Skipping Fall Clean Up?

Happy October from Desert Rose! In this month’s blog we will review the importance of a fall cleanup. Fall is often when our yards get the messiest - leaves are blowing around, weeds are still able to sprout and grow, and there are plenty of spent flowers that need to be pruned. But is it ok to push a fall cleanup into a spring cleanup?

At Desert Rose we occasionally have clients who want to skip fall clean up for financial reasons (which we completely understand) thinking it would be cheaper to wait until the spring clean up once instead of twice. However, skipping the fall cleanup results in the spring cleanup being more difficult, which subsequently results in a higher bill since more time must be spent on cleaning up the property.

Besides the larger financial burden which will occur in the spring, there are also more imminent issues regarding the health of the landscaping on the property. When the leaves fall and are left to sit at the base of the plants over the winter, it can cause a few problems. First, the moisture from snow and early spring rains causes leaves to be matted down, which can become a problem when left to sit over the winter season. Not only is this a safe haven for insects to lay eggs in and for disease to survive in over the winter, it also makes it difficult for the blowers to remove the leaves during cleanup. This results in the leaves having to be removed by hand, taking significantly longer than a quick pass from the blower.

A second problem that can occur is that weeds grow due to warm temperatures, so they are often able to produce and drop seeds before the winter comes. This results in more weeds in the springtime which requires more time spent on weeds. The third major problem is that some larger woody shrubs (such as the Blue Mist Spirea, Butterfly Bush, and Potentilla) can have limbs break under the weight of the snow depending on the amount of snowfall and the size of the shrub. During the fall cleanup Desert Rose trims these shrubs to help prevent any winter damage from heavy snow fall. Lastly, a fall cleanup will help your yard look cleaner throughout the winter and will be significantly easier to manage during the spring, resulting in less time spent for the spring cleanup.

Please reconsider skipping your fall clean up as it can greatly impact your yard’s overall health, as well as your costs when it comes to spring cleaning. Have more questions? Desert Rose is here to help and we look forward to hearing from you!