September 29, 2025

If you have an all-inclusive landscaping service, you’ve already made a great decision to invest in your exterior and curb appeal. However, many homeowners think that landscaping is a spring and summer visit and don’t expect to take advantage of the services when the weather turns cool. In fact, November is an ideal month to take advantage of your all-inclusive landscaping services. A November service will make sure your property is thoroughly prepared not only for winter, but also for a great start in the spring.

White and black Tudor style home with a professionally landscaped yard with fall colored leaves on the trees.

Why November Landscaping Matters

In November, we’re thinking about preparing for the holidays, pulling the snow gear out of storage, and ensuring the house is well-insulated. Most homeowners aren’t thinking about landscape maintenance services. A final “close out” November service has many benefits. Your landscape maintenance team will make sure that your lawn and beds are clean and clear, your shrubs are trimmed and pruned and ready for the dormant season, and you’ve set yourself up for a good start next spring. If you have an all-inclusive landscape service, don’t skip the good work that gets done in November. Making sure everything gets done correctly now will confirm that your curb appeal stays strong all winter long and your spring gets off on the right foot.

The Importance of Final Leaf Removal

Timing your leaf removal can be frustrating. Too soon, and you end up having to go back several times during the fall as more leaves come down. But wait for the last leaf to fall from your trees, and you’ll have endured weeks of what looks like negligent lawn care. While mulching some fallen leaves into your grass during fall mowing sessions can provide extra nourishment during the winter, leaving a layer of fallen leaves while waiting for the perfect moment for leaf removal can suffocate and kill your grass before the dormant season has even begun. You’ll have to do a leaf clean-up at least twice during the fall. Unless you are very particular about having any leaves on your property at all, doing one major leaf removal in October will take care of the first round, leaving a final leaf removal for November, so you have a clean slate for when the snow starts to fall. One of the benefits of having an all-inclusive landscape maintenance contract is that this timing is handled for you. If you have specific preferences, you can let your landscape crew know; otherwise, you can trust them to find the perfect time for the final leaf removal before winter arrives.

Clean Out Garden Beds Before Winter

Once November arrives, the growing season is indeed over in this area of the country, so it’s time to clean out all the beds on your property, whether you have perennial shrubs, annual flowers, or vegetable gardens. Remove all debris, clip off the dead blooms and branches, and thoroughly rake out the beds. During the fall, you’ll find that the beds will collect leaves, branches, and other debris, and it’s important to make sure that you get rid of everything that doesn’t belong. Depending on what kind of plants you have, some homeowners may opt to put down a layer of mulch to provide some insulation and prevent roots from freezing, but this isn’t always necessary. The more important thing is to make sure that any debris that could be bringing mold, fungus, or disease into the soil as it decomposes is removed. Pruning and trimming are essential for new, healthy growth in the spring. However, since every plant has different needs, make sure to check with your landscape contractor to ensure you are helping, not hurting, your shrubs.

Tackle Weeds Now for a Better Spring

Look out your window one day in the spring, and you have a barren garden. Look out the next day, and the weeds have taken over. When weeds decide their growing season has begun, they take over fast. If you don’t want to spend the first few weeks of the new growing season trying to keep up with their output, you need to take the proper steps in November. There are pre-emergent herbicides that can be applied in the fall. The herbicide is absorbed by the roots of the weeds that appear dormant, preventing them from germinating in the spring. The best time for this treatment is late fall. If you have any existing weeds still lingering in your fall beds, pulling them in the fall is very effective, as you’ll likely be able to get the whole root. Your landscape contractor can help you with the best weed control that will help your spring start in a much less weedy way.

Use Fall to Plan Next Year’s Landscape

Not many people think about planting when the gardens are heading into hibernation season, but November is the perfect time to start planning for next season. When your gardens are cleaned out and winterized, you can really look at the space that you have and start envisioning what you’d like to change for next year. As you start making plans, consider the timing of when each plant will need to be planted and begin making plans accordingly. This is a significant benefit of having a landscape maintenance contractor, as they can help you determine which plants will best align with your vision and make sure that you are well-prepared for the following year.

The benefits of an all-inclusive maintenance contract are well worth the investment. Bundling your services, rather than just addressing issues as they arise, guarantees that your property is well-maintained throughout the year. Instead of trying to piece together services and schedule all the different parts of your November cleanup, you can rely on having someone who knows your property and is ready to do everything necessary. With the November service, you will know your lawn and gardens are ready, not only for winter, but for a great start in the spring.

Don’t let November pass you by. Schedule your all-inclusive landscape maintenance with Twin Oaks today and set your property up for a beautiful spring.