The Fall Cleanup Checklist for New Jersey Properties

Fall cleanup is easy to think of as just raking leaves, but it does far more than tidy up. Done well, it protects your lawn through the winter and makes next spring dramatically easier. Here's what belongs on the checklist.

Stay ahead of the leaves

A thick blanket of wet leaves left on the lawn blocks light and air and can smother and kill the grass beneath, leaving bare patches in spring. The key is not letting leaves pile up and mat down - frequent, lighter cleanups through the fall beat one massive rake at the end. Clearing leaves is the single most important fall task for lawn health.

Cut back and clean out beds

Spent perennials, annuals that are done for the year, and dead growth should be cut back and cleared from the beds. This removes hiding spots for pests and disease over winter and leaves beds clean and ready for a light spring start. Clearing beds now is far easier than untangling a matted mess in March.

The final mow

Keep mowing until the grass truly stops growing - quitting too early leaves the lawn long, where it mats under snow and invites disease. The final cut of the year can go slightly lower than your summer height to reduce matting through winter, but don't scalp it.

Set up for spring

• Aerate and overseed early in fall for a thicker spring lawn.
• Do a fall feeding to build strong roots over winter.
• Clear leaves off the lawn before they mat down.
• Clean and blow off all hard surfaces for a finished look.

Fall cleanup is a recurring, time-consuming job that runs for weeks as the leaves keep coming - which is why so many homeowners hand it off. Dreamscape handles fall cleanups across Morris County, on a schedule that keeps up with the leaves rather than waiting for one overwhelming pile, and we can bundle it with aeration and winterization to close out your year in good shape.