Is Your Lawn & Landscape Ready for Fall?

With the dropping temperatures and leaves changing color it is evident that fall is here!  Our installation crews are hard at work creating stunning landscapes that will be enjoyed throughout the beautiful fall season.  Likewise, our maintenance crews are busy keeping properties looking impeccable but prep-work for fall and winter has already begun.  Is your lawn and landscape ready for fall?  Here are a few things to consider:

Prep your lawn now to ensure a beautiful spring…

Taking proper steps in the fall gives your lawn the boost it needs to green up faster and have a healthy spring.

Let it breathe.

Consider a core aeration and overseed.  Every lawn, healthy or not, benefits from a fall core aeration and overseed.  Core aeration opens your lawn so it can receive nutrients, water and oxygen.  Combining a core aeration with a lawn overseed introduces new seed varieties which result in a stronger and thicker lawn.

Don’t skip the fertilizer!

Feeding your lawn the nutrients it needs now will help it recover and green up faster come spring.  Also, applying broadleaf weed control now will help to keep weeds at bay in early spring.

Keep it short.

In the cooler months of October and November lower your mowing height, ideal height for lawns during late fall is 2-2.5”.

Don’t neglect your plants…

The season for flowering and leafy plants is coming to an end; don’t forget about them just because they are no longer in their summer splendor.

Fertilize.

Now is the time to apply an application of dormant fertilizer to strengthen your plants’ roots and help them to store energy to get through our brutal Michigan winters so they can bloom beautifully for you next season.  Applying fertilizer to them now will ensure an earlier and more beautiful spring for your plants.

Yes, they need to be pruned.

All non-spring blooming shrubs should be pruned in the fall.  Prune your shrubs for shape, size and to remove the dead flowers.  Not sure what to prune or how much?  Read this article to learn more.  Also, if deer are an issue for your plants be sure to burlap the plants that are at risk to damage or apply deer guard.

Are your plants at risk for disease?

Be on the lookout for Apple Scab, Mildew and Spruce Needle Cast.  Identifying these diseases now can save your plants by getting them on the proper application program in the spring.

Your Remaining Landscape…

Winterize.

It’s time to winterize your sprinkler system, don’t forget about your pond and water feature also!  Pumps need to be pulled and stored and depending on your type of water feature it will need to be stored over the winter also, to prevent damage.

Clean Up.

The leaves will soon be falling which will require your gutters to be cleaned out as well as any window wells and landscape beds.  Your lawn will need to be raked free of leaves and debris to prevent dead patches and snow mold in the spring.

Decorate!

Pre-made Fall Container Gardens are here and they do not disappoint!  Our floral designer, Kathy Frost, has outdone herself this year with fresh designs and creative uses of your favorite fall decor.  View all of her 2018 pre-made Fall Container Gardens here.  Be sure to watch our newsletter for updates on Kathy’s pre-made Holiday Container Gardens, coming soon!

Plan Ahead!

Not looking forward to shoveling?  According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the Great Lakes States will have higher than average precipitation with colder than average temperatures for the upcoming 2019 winter.  Avoid that teeth-chattering weather altogether!  Sign up for our snow plowing service before the routes fill up!

Feeling overwhelmed?

Let us help!  Our expert crews have all the knowledge necessary to prepare your lawn and landscape for the upcoming winter months.  One call to Reder and you will have peace of mind knowing your landscape is in nurturing hands.