Stray leaves on the ground mean fall is headed our way. Those first leaves remind us it’s time to start planning for fall clean-ups and the unique landscape maintenance needs of the coming winter.
To get you ready, we’ve got an easy-to-read Fall Clean-Up Breakdown for you to follow.
It lists each fall clean-up task, the reason for each, and its benefits. And later on ,we go into detail to show you just how invisible some of the benefits of fall clean-ups really are.
Then, at the end, you can download another easily digestible chart showing fall clean-up cost factors for leaf and debris management.
Fall Clean-Up Breakdown (Task, Purpose, Benefit)
Leaf & Debris Management
While fallen leaves and other plant debris cause many problems, there are three major concerns.
- Slip-and-fall risks
- Turf smothering
- Plant diseases
Wet leaves are super-slippery for pedestrians on your property. They’re so slippery they can even cause hazards for drivers if they pile up. Both of these issues can lead to legal problems for property owners.
As for turf smothering and plant disease caused by unattended leaves, these issues diminish curb appeal and hurt the entire landscape’s health.
The right equipment is a must. High-capacity leaf loaders and vacuum systems do a thorough job in less time. That saves you on labor while ensuring no leaves are left behind to clog drains or rot in mulch beds.
A one-time leaf removal is an option. However, your property will look neater if you ask your landscape company to schedule three to four clean-ups per season (depending on your location and number of mature trees).
Be sure your contractor is also removing acorns, twigs, and other storm-blown debris that are common during seasonal changes. Ask how they handle fall debris. Are they using sustainable practices that reduce landfill waste?
At Yellowstone Landscape, we believe every landscape task has eco-friendly options.
Deep Soil Conditioning and Root Zone Preparation
Fall is the ideal time to promote spring vibrance for your landscape. It’s all about preparation for spring since playing catch-up with soil conditioning isn’t effective.
Although planning ahead is a proven strategy, the problem is that people can only see what’s above ground. Visible growth slows in the fall. Not below ground, though. Root systems are active and storing energy. Healthy roots produce healthy shoots, blooms, and foliage come spring.
That’s why fall fertilization is so critical to an attractive, healthy outdoor space. Here are a few of our favorite methods that produce terrific results.
A balanced, slow-release fertilizer in late fall feeds roots what they need to strengthen in cooler months. Spring fertilization helps, but your root zones will lack the resilience built by fall fertilization.
Deep core aeration is part of the process, too. It’s environmentally friendly and it helps prevent runoff. Fall aeration allows air flow, moisture, and nutrients to reach root zones efficiently, producing healthier turf and plants.
Proper soil amendments combined with thorough aeration produce higher-quality soil. And quality soil is the foundation for the types of landscapes on gardening magazine covers and popular Instagram showcases.
Pruning and Selective Plant Adjustments
Part of a fall clean-up involves pruning and selective plant adjustments. Sure, your shrubs and trees will look well-kept. However, the structural and safety benefits are often overlooked. Fall pruning helps prevent injuries and property damage caused by unhealthy trees or limbs snapped by winter winds, snow, or ice.
It’s not only weaker wood that needs to be removed. Experienced arborists understand the value of proper pruning. By trimming tree limbs and large shrubs strategically, air flow is improved, reducing the “sail effect” during storms. This also reduces storm damage potential.
Yellowstone Landscape employs full-time arborists, which helps with fall clean-up planning and preventing storm damage.
Here are three more best practices for fall pruning and plant adjustments:
- Disease and Hazard Pruning: ANSI guidelines should always be followed. Careful pruning is designed to avoid plant wounds. The focus is on removing diseased, insect-infested, or hazardous branches. The result is healthier plants and trees in the fall. Also, it leaves them less vulnerable to winter pests and diseases.
- Sightline Safety: An experienced landscaper sees what inexperienced ones miss. For instance, clearing branches from lighting, security cameras, and parking lot sightlines. Proper pruning can be the difference between a guest or tenant having a safe driving lane or a secure pathway to their door.
- Selective Trimming: Aggressive pruning is not necessary as a part of most fall clean-ups. Plants, shrubs, and trees should be trimmed to fit their natural shape. Mother Nature’s design is there for a reason. And over-pruning can leave plants more vulnerable to freeze damage as winter approaches.
