Fall Yard Clean-Up Guide: Setting Up for an Easy Spring

Spring clean-ups get the glory, but fall clean-ups do most of the actual work. Everything you handle in October and early November is one less crisis in April — and a noticeably healthier lawn and garden the next year.

Lawn

1. Keep mowing until growth genuinely stops — usually late October across the GTA. Don't let leaves smother the lawn between cuts.
2. Drop the cut height on the last two passes to about 2.5 inches. Long grass mats under snow and invites snow mould.
3. Overseed any thin patches in early September if you didn't already.
4. Aerate compacted lawns — September is the best month of the year for this.
5. Apply a fall fertiliser (high potassium, lower nitrogen) in late October.

Leaves

A light leaf layer can be mulched in with the mower — it returns nitrogen and is genuinely good for the lawn. A heavy layer needs to come off. Aim to clear the lawn fully before the first heavy snowfall; anything left underneath turns into yellow, dead patches in spring.

Beds

1. Cut back hostas, daylilies and other perennials that turn to mush after frost.
2. Leave ornamental grasses, sedums and coneflowers standing for winter interest and bird food.
3. Pull annuals and add them to the compost.
4. Top up mulch lightly to insulate roots through freeze-thaw cycles.

Hardscape

• Disconnect hoses and drain outdoor taps before the first hard freeze.
• Clean and store patio furniture or cover it.
• Mark driveway and walkway edges with reflective stakes before snow flies — your plow operator will thank you.
• Walk every walkway and step looking for loose pavers or wobbling stones. Re-set them now while the ground is still workable.

Snow & ice prep

Lock in your snow removal contract by mid-October. Reputable crews fill their routes by early November and the leftover providers are leftover for a reason. Stock a bag of pet-safe ice melt by the front door, and check that the snow shovel handle didn't crack last winter.

A proper fall clean-up across an average GTA lot takes two people about four hours. We do it as part of a one-visit service: lawn, beds, leaves, gutters, debris haul-away, photos at the end.