Avoid These Yard Maintenance Mistakes This Fall

Fall is in full swing. And while how you take care of your yard will certainly shift during the fall, many homeowners are in the dark about what needs to be done to maintain their outdoor space—and can make some serious mistakes as a result. (Mistakes that can come back to haunt you come spring!)

So what, exactly, are those mistakes?

A recent article from realtor.com outlined some of the most common yard maintenance mistakes homeowners make during the fall season, including:

• Letting debris build up in the gutters. During fall, there’s a ton of debris that can accumulate in your gutters—from twigs to leaves to trash that gets caught in the wind. And if you let that debris accumulate—and don’t clean your gutters regularly, it could cause water to build up, causing damage to your roof.
• Not watering your lawn. Many homeowners are vigilant about watering their lawn during the hot summer months, but then let their regular watering schedule slip when the temperatures drop. But your lawn still needs water during the fall (in general, 1 to 1.5 inches per week), so unless you live in an extremely rainy climate, it’s important to keep watering your lawn through autumn.
• Letting weeds get out of control. There are a lot of weeds that take root in the fall months (like fall dandelions), and ignoring them could damage your other plants. Don’t let your weeds get out of control; instead, regularly remove any weeds from your lawn, either by hand or with an herbicide. (Your plants will thank you come spring!)