Lawn maintenance tips for trimming, pruning and mulching your yard.
If you live in Pittsburgh, or anywhere in the Tri-State area, the heat and humidity have seemed to call it quits and the changeover to fall has officially begun! Nurseries are stocked with pumpkins, Mums and cornstalks, while the big box stores are clearing out their summer inventory to make way for the evergreens, wreaths and holiday lawn ornaments they’ll be featuring in November.
The fall is the time of year when perennial versions of plants and trees try to soak up every last bit of the dwindling sunlight. Soon, they’ll go dormant for the winter, conserving the energy they stored until they reemerge in the spring. If you want to preserve your landscape for the upcoming spring, A & N Lawn Service has several tips you can do to prepare your lawn and garden for the harsh winter ahead.
Maples and Poplars and Willows, Oh My!
For many, the fall in Western Pennsylvania is arguably the best time to catch some of the most scenic views of the 
changing autumn landscape. And beautiful they are, until all those leaves end up in your yard! Some cringe at the idea of raking leaves, but the truth is, you can really cut down on clean-up if you cut your grass regularly. While the grass isn’t growing too quickly right now, a few passes over your front yard with the mower is a great way to mulch dead leaves. If you don’t let your grass get to high or allow too many leaves to pile-up, you can really cut down the time it takes to rid your yard of fallen leaves.
If you choose to rake, get a good rake and grab a 10’x10’ tarp. Using a tarp allows you to move around your yard more freely from pile to pile. It also makes the leaves easier to dispose of. And, avoid raking when the leaves are wet and don’t forget to include the kids!
Pittsburgh Lawn Care
Grass growth is slowing down, but you have until the ground freezes before it goes totally dormant. The roots will continue to establish themselves well into the colder months, so now is the time to add a high-potassium fertilizer into your regimen. This will help the roots sustain a harsh winter. It’s also a good time to aerate and dethatch your yard so the soil can breakdown helping produce a lush, spring lawn. You can push out your grass cutting schedule to about every 10-14 days, keeping it at the minimum cutting height. Leaves and fall debris won’t collect as easily when your grass is shorter and it decreases the chances of fungal growth once the snow lays on it.
Weed control
Weeds are perennials, and like their flower versions, they came back each year! In the summer, weeds flourish with sunlight and water. And like other perennials, they start going dormant in the fall. Take this opportunity to pull unruly weeds and apply weed killer to prevent them from coming back next spring
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Tree and Wood Perennials.
Cutting back or pruning your woody perennials will promote a vibrant plant in the spring. However, be sure to speak to someone at a nursery or landscape center about which perennials need tended to in the fall and those you cut back in the spring.
A & N Lawn Service is a full-service landscaping and hardscaping company. We service Pittsburgh, PA and its surrounding areas. Call us at 412-931-9230 for all your lawn, yard and garden needs!