Winter is fast approaching as fall nears its yearly end here in Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver, Washington. Fall and winter bring a host of new landscape tasks that should be completed. Here, we will discuss a few items that should be completed before the coldness of winter sets in.
Debris Cleanup
Fall, in the Pacific Northwest, brings an abundance of windy and rainy weather. This adverse weather often results in our landscapes littered with leaves, branches, trash, and various other debris. With our abundance of deciduous trees, leaves are often scattered throughout our yards, making us feel as if we are fighting a never-ending battle. However, it is important to remove leaves and other debris as quickly as possible. Aside from the cluttered, messy look that this debris creates in our outdoor spaces, letting debris decompose on the yard can also cause costly issues, like brown or patchy spots, or completely dead sections of grass. Letting this debris pile throughout our hardscapes can also bring about hazardous issues, like slippery patios or stairs, as well as causing decks or walkways to become stained or worse. Removing this debris before it is saturated with water (they hold A LOT of moisture) or, worse, frozen, is essential to the health of your lawn and the safety of your household.
Weed Removal
Weeding can be a laborious task that is incredibly easy to fall behind on, especially during the warmer times of the year. Weeds left growing in your flowerbeds or lawn can quickly spread to consume entire sections of your landscape, seemingly overnight. Fall and winter is a great time to catch up on removing those undesirable plants that you’ve been meaning to address. Urban Eden strives to avoid the use of harsh or harmful chemicals and promotes the manual removal of these undesirable plants organically.
Mulch Application
After weeds have been addressed, it is extremely beneficial to consider adding mulch or bark dust to your flower and garden beds. Applying mulch to your landscapes has many different benefits. Most notably, for the purposes of this article, mulch helps to insulate desirable plants from the cold and drastically slows the growth and germination of weeds or other undesirable plants.
Aerating and Dethatching
Aerating and dethatching are two more tasks that should be considered as part of your fall maintenance. For a healthy lawn, we recommend this service be performed twice annually, once in spring and again in fall. Dethatching helps to remove built-up debris that has been deposited in your lawn throughout the year. This debris blocks light, moisture, and other nutrients from penetrating into the roots of your grass, inhibiting growth. Aerating also deals with ensuring your lawn has access to essential nutrients as well. Aerating is the process of puncturing tiny holes throughout your lawn, allowing nutrients, light, and moisture to reach the depths of your soil, improving the health and look of your lawn.
While this list is not fully complete nor quintessential (there is a seemingly endless list of landscape tasks), it is a great place to start. If you would rather stay warm this fall and winter season, let Urban Eden Landscaping take care of your lawn care needs. We have all of the right tools and experience. Contact us today or fill out our FREE estimate request online. Stay warm!