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Fall in Minnesota never seems to last quite long enough. One week you’re enjoying the changing leaves, and the next you’re wondering whether you remembered to disconnect the garden hose before the temperature dropped below freezing.
A little work now can protect your lawn and landscaping through the winter—and make your life easier when spring arrives. Here are eight things worth checking off your list before the snow flies.
1. Mow the leaves instead of raking them 🍂
You don’t necessarily need to rake and bag every leaf that lands on your lawn. When there’s a light layer, run your mower over the leaves and mulch them into small pieces. They’ll break down and return organic matter to the soil.
If you can barely see the grass after mowing, it’s probably time to rake and remove the excess. Keep mowing as long as the grass is actively growing—there’s no need to scalp the lawn for winter.
2. Cut back your perennials selectively
A perfectly cleaned-out garden isn’t necessarily the goal. Remove diseased or particularly messy plant material, but consider leaving healthy perennial stems and seed heads standing. They’ll provide winter interest and can offer food and habitat for birds and beneficial insects. You can always finish cleaning them up in the spring.
3. Clean your gutters after the leaves fall
Wait until most of the leaves are down, then give the gutters and downspouts one last cleaning. Clogged gutters can prevent melting snow and ice from draining properly during winter. It’s also a good opportunity to visually check the roof for anything that looks damaged or out of place.
4. Clean up your vegetable and raised garden beds
Remove spent vegetable plants, particularly anything that showed signs of disease. Fall is also a great time to add compost or other organic material to your raised beds so it can begin breaking down before it’s time to plant again next spring.
5. Get the snowblower ready now ❄️
There are few worse times to discover your snowblower won’t start than during the first big snowfall. Start it up before you need it and check the oil, fuel, belts and other maintenance items recommended for your machine. While you’re at it, locate the shovels and ice melt before you actually need them.
6. Protect young trees from winter visitors
Young trees can be particularly vulnerable to rabbits, deer and other animals during winter. Tree guards or appropriate protective fencing can help protect trunks and branches when other food becomes scarce. Pay particular attention to trees and shrubs planted this year.
7. Keep watering trees and shrubs 💧
Cooler temperatures don’t necessarily mean it’s time to put the hose away. During dry stretches, continue giving trees and shrubs a good soaking until the ground freezes. Newer plantings and evergreens are especially important to keep adequately watered going into winter.
8. Disconnect hoses and drain irrigation
Don’t wait for the first hard freeze. Disconnect garden hoses, drain sprinklers and drip-irrigation systems, and shut off and drain exterior water supplies where appropriate. It’s a quick job that can help prevent a much more expensive plumbing problem.
Need a hand with your fall checklist?
If you’re looking for a landscaper, gutter cleaner, arborist, handyman or another Twin Cities home-service professional, reach out. I’m always happy to share a recommendation from the network of local professionals I’ve built over the years.
Charlie Ritt
The Ritt Group
Twin Cities Real Estate
