Aspen Creek Landscaping's Fall Lawn-Prep Checklist

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As autumn colors set in this season, make sure your all-important lawn and garden 'to-do's" are done.

Although the lawn is often overlooked during the fall, it’s actually the perfect time to make sure everything is organized before the harsher winter elements take hold ('harsh" is a relative term here in the Pacific NW, but we think you know what we mean…)

Paul James, host of HGTV’s "Gardening by the Yard," advises homeowners to start early — approximately six weeks before the first good freeze.

Here is a list of some of the tasks and items you should add to your fall checklist this year:   

• Maintain the landscape.

• Tidy up the lawn, flowerbeds, bushes, gardens, etc.

• Remove unsightly foliage, dead stems, piles of leaves and other debris.

• Fluff your mulch with a rake so water can seep into the subsoil.

• Plant fall vegetables. Cool-season vegetable gardens can flourish with the right plants — lettuce, greens, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, potatoes and loads more. Imagine all the hearty stews and delicious soups you could make from scratch.

• Make room for indoor plants. Your potted or container plants won’t survive the winter outside, so it’s time to make room indoors for tropical plants, herbs and succulents. Potted perennials can be transplanted into a garden after trimming the roots and some top growth.

If you have fall maintenance questions, we are always happy to help! Just call us at (503) 625-6888 or visit our website: www.aspencreeklandscaping.com

Aspen Creek Landscaping’s October Gardening Tips for Oregon

 (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

With the official start of fall happening in October in Oregon, many of the questions we get from customers at Aspen Creek Landscaping are about fall gardening tasks and how to best prepare our yards and gardens for the cold months ahead.

Here are a few important tasks to keep in mind when doing your fall gardening:

• First and foremost, make sure your drainage is good. Because of the heavy rains we get here in Oregon during the late fall and winter months, it’s important to make sure your yard and garden areas have great drainage.

• For winter protection, it’s a good idea to place mulch over roots of roses, azaleas, rhododendrons and berries.

• To head off future pest problems before they happen, clean up annual flower beds by removing diseased plant materials. Mulch with manure or garden compost to feed the soil and suppress weeds.

• Clean, sharpen and oil those tools and equipment before storing for winter.

• Be sure to store garden supplies and fertilizers in a safe, dry place out of reach of children.

Have more questions? Call us today to ask your burning questions about how best to prepare your yard and garden for the winter months: (503) 625-6888

Or visit our website to view more pictures of our portfolio and to schedule a consultation:
www.aspencreeklandscaping.com