Lawn and garden cleaning is the seasonal work that prepares the yard for what comes next — spring growth or winter dormancy.
01Fall cleanup
Fall cleanup is the most consequential maintenance task in the lawn and garden calendar. Remove dead annuals, cut back perennials to 6 inches (or leave them if they provide winter interest and wildlife habitat), rake leaves before they mat and smother the lawn, and apply a final fall fertilizer to the lawn turf. Leaves left on the lawn through winter create bare patches that require overseeding in spring.
02Equipment cleaning end-of-season
Before winter storage, drain the gas tank on all gas-powered equipment or add fuel stabilizer. Remove, clean, and sharpen lawn mower blades. Clean all cutting decks of debris and apply a thin coat of oil to all metal surfaces. Wipe down all hand tools and hang them. Equipment that's stored dirty rests and corrodes over winter and needs more repair in spring.
03Irrigation system — blowout
An in-ground irrigation system in a freeze-climate requires winterizing — compressed air blown through each zone to purge the water from the pipes. An irrigation technician with a commercial compressor does this in 30 minutes. Skipping winterization results in cracked pipes and broken heads, which cost more to repair than the winterization service.
04Hardscape maintenance
Sweep patio surfaces and remove organic material from joints and cracks before winter. Remove dead leaves from retaining wall drainage areas and check that weep holes or drainage gaps in the wall base are clear. Organic matter decomposing in joints over winter accelerates joint failure.
Marcus Webb is a general contractor and home maintenance writer based in Columbus, Ohio. He writes about the repairs and installs that come up every year in every house — the practical, repeating work that keeps a home livable.