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Fall Yard Preparation Checklist By Melissa J Wantuck  |
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 Before the cold of winter creeps across the yard, fall is the time to prepare for the upcoming season when everything will sleep.
Winter can wreak havoc on plants and exteriors like wood surfaces on sheds, window pains, fences and garden structures. Summer can as well with its high heat and storms. Fall is an excellent transitional time between the two to fix any problems caused by summer so winter doesn’t compound the issues in your carefully maintained yard. The cooler temperatures of fall and fewer bugs also make spending time outside to complete these repairs a friendlier experience.
Wood Surfaces
The searing rays of the sun and pounding force of rain beats on the wood structures in your yard slowly wearing away at their surfaces. Paint and stain will thin and disappear, exposing the wood to insects, disease and rot. Keeping wood protected is the failsafe way to insure wood’s longevity.
If you’re repairing wood that has been painted, first scrape any loose paint down to the bare wood. Sand all surfaces then apply a sealing primer on all bare spots. Finally, paint with the final color. A sealing primer may be white or it can be tinted in support of the final paint color.
For stained wood, sand all surfaces then use a stain that is for outdoor use. It will supply better protection and will last longer on the wood than stain typically used for furniture and floors.
Lawnmower Maintenance
After a season of lawn mowing, your mower will be worse for wear than when the season began. You can rejuvenate your lawnmower to almost new condition by taking proper care of it and end of season maintenance is an important step, especially if you’ll be storing your mower during the winter.
The body, blades, and deck should have all dirt and debris removed then cleaned. Have a mechanic perform a maintenance check and fluid change. When it’s time to store the mower, have it properly winterized before you leave it set for the cold months.
Pruning
Walk around your yard and inspect the trees, shrubs and bushes. Check for dead or damaged limbs and remove them with sharpened shears. Never cut using dull shears as the rough cut will expose the plant to insects and disease.
Look for any insect nests that could hinder the growth of the plant and have them removed.
If trees look damaged call a professional arborist to evaluate the tree. They may recommend some trimming or if the problems are too great, removal of the tree.
Gutters
As the leaves fall and pile up, clean them out of your gutters. Starting winter with cleared gutters will also help reduce the possibility of ice build-up from blockages caused by debris.
If heights aren’t your forte, don’t be afraid to hire a professional to clean the gutters for you.
Metal
Check rusty hinges on gates, garage doors and anywhere else in your yard. Scrape off rust with a wire brush and add oil to lube them up so you aren’t struggling to close anything when the dryness of winter slows them down even more.
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