How to clean up your yard in fall with the environment in mind

Cleaning up your yard in the fall not only keeps it looking good, but also prevents organic matter from building up and choking your lawns and plants. This crucial task also helps prevent disease and insect infestations. It also guarantees that in the spring you'll have a nice yard where you can set up your outdoor furniture and enjoy the return of fine weather. Don't forget to protect this beautiful space with the right home insurance. Our brokers are always here to give you the best advice.  

1.The tools you need and how to use them effectively 

Here are a few essential tools for cleaning up your yard:

•  Leaf rake: Use a leaf rake to make small piles of leaves for easy bagging. If you want to leave some leaves on the ground as a natural fertilizer that will decompose gradually over winter, be sure to mulch them well with a lawnmower. You can also let some leaves decompose at the foot of trees not only as fertilizer but also as a protective barrier to insulate the roots over winter. 
• Leaf bags: Use biodegradable leaf bags to collect plant debris for easier transfer to a composting area or recycling centre. You can also store some dead leaves in a corner of the yard for use in your composter at any time of the year. 
• Shovel and wheelbarrow: A shovel and a wheelbarrow are essential for picking up and transporting piles of leaves and large pieces of debris. 
• Shears and secateurs: These tools are used to slice off dead branches and to remove wilted plants to prevent them from becoming breeding grounds for disease. 
  
   

2. Compost garden waste 

Composting is an excellent way to recycle garden waste and create a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Here's how: 

• Choose a location: Select a sheltered and well-drained spot for your composter or compost heap. 
• Prepare the materials for composting: Dead leaves, grass clippings, small branches and plant waste are all ideal materials for composting. Don’t use diseased leaves or large branches. 
• Alternate composting layers: (e.g., dry twigs and dead leaves) with green layers (e.g., moist vegetable waste and grass clippings) to ensure proper, odor-free decomposition. 
• Moisten the compost pile: Water the compost lightly to maintain the right moisture content. The pile should be damp but not soggy. 
• Turn the compost over: Turn the compost over every two weeks to aerate the materials and speed up decomposition.  The compost will enrich your soil with essential nutrients, improve its structure, and increase its ability to retain water, all of which will stimulate plant growth in the spring. 

3. Use eco-friendly products 

Choose sustainable, eco-friendly products to maintain your yard in the fall. Some examples are: 

• Organic fertilizers: Use organic fertilizers, such as homemade compost, to enrich the soil and feed your plants without harmful chemicals. 
• Natural mulch: Mulch, consisting of natural materials like straw, wood chips or dead leaves, protects the soil from frost and reduces water evaporation. 
• Ecological weedkillers: Use natural vinegar- or salt-based weedkillers rather than chemical herbicides. 
• Biological treatments: Use eco-friendly biological treatments to control pests like nematodes or ladybugs. 

4. Preparing your garden for winter 

Preparing your garden for winter is crucial to protecting your plants and soil: 
 

• Use tarps: Cover fragile plants with tarps or garden fleece to protect them from cold and frost. 
• Water before the frost comes: Water your garden well before the ground freezes to help plants withstand winter conditions. 
• Protect your plants, trees and shrubs: Spread a thick layer of mulch around plants and over flower beds to insulate the soil and protect plant roots. With the same purpose in mind, do the same with mulch or dead leaves at the base of trees and shrubs.

 
By preparing your yard and garden for winter in an eco-friendly way, you're not only ensuring that your plants will thrive in the spring, you’re also helping to preserve the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. So, be sure to take care of your outdoor property in a way that respects nature and the environment as much as possible. For advice on the insurance policy you need to protect your home, or just to get a quote, contact your broker today.