End of Season Checklist

Each day brings us closer to winter. Depending upon where you live, that can mean anything from chilly rain or an occasional frost to a few feet of snow on the ground - and it's all right around the seasonal corner. The month of November provides many of us with the "last chance" to prepare our yards for winter. This preparation assures a great start to the growing season next year.

Here is a checklist of outdoor projects for November that will prepare you for spring:

• Be sure to continue mowing your lawn until it goes dormant. If you have cool season grass (northern states) your last application of fertilizer should be down.
• Trim back tree branches that are close to your home. This will prevent the branches from breaking off and damaging your home as well as help keep your gutters clean. You may want to clean the leaves and debris from your gutters now to prevent clogs that can create water overflow problems in spring.
• Rake up and remove any remaining leaves on your lawn. Wet leaves, especially, can smother your lawn because they won't likely blow away. Try to remove them daily, if possible.
• Mulch your sensitive perennials once the ground begins to freeze. Two-to-four inches of mulch will help prevent ground temperature fluctuations that can damage sensitive plants. Use leaves from your yard, clean straw or another favorite mulch material. Don't use hay as it contains too many seeds.
• November is a good time to remove or fix any "eyesores" in your yard because they are more evident now then they were in summer. Do you have an unsightly tree stump in the middle of your yard? You can have it removed with the help of a stump grinder (look for stump removal experts in your area). It will turn everything above ground into sawdust. Trim and shape overgrown evergreen shrubs and hedges, and remove that ugly bush you really don't like.
• Clean your deck or patio with a pressure washer. You can also use the pressure washer to clean your lawn furniture, children's play gym, the fence and many other things. It reduces the time you need to complete the project and you'll likely use less water than if you used a hose alone. Learn more ways to use your pressure washer now.
• If you have young trees, protect their trunks from nibbling rodents by creating a fine-mesh wire cage around the trunks. Wrapping the trunks with tree wrap material won't stop hungry pests, but it will protect the tender bark from rapid temperature changes that can cause the bark to split.
• Are you worried about the possibilities of an ice storm or snow storm knocking out the power in your area? Your best insurance policy may be a portable generator which can provide power to your home during an outage. They are easy to operate and come in many sizes to fit your needs. Take a look at Choosing a Generator to learn more.
• Take some time to map out your gardens - both vegetable plots and perennial beds. On a sheet of paper that is at least 8.5 by 11 inches (larger is even better), sketch out the plants you grew. Include the name, size and color of each perennial, and note anything special about them like how well they thrived, if they need to be divided next year, etc. For your vegetable garden, note which vegetables grew where so that you can rotate them properly when you replant in the spring.
• Inventory and organize your yard care tools and equipment. Using a rag, clean and lightly oil your shovels, spades, loppers and other tools. Tune-up your mower, tiller and other equipment. If you do not run the equipment out of gas before storing, be sure to use fuel preserver in the gas tank. Check out the winter storage tips in this issue for the right way to store your mower.

Once you've completed your fall yard care projects, settle into your favorite easy chair with a notebook to start planning for next year. Jot down what you will do differently and what plants you may want to add. Then, order your garden catalogs to get you through the dormant months ahead.

Enjoy the winter season! Be sure to check back in March for more yard care tips and advice.