September 11, 2019

Tree lined street full of Autumn leaves.

The fall season is when the leaves on your property will begin falling from the trees, thereby covering your landscape. Soon enough, winter will come and snow will fall. Many HOAs may not bother to clean up their landscape as a result. Why spend money on cleaning up your landscape if it’s just going to be covered by dead leaves and then by frost and then by snow? However, for your homeowners association to not hiring a landscaper to come to clean up your property can actually be detrimental.

The Benefits of a Seasonal Clean-Up

The following are just a few of the reasons why you should schedule a professional landscaping service to come and clean up your landscape this fall before winter hits:

  • Maintain curb appeal – A poorly kept landscape, even if it’s just for a couple of weeks, can drive away potential homeowners. Removing dead leaves and trimming your bushes and trees will help keep your landscape looking tidy. Additionally, if you don’t do a seasonal clean-up, your landscape will come out of winter with a lot of issues that could affect its curb appeal (such as dead or injured shrubs and trees as well as unhealthy looking grass).
  • Prepare landscape for winter – Winters in Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas can be rough. If your landscape hasn’t been properly prepared during the fall season, it may not make it through the winter in one piece. You want your grass, your perennials, your trees, and your shrubs to thrive once winter passes, so make sure to prepare your landscape for the cold weather.
  • Save money – You might assume that by skipping a fall clean-up by a professional landscaper that you would be saving money, but this is rarely the case. If winter does a number on your landscape, you could end up paying significantly more to repair and replace damaged landscape elements.

What a Fall Clean-Up Should Entail

The following are a few of the important tasks that should be completed to ensure that your HOA landscape retains its curb appeal and will survive the winter:

  • Clean up dead leaves – A lot of people ignore the dead leaves on their landscape because they don’t see the point of removing them if they’re just going to keep falling. The problem is that leaves block sunlight, which means your grass won’t be as healthy during the fall season, thereby making it more difficult for it to survive the winter.
  • Add more mulch – Adding mulch doesn’t just help to suppress weed growth and retain moisture, it also helps to insulate the soil against the cold.
  • Cut back perennials – Once the first frost arrives, your perennials will no longer look attractive. Cutting them back is a good idea for their health as well. If you don’t cut them back, they’ll become more vulnerable to pests and disease.
  • Prune trees and shrubs – You should prune your trees and shrubs during the fall as this tends to be the time of the year when shrubs especially are most at risk for fungal diseases.
  • Cut grass – Grass should be cut shorter than normal in the fall. This will help prevent it from being damaged under its own weight during snowy winters.

Don’t ignore your landscape when fall begins. Hiring a professional landscaper to perform a seasonal cleanup for your HOA is important if you want to maintain the curb appeal of your HOA and attract new homeowners, both throughout the fall and once winter ends and spring begins. To schedule a fall clean-up on your HOA property,  contact us at Twin Oaks Landscape in Ann Arbor, MI, today.