping for the colder months? Hansen Lawn and Garden Ltd. provides professional lawn care and landscaping services to homeowners in the Ottawa area. If you’re interested in a new layout plan, lawn care, or our other solutions, reach out to us today!