In this blog we will discuss how to best prepare our gardens for the abrupt seasonal change we see here in Nashville each and every Fall.
No matter if your Pro- or Anti-Autumn Weather (but, c'mon who doesn't love a good #pumpkinspice latté?!) , its time to get our landscaping ready for the cozy and the cool. So what should be on your home's “Fall cleaning” checklist? The Pros at Nashville Lawn and Order are here to help!
1. Cleaning up your landscape- We all love when the leaves change from beautiful colors of gold, orange, and red. But then.... they fall, and they fall all over our once nicely manicured lawns.
The biggest improvement to our lawns during the Fall season is cleaning up those leaves from our main areas. Leaf removal is your first big checklist item to prepare your home for Fall. Grab a rake, and leaf blower, and get to work. Better yet, tell your kids if they rake up the leaves, they can jump in them like they see in the movies. 😉
...And then they can rake it up again, lol. First step- done!
2. The next prep step for your Nashville home, is to prune your landscaping. Before pruning, you will want to inspect all your trees, shrubs, and plants. Look around to see what branches or leaves are too long, out of place, or even dead. Now, you will want to start removing what is noticed. General rule of thumb: anything over two feet away from the larger area of a tree or shrub should be taken or trimmed down.
Tips from our Nashville Pros:
- Clippers can handle most pruning needs.
- Start by identifying all parts that need removal before you start clipping away so to have a greater idea of the big picture.
- Remember, less is always more.
3. After you’ve pruned your trees and shrubs to your desired cut, let’s focus on the largest part of a home—the grass. Yep, that’s right your grass still needs aerating which you’ll need a lawn aerator for if you have a larger yard or maintained area. If you have a small area you can get away with a large garden fork. Aeration is the process of removing plugs of soil in order to break up soil compaction, allowing oxygen and water to get down to the root zone, necessary for Spring planting. For the aerator, the idea is the same as a lawn mower so run it evenly across your grass. For a garden fork, the idea is the same, but a little more elbow grease is needed.
4. Great work so far. Now that you’ve aerated your yard it’s time to fertilize and seed your grass. For fertilizer make sure you do your research and know what type works best for your specific grass and produces the desired result. Take your preferred fertilizer and spread in the places that you have aerated. If you come across any empty spots or dead patches, you will want to apply extra fertilizer. Now get your seeds ready so you can seed your grass. Spread your seed just after you fertilize for maximum results. Putting seed down in the Fall allows the seed root so your Nashville lawn will grow thicker and quicker.
5. Lastly and certainly not least, check out installing desired hardscapes such as a fire pit to enjoy your yard through the cooler months. You can choose from a temporary fire pit or a permanent fire- Check out our HOW TO guide here.
After you get your fire going, grab the whiskey and guitar because it is now time to enjoy your Tennessee Fall.