Fall is when next spring's yard gets decided. Here is the list we work from.
Every fall yard cleanup we do in Carmel follows roughly the same order, because the order matters: leaves before mulch, cutbacks before leaves, and everything before the ground freezes. Here is our fall yard cleanup checklist, whether you are doing it yourself over a few weekends or having us do it in an afternoon.
1. Cut Back Perennials and Pull Annuals
Once the first hard frost has knocked them down, cut perennials back to a few inches and pull the spent annuals. Leave ornamental grasses and anything with seed heads the birds use if you like the winter look; they can come down in spring. Getting the beds cleared first means the leaves that fall on them are easy to blow out.
2. Trim Hedges and Shrubs One Last Time
A light shaping trim on boxwood, yew, and arborvitae keeps the foundation planting tight through winter. Go easy on spring-flowering shrubs like lilac and forsythia; heavy fall cutting costs you the blooms. This is also the time to remove dead branches within reach before snow load snaps them.
3. Deal With the Leaves, More Than Once
A thick mat of wet leaves on the lawn blocks light, traps moisture, and leaves you with dead patches and snow mold by April. In Carmel the maples drop first and the oaks hold on until Thanksgiving, so most yards need two passes. Blow and rake the lawn, clear the beds, get leaves off patios and out of the corners along the fence, and haul them or pile them for pickup. Our leaf removal crews do the whole yard and take the leaves with them.
4. Mow Low, Then Stop
Drop the mower a notch for the last two cuts of the year so the grass goes into winter shorter and less prone to matting and disease. Then clean the mower and put it away. Do not scalp it; two and a half inches is plenty.
5. Overseed Thin Spots
Early fall, September into early October, is the best time to seed a lawn in central Indiana: warm soil, cool air, fewer weeds. If you missed it, a late dormant seeding in November can still take in spring. Rake the bare spots, spread seed, cover lightly with straw, and keep it damp. Larger repairs and grading are what our seeding and sodding service handles.
6. Edge and Mulch the Beds
With the beds cleared and the leaves gone, cut a fresh edge and top up the mulch. Two to three inches total is right; more than that suffocates roots. Keep it pulled back from trunks and stems. A fall mulch insulates roots through the freeze-thaw cycles that do the real damage in Indiana winters, and it means less to do in spring.
7. Look Up
Fall is when you can still see the leaves that did not turn: dead limbs stay bare while the rest of the tree changes color, which makes them easy to spot. Note any hanging or dead limbs over the roof, driveway, or play area and have them trimmed before ice adds weight. A dormant-season trim in late winter is ideal for the rest.
8. Put the Hoses Away and Mark the Driveway
Drain and store the hoses, shut off exterior spigots, and, if you have someone plowing your driveway, walk it with them now to mark the edges, the curb, and anything buried under the first snow. It is much easier in October than under eight inches in January.
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- #leaf removal
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