Fall Landscaping Tips to Prepare Your Yard for Winter (and a Beautiful Spring!)

Fall is more than pumpkin spice and cozy sweaters—it’s also the perfect time to prepare your yard for the colder months ahead. Taking the right steps in the fall ensures your landscaping stays healthy during the winter and emerges vibrant and beautiful in the spring. At Evolution Outdoor Living, we’ve put together these expert fall landscaping tips to help you protect your yard and set it up for seasonal success.

Ready to transform your outdoor space? Let’s dive into the key steps you can take this fall to prep your landscape for winter and beyond.

1. Clean Up Leaves and Debris

Why It’s Important:
Leaves may look pretty, but when left on your lawn, they can create a layer that blocks sunlight and traps moisture, leading to mold, pests, and lawn disease.

What to Do:

• Rake up fallen leaves regularly or use a leaf blower for larger areas.
• Compost the leaves to create nutrient-rich material for future gardening.
• Clear away debris from flower beds and around the base of shrubs to prevent pests from overwintering.

Pro Tip from Evolution Outdoor Living: Consider mulching some of the leaves with a mower and leaving them on the lawn. When chopped into fine pieces, they can act as a natural fertilizer for your grass.

2. Aerate and Overseed Your Lawn

Why It’s Important:
Fall is the perfect time to aerate your lawn, allowing water, nutrients, and oxygen to reach the roots. Overseeding helps fill in bare spots and ensures a lush, thick lawn come spring.

What to Do:

• Use a lawn aerator to punch small holes into the soil.
• Spread grass seed evenly over your lawn, focusing on any patchy areas.
• Water the lawn consistently to help the seeds germinate before the first frost.

Pro Tip: Cool-season grass varieties work best for fall overseeding in Worth, Illinois. Let Evolution Outdoor Living recommend the best seed options for your yard.

3. Apply Mulch to Protect Plants and Soil

Why It’s Important:
Mulching in the fall provides insulation for plant roots during the winter and helps retain soil moisture. It also prevents soil erosion and suppresses weeds.

What to Do:

• Apply a 2-3 inch layer of mulch around the base of trees, shrubs, and flower beds.
• Use organic mulch like wood chips, straw, or bark for added nutrients as it breaks down.
• Keep mulch a few inches away from plant stems to prevent rot.

Pro Tip from Evolution Outdoor Living: If you’re unsure about the best type of mulch for your landscaping, our team can guide you to make the most effective choice for your yard.

4. Prune Trees and Shrubs

Why It’s Important:
Pruning in the fall helps remove dead or damaged branches that could break under the weight of snow. It also shapes your plants for healthy growth in the spring.

What to Do:

• Trim dead, diseased, or weak branches to prevent them from falling during winter storms.
• Avoid heavy pruning of spring-blooming shrubs, as this could reduce next year’s flowers.
• Cut back perennials to the ground after the first frost to keep your garden tidy.

Pro Tip: If you’re dealing with large trees or intricate shrubs, consider hiring professionals like Evolution Outdoor Living to ensure proper pruning techniques are used.

5. Plant Fall Perennials and Trees

Why It’s Important:
Fall is an excellent time for planting because the cooler weather helps plants establish strong root systems before winter. Trees, shrubs, and perennials planted in the fall are more likely to thrive come spring.

What to Do:

• Choose hardy perennials, shrubs, and trees suited for the Worth, Illinois climate.
• Dig planting holes wide enough for the roots to spread and fill with nutrient-rich soil.
• Water newly planted items thoroughly to help them settle in before the ground freezes.

Great Planting Ideas:

• Perennials: Mums, black-eyed Susans, and asters.
• Trees: Maples, oaks, and dogwoods.
• Shrubs: Hydrangeas and boxwoods.

6. Prep Your Hardscaping for Winter

Why It’s Important:
Don’t forget about your hardscaping! Fall is the time to protect patios, walkways, and other features to ensure they last through the winter months.

What to Do:

• Clean patios, pavers, and walkways to remove dirt and debris.
• Seal cracks or gaps in hardscaping to prevent water from freezing and expanding, which can cause damage.
• Cover outdoor furniture and store away cushions to protect them from winter weather.

Pro Tip from Evolution Outdoor Living: Consider scheduling a fall inspection for your hardscaping to identify any maintenance needs before the freeze sets in.

7. Winterize Your Irrigation System

Why It’s Important:
Failing to prepare your irrigation system for winter can lead to costly damage from frozen pipes.

What to Do:

• Turn off the water supply to your irrigation system.
• Drain all water from pipes, valves, and sprinkler heads.
• Consider hiring professionals to blow out the system with compressed air for thorough winterization.

Pro Tip: Evolution Outdoor Living can winterize your irrigation system and make sure it’s ready to go when spring arrives.

Set Your Yard Up for Seasonal Success with Evolution Outdoor Living

Taking the time to prepare your yard this fall will pay off with a healthy, vibrant landscape next spring. From lawn care and planting to hardscape maintenance, these fall landscaping tips will help your yard thrive through the colder months.

At Evolution Outdoor Living, we’re here to help you with every step of your seasonal landscaping needs. Whether you’re looking to plant perennials, mulch garden beds, or inspect your hardscaping, our team has the expertise to get the job done right.

Ready to prepare your yard for winter? Contact Evolution Outdoor Living today to schedule your fall landscaping services and set your yard up for a beautiful spring.