Maybe you’re in the midst of winterizing your lawn to prepare for frigid temperatures, or maybe you think that the colder October temperatures mean the yardwork is over for the year. Either way, there are some great fall landscaping tips to keep you outside in the fresh air a little bit longer before it’s time to bundle up for the winter.

Take Care of Your Lawn

Continue mowing your lawn. It might seem ridiculous to fire up the lawnmower when it’s 40 degrees outside, but you should keep mowing your lawn until the grass stops growing. Now it might be a great time for reseeding, too. Be sure to test your soil pH level first, though, to determine if reseeding will even prove fruitful.

Add Mulch to Your Landscaping

You’ve probably already begun to rake your leaves, but take that rake to your mulch as well. Fluff it up (or turn the mulch, as it’s officially called) to allow for circulation and make it look fresh. It should be about 2-3 inches thick for the winter. If it’s not, you’ll want to buy more or make some of your own. You can do this by running over those leaves you’ve raked up with the lawnmower a few times, and using the result as mulch in your flowerbeds.

Get Planting

Yes, you can still plant in the fall. Fall is a great time to plant or replant. You may want to divide plants or respace them to fill in areas to make them look lusher (think: Hosta plants and perennials). You can swap out your summer annuals for fall plants, like mums. With the cool, rainy weather, fall is the perfect time to plant trees and shrubs. You’ll notice nurseries having plant sales, too, because they need to get rid of inventory before winter rolls around.

Hydrate

Be sure your evergreens are sufficiently watered so that they don’t suffer dehydration in the winter. If it’s a rainy fall, you won’t have to worry about this, but if it’s been dry, you’ll need to water them once or twice a week for about an hour. You can do that for up to three weeks.

Find more tips and winterizing ideas on the Land Concepts blog page