Fall checklist: what to do before the ground freezes

Autumn work is entirely about protecting what you already have. Everything on this list costs a fraction in November of what it costs to repair in spring.

The list

• Repeat leaf clean-ups until the last tree is bare — one pass is not a fall clean-up
• Final cut slightly shorter than summer height
• Fall fertilizer while roots are still active — the most valuable feeding of the year
• Cut back what turns to mush, leave what holds structure and seed
• Blow out the irrigation system before the first hard freeze
• Clear downspout lines and drain grates of leaves
• Stake driveway and bed edges before snow hides them
• Drain and store hoses, shut off exterior taps
• Book snow service — contracts close before the first storm

The one that costs most to skip

The irrigation blow-out. A cracked backflow assembly or a split lateral under the lawn is a spring excavation, and it is entirely avoidable in an hour in November.

Fall clean-ups