Effective Mulching Strategy
Mulched beds should look fresh and weed-free year-round. It’s an easy win with curb appeal. And fall is a great time for landscape providers to ensure your mulch is doing its job by insulating roots, regulating soil moisture, and smothering weeds.
Mulch levels are ideal at two to three inches thick. Some areas that get trampled by pedestrians may need refreshing more often. There’s also the risk of tree disease and pests if mulch is piled high against tree trunks (sometimes called mulch volcanoes).
Mindful mulching is as crucial for quality soil as aeration and soil amendments. Each fall landscape task is important and part of comprehensive landscaping.
Irrigation System Winterization and Leak Detection
Pest and Disease Monitoring
Scale insects, fungal diseases, and borers can slip in during the fall season undetected. Unless there’s an observation strategy in place, these hidden threats can cause damage from fall through winter. The carnage may not be seen until warm weather returns.
A simple property walkthrough by your landscape account manager should catch these pests and pathogens in the early stages. Without a walkthrough, damage could likely go unnoticed. Yellowstone Landscape uses multiple walkthrough inspections as part of our comprehensive landscape programs.
All our maintenance teams are trained to spot plant health issues during weekly tasks, too.
Best practices for pest and disease prevention during fall clean-ups are:
- Crews should apply dormant oils as part of integrated pest management in late fall or early winter.
- Stray late-falling leaves should be removed if they remain in trees after the main clean-ups.
- Biocontrol agents should be used if conditions are right.
These simple techniques help reduce the need for greater chemical intervention.]
Strategic Landscape Renovations and Enhancements
Many clients agree that fall’s a great time for landscape renovations and enhancements. It’s cooler, the ground’s dormant, and most foliage is gone. Crews can focus on installations since their maintenance to-do list is shorter than in warm months.
Four great enhancements to plan for the fall:
- Redesign functional spaces
- Fix erosion-prone spots
- Lean into sustainability
- Add seasonal color
Since those tasks can affect next year’s maintenance, it’s possible to spread costs out in your landscape budget.
Replacing weak groundcover in the fall means less erosion, better stability, and reduced future repair costs. Functional spaces can be made more inviting (for example, adding a fire pit to an outdoor kitchen area).
And adding fall color is a great way to embrace the new season. Your landscape provider can also plan unique spring colors with bulb installations.
Finally, any underperforming areas can be replaced with sustainable native plantings. This helps cut long-term replacement costs, saves water, reduces fertilizer needs, and bolsters biodiversity.
Post-Season Performance & Contract Review
Taking a moment and reflecting on the past growing season is a simple thing. But it’s a busy world, so many property owners and managers let this opportunity slip by.
That’s why your commercial landscape provider should take this step for you. After all, it’s their job to monitor wins and losses on various aspects of the green spaces they maintain. Reporting the successes and failures to you should be simple if they’re tracking them.
Yellowstone Landscape’s maintenance programs include keeping detailed records on every property. Our branch managers share these records regularly with our customers.
Here are some examples of data your provider could track and report to you as fall begins:
- How leaf removal scheduling aligned with actual leaf drop
- Contract alignment with needs during the warm months
- Disease concerns from spring and summer
- Pest pressures of the growing season
- Irrigation hiccups or major leaks
- Soil compaction in any location of your landscape
- Summer storm impacts
Conclusion
Removing leaves from your turf and landscaping beds makes your property look well-cared for. Aesthetics matter. And so does plant health and safety. A good leaf and debris clean-up in the fall helps keep pests and diseases at bay while avoiding slippery conditions on sidewalks due to wet, moldy leaves.
Just as in all other seasons, fall requires comprehensive maintenance. Beyond leaf management, we discussed the importance of soil health, pruning, irrigation winterization, and pest monitoring. Fall is also a crucial time in planning for hard freezes in winter and regrowth when spring comes.
A reliable landscape provider will keep you informed and ahead of hurdles that come with each seasonal change.
If you’re searching for a proactive landscaping company that uses comprehensive and modern landscape programs, request a quote from Yellowstone Landscape today.
