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When you're ready to seed your lawn, our calculator helps you estimate the amount of grass seed you'll need to get the job done.
Enter your preferred material, the square footage and mulch depth of the coverage space for accurate results.
We'll calculate the amount of fencing you should purchase based on your property needs.
When can I plant my fall veggies outdoors?
If you're planting seeds for fall or winter gardening, get them in by late summer. Warm climates can plant later in the year than cold climates. You may be able to grow leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables throughout the fall and into winter if you don't expect a deep freeze. Check your planting zone for details on specific plants and your growing season, then read up on how to plant a fall vegetable garden.
Should I get a wood chipper or a log splitter?
A wood chipper makes tiny wood chips, while a wood splitter leaves you with more manageable chunks of wood. After pruning trees and bushes with hedge trimmers or a gas chainsaw, clean up the debris in a wood chipper. If your trees are healthy, the chopped wood makes mulch that you can spread in your fall garden. If you removed a tree, you can either get an axe or a log splitter to break up the wood into smaller pieces. A wood splitter is quicker and a wise investment if you're doing a vast amount of tree cleanup, and bigger is better here.
How can I get rid of fall leaves from my lawn?
If you'd prefer to use power tools to keep fallen leaves under control, shop our leaf blowers. Electric versions come as cordless or corded leaf blowers. We've also got handheld, walk-behind, and backpack leaf blower models. Leaf vacuums, vacuum-mulcher combo units, or rakes are additional options. Turn the fallen leaves into mulch and enrich your soil or fill up lawn bags and take them out to the curb.
How do I store my outdoor power tools during the winter?
To maintain outdoor power equipment, clean it before you store it. Check the manufacturer's website or your owner's manual for info on caring for a specific tool, like removing grass from lawn mower blades or oiling a chainsaw chain. For battery-powered tools, store the batteries in a place that won't freeze, as they don't do well with extreme temperatures. Idle gas tools until they sputter dry and then change the oil. Your tools will last longer when care for them, saving you money and time.
How do I winterize a hose faucet?
Prepare for freezing temps by covering outside faucets with faucet covers. Winterizing the hose bibb can be put off until watering the garden or washing the car in the driveway is done for the year, but don't wait until the temps drop into the 40s. With all hoses disconnected, turn off the indoor valves that control the spigots, then open the taps and let them run until the water stops. If you have pop-up sprinklers or a drip irrigation system, drain those as well as per the manufacturer's instructions. You may need a rental air compressor to remove every drop of water. While you're at it, get a pool vacuum and pool cover and winterize your swimming pool, too.
What tools do I need for snow removal?
In climates where it gets cold and snowy, early fall is the time to prepare your snow removal tools. Snow blowers are great, but keep an ice scraper and snow shovel to chip away ice patches and clear trouble spots. Find lightweight cordless and electric snow blowers as well as gas snow blowers. People with larger driveways may consider using a spreader to easily distribute the ice melt or salt to clear a path to the mailbox. Shop now before the weather cools more and the snow rolls in.
Fall is a different time for your garden and lawn, so get out your work gloves, chainsaws, and pole saws. The focus shifts from growing to harvesting, from upkeep to cleanup. We've got fall lawn tips to help you make the most of your landscaping and garden as the season ends. We'll also guide you through planting and harvest. Depending on your climate, you might be able to garden throughout the chillier months. Read on for more on fall garden and lawn maintenance.
Patch or Fertilize Your Lawn
Patch up bald spots on your lawn by spreading fresh grass seed. Cooler weather is a great time to fill in dead or brown places in your yard. However, make sure leaves don't land on freshly seeded areas. New grass seed needs water, air, and sun to grow, and leaf litter can block out the air and sunlight it needs to germinate.
If your lawn is in good shape, make sure it stays that way by applying lawn fertilizer if you have cool-season grass. Aerate your lawn before adding fertilizer to get the most bang for your buck. An edger gives extra polish to the perimeter of your yard. Water your cool-season lawn regularly and tend to any pesky fall weeds that show up. It'll need different maintenance than warm-season grass, which goes dormant as the weather cools. Taper down watering on warm-season lawns.
Plant Flower Bulbs
If you've got your eye on bulb plants that greet the springtime sun, plant them soon. They need time to grow downward. Check your plant hardiness zone before planting. In colder climates, some bulb flowers should be planted in spring instead. Plan your tulip, daffodil, and iris displays now. Garlic and onions can go in, too, for a harvest next spring or summer, but they won't need soil additives.
Try using retaining wall blocks to accent or surround your garden. A beautiful garden wall or hardscaping gives a finished look, especially when you spread a layer of rubber mulch. It'll overwinter well and resist fading longer than other mulches.
Skip the soil amendments when planting onion or garlic bulbs instead of flower bulbs. Simply plant them now, pointy-side up like a teardrop shape, and you'll have a fresh harvest by next summer. These plants will spread though, so be careful not to let them flower, dry out, and go to seed when they mature. Snip off the dried flowers to avoid planting a field of volunteer onion and garlic plants.
Cut and Cover Perennials
In climates where you might have a cold snap but then warm up above freezing again, cover your plants. Protect your garden from freeze and frost damage to extend their season. You can get extra life out of your garden by covering your plants with tarps, 5-gallon buckets, or even painting drop cloths. It'll warm your plants like a blanket or greenhouse, and they'll survive a frost.
This works well early on, until you're fully into the colder parts of the season. Uncover the plants when the thermometer goes up again and let them enjoy that fall sunshine. Once the temperatures regularly dip below freezing, it's time to say goodbye to the garden for now.
Put the Garden to Bed
When the sun angle changes and your annuals start looking rougher, it's time to dig up the plants. Northern climates that get cold earlier in the fall may be putting the garden to bed for the season in October or November. After your annuals are done blooming for the year, dig them up, then chop and dispose of the detritus, or dead plant debris. Feel free to let them decay to enrich the soil unless you had one of two exceptions: if your plants dealt with blight or if you had a snail problem.
For gardens overrun with snails and slugs or if your plants struggled with disease, put the old plants in a lawn and leaf bag for disposal. You don't want to bring the disease or snails to next year's garden. However, if you have a compost pile in the corner of the yard, feel free to add the snail-riddled plant parts there.
After you've removed the old plants, you've got a clean slate. Prepare your garden bed