Fall Cleanup Checklist: 8 Things Before Winter
October and November are the months that decide how your yard looks next spring. Skip the fall work, and you'll spend April fixing damage. Do these eight things, and your yard will wake up healthy.
- Keep mowing — but raise the blade. Your last cuts should leave grass 3–3.5 inches tall. Short grass starves roots over winter.
- Rake or mulch the leaves. A thick leaf mat smothers grass and breeds fungus. Mulch-mow light layers back into the lawn; rake the heavy stuff.
- Aerate before the ground freezes. Fall aeration relieves summer compaction and lets roots breathe all winter.
- Overseed bare spots. Fall is the best seeding season in Missouri — warm soil, cool air, less weed competition.
- Fertilize once more. A fall feeding stores nutrients in the roots for a fast green-up in spring.
- Clean the gutters. Clogged gutters overflow onto siding and foundations. Clear them after the last leaves drop.
- Winterize irrigation. Blow out sprinkler lines before the first hard freeze, or you'll be replacing cracked pipes in spring.
- Protect tender plants. Mulch around shrubs and perennials. Bring pots indoors. Wrap young trees if deer are a problem.
Don't want to do it yourself? Our fall cleanup package covers all eight — leaves, gutters, aeration, overseeding, and more. Get an instant quote →
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