6 Yard Maintenance Jobs You Need to Do This Fall

Tending to your garden might seem like a fitting job to tackle come spring, but in reality fall is the prime time for yard maintenance to get ready for the season ahead. “Most people think of fall as the end of the season for their yard or home garden, but everything you need to do to prepare your landscape for spring is best done in October and November,” says Nathan Heinrich, a horticulturist and the owner of his namesake botanical design firm in New York. Think of it as getting ready for a big dinner party: You wouldn’t want to clean and cook at the same time

Lindsay Pangborn, a horticulturist and gardening expert for the online plant retailer Bloomscape, agrees. “Come spring, your plants will be ready and waiting to take off as soon as the weather is right,” she says.

Heinrich and Pangborn disclose six tips for fall yard maintenance that will get your front yard, backyard, and vegetable garden in order so it can thrive next year.

1. Get rid of weeds

Experts say that one of the best ways to control weeds and keep them from returning in the spring is to clear all existing weeds in the fall. Garden gloves are a must when handling weeds to protect your hands and keep them from getting irritated, Pangborn says. She also recommends cutting and digging tools when removing large or established weeds. “This allows you to lift the entire weed, including the roots, which is essential to effective weeding,” she says.

Post weeding, Heinrich says to spread a generous layer of organic compost or mulch over your beds. Next, sprinkle organic preemergent in the beds but not in the spots where you want flower seeds to come back in the spring. Preemergent keeps weed seeds and other seeds in your soil from sprouting. The final step is to lightly water your beds to help them settle, and allow the preemergent to be absorbed into the soil.

2. Prune perennials

Most perennials benefit from a fall cutback, according to Pangborn. “By the time fall rolls around, many perennials have completed their seasonal bloom cycle and are looking a little tired, so cutting them back to the ground gets rid of any tattered foliage,” she says of plants like shasta daisy and garden phlox. “It’s also important to remove any leaves that might be harboring pests or disease pathogens at the end of the season.”

The exception to this rule, she says, is to wait until spring to cut back any perennials—such as Helleborus (a.k.a lenten rose) that look attractive in the winter—or anything with evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage. Heinrich recommends Felco garden shears because they’re comfortable to hold and easy to use when it comes to pruning perennials.  

3. Prep the soil

To enhance soil fertilely, give it some TLC early on. Mulch leaves from the lawn (you can use a mower), and put them into your flower beds, along with compost and wood chips. “This will put lots of nutrients into the soil for spring planting, help with weed suppression, and keep roots and perennials insulated from cold winter temperatures,” Heinrich says. For a quick soil blanket, rake up the leaves, put them into a pop-up gardening bag, and take them to the beds or compost bin.

4. Divide greenery and plant bulbs

Pangborn says that planting spring-blooming bulbs, like tulips and daffodils, is a project that brings a dash of color at the end of a long winter. Bulbs can be planted anytime up until the ground is frozen in the fall and early winter. “Using an auger drill bit will help speed this project up, or you can simply dig holes with a trowel,” she says. “The bulbs should be planted to a depth equal to or about two and a half times their height.”

5. Clean up the compost pile

Compost will break down more slowly with the cold temperatures of winter, according to Pangborn, so fall is an ideal time to clean out your compost pile and keep things tidy. Any leftover compost can be spread out over your garden beds before the winter to fortify the soil with healthy microbes that encourage root growth. 

6. Get rid of yard pests

The best way to keep pests out of your garden in the fall, Heinrich says, is to remove their favorite hiding places. Hostas, daylilies, and other perennials are a haven for slugs and snails, who love to lay their eggs (which will hatch in the spring) in the foliage. You’ll want to cut back in the fall. You should also sprinkle organic pet-safe slug, snail, and earwig bait in early to mid October to reduce the number of pests that pop-up in the spring. Pangborn adds that when you’re removing yard pests, make sure you’re examining your garden plants closely and remove any leaves, sticks, or debris. “This debris can harbor eggs or dormant pests over the winter,” she says. “Remember that any yard waste you remove that may have been infected with disease or pests should be burned or discarded rather than composted.”