Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
Fall blows in more than leaves ““ it brings expenses for outside maintenance. But you do not need to purchase expensive leaf bags, plant tarps or the like. Here are tips to take care of your place with effort instead of cash.
Leaves, lawn clippings, and sticks/twigs/ small branches:
(1) Mulch some leaves and check out free leaf drop-off sites for the remainder. Some leaf sites are even fine with the leaves being out of bags. Find out your drop site's policies to possibly save this expense.
(2) Mulch lawn clippings for the yard and garden. Spread finely mulched grass in a thin layer around your yard. This will help keep your grass protected during the harsh winter months. Save some to put your garden and plants to bed ““ see below.
(3) Sticks, twigs, and/or small branches make great kindling. If you do not own a wood-burning fireplace, give your pieces away rather than just trashing them.
Putting gardens and plants to bed for winter:
(1) Prune and clean away any dead plants and branches.
(2) Take your finely mulched yard waste (from the suggestions above) and provide your garden and plants with a nice organic blanket. Cover your garden after at least two strong, hard frosts ““ not before.
(3) After you have your first layer of mulch down, cover the garden thickly with newspaper. Be sure not to leave gaps in your newspaper layer, as this will allow weeds to grow in between them later. Cover again with more mulch.
(4) For shrubs (and some plants), place mulch a couple of inches tall close to the stems. Take care to leave some space around the stems themselves. You do not want to encourage mold to grow, rodents to make themselves at home, or to smother the plant's growth in Spring.
Cleaning your gutters:
This is one area you do not want to neglect. Careful cleaning of your gutters is free. But if you are uncomfortable or unable to climb a ladder, get help. Even if you have to pay someone. It is much cheaper to pay to have your gutters cleared than to have ice build-up cause structural damage to your roof and/or siding.
