Baton Rouge Residential Lawn Maintenance: Fall Landscaping Tips for Your Yard

Autumn in south Louisiana may take a little longer to arrive, but cooler temperatures and falling leaves still signal an important time for the health of your lawn and landscaping. In order to prepare your lawn, bushes, flowers, and trees for the off-season, there are a few easy tasks that will protect them from any potential frosts and freezes and have them ready to thrive when spring rolls back around.

Have New Trees, Flowers, and Shrubs Planted in the Fall

It may sound counterintuitive, but planting or replacing shrubs in the fall, between September and December, can be more beneficial. With the soil still warm from the summer months, and the air cooling down, root growth can be more easily stimulated. This root stimulation allows trees and shrubs to establish their root systems before the ground can freeze. You can also brighten up your flowerbeds by planting some new perennials. It is also important that you don’t prune, trim, or remove any perennials, as this can damage or kill the plant.

Re-Mulch Your Trees, Flowerbeds, and Plants

As the colors in the leaves start to fade, and the hues of the flowers and bushes begin to wilt, a fresh layer of mulch can add a new vibrance to your landscaping. When you mulch as the weather begins to turn colder, it insulates the soil around your trees, shrubs, and flowerbeds. Adding two to three inches of mulch will prevent weeds, retain moisture, and protect the roots from frost.

Adjust Your Mowing Height for a Healthy Lawn

While summer winds down, it’s time to think about how you’ll wind up your mowing. You should be increasing your mowing height, with the final cut of the season leaving the grass over 2 ½ “. Allowing the grass to grow a little taller each mowing session, and leaving it cleanly cut and at a higher length over the winter will result in a lush, vigorous, and thick lawn.

Clear any Dead Foliage as Leaves Begin to Fall

One of the easiest and most important ways to keep your lawn healthy and looking nice over the winter is to remove any dead foliage and fallen leaves. Trimming trees, pruning hedges, raking leaves, and attending to any dead or brown spots on your lawn, can all yield positive results. Furthermore, removing leaves and other lawn debris allows more sunlight to reach the grass and plants, and more water to access the root systems.

Landscaping and lawn care can be a big job, especially during seasonal changes. This is where an experienced landscaping company can keep your home looking great and healthy. For over 14 years Kyle’s Lawn and Landscaping has been helping Baton Rouge area home and business owners with all of their outdoor needs.