Tool Time Autumn Upkeep

By Steve Sniff

Autumn can be one of the most beautiful seasons of the year – especially for families who live on acreage.

It’ s a season of colorful transformation, as vibrant leaves signal the shift from summer’ s frenetic pace to winter’ s quiet, snow-covered serenity.

As charming and alluring as these memories can be, they must be balanced by an equally compelling feature of the fall season: work.

Let’ s discuss the autumn acreage activities( pardon the alliteration) that are challenging but necessary chores, that can actually add to the appeal of acreage life.

Lawn Care

Shortly after the leaves change color, they fall to the ground.

The obvious“ tools of the trade” for this job are a leaf rake and a leaf blower. After roughly herding the leaves into various areas in the yard with the blower, the leaf rake is used to gather them into neat piles. The blower is also an indispensable tool for efficiently clearing areas such as gardens, driveways and walking paths. Large areas can be tackled efficiently using a backpack blower.

If you would rather use the leaves to return nutrients to the soil,“ mowing” them with a mulching attachment on your riding lawnmower can be effective. In any case, it is best to avoid letting the leaves pile up, as they can smother the grass and encourage diseases.

Fall is also a good time to aerate your lawn which helps to alleviate soil compaction, improve drainage and allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate deeper into

AcreageLife. com the root system and reduce thatch buildup.

Applying a winterizing fertilizer, especially one with a high potassium content, provides the necessary nutrients for your grass to withstand the winter cold. This season is also an excellent time to do some overseeding of any bare or thinning areas of your lawn.

Tools and Tips for Fall Pruning

Pruning and trimming your trees and shrubs adds a beautifully manicured look to your property that you can enjoy throughout the fall and winter. This is best done in late autumn when trees are dormant.

A well-manicured acreage adds beauty you’ ll enjoy all fall and winter.

Pruning shears and secateurs( small hand pruners) are ideal for making precise cuts on perennials, shrubs and roses. For branches larger than 1 inch thick, loppers provide the extra leverage needed to cut through growth up to about 2 1 / 2 inches in diameter.

A number of saws are available for tackling larger branches or ones that cannot be safely reached with a ladder. A chainsaw is an indispensable tool for life on acreage. It can remove large branches with ease and even entire trees, if necessary.

For tighter areas, a pruning saw comes in handy for removing larger branches. Use a pole saw for trimming high branches without needing a ladder. And a small, pole-mounted chainsaw makes that job quick and

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