For homeowners, fall is the perfect time to do some outdoor chores before the temperature drops!
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In winter, snow and ice can make working outdoors more dangerous and time-consuming. With the winter holidays approaching, you can prepare your home for visits from family and friends by doing the following tasks:
1. Pressure wash
The driveway, patio, sidewalks, and wooden tiles around your property collect mold and dirt during the summer season. Pressure washing is the most practical way to clean your property. However, avoid using the sprayer less than 10 inches from the surface. Depending on the type of machine, a pressure washer can damage sensitive areas. If the spray is too intense, you can use a nozzle with a wider opening and keep the sprayer further away from the surface. Areas made of softer materials should only be cleaned by hand with a brush and cleaning solution.
2. Gutter cleaning
Fall is the time of year when your trees rain buckets of leaves around your roof and garden. When your gutters are full of leaves and debris, rainwater cannot move freely to the outlet. A winter storm can cause damage when snow and ice freeze the debris and crack or break gullies. The safest, easiest way to clean your gutters is to put up a ladder and glove up to grab the trash. Some homeowners try to clean their gutters with leaf blowers, but the compacted dirt and leaves form a solid mass that is difficult or impossible to remove with powered air.
3. Landscaping
You likely have a lesser amount of outdoor chores in late fall, but there are some handy chores you can do to prepare for winter. You can compost your dried summer plants and replace them with winter ground covers like red clover. The ground cover nourishes the soil and keeps it weed free until you can plant again. Ice and snow may cover the yard, but you can turn to shrub pruning to keep your shrubs and trees healthy for the long winter. If the mulch around your plants has broken down, consider replacing it with 3 or 4 inches of fresh mulch. The mulch helps the plants conserve moisture in colder weather and inhibits weeds in summer.
4. Plants
Depending on the temperate zone of your state, you may have time to plant new shrubs and bulbs in your garden. When your average minimum temperature is 50 ° F, you can plant shrubs like hydrangeas, camellias, rhododendrons, and spireas. The roots of these shrubs continue to grow when the soil temperature drops below freezing. However, if you wait too long after the initial freeze, the roots will struggle and the plant may stunt. If you enjoy the sight of spring flowers, you can plant tulips, lilies or daffodils. The bulbs remain dormant for most of winter, but in April the flowers come to life with fresh blooms.
If you see your neighbor trying to clear debris from a frozen gutter in late December, you'll appreciate that your projects were completed in the fall.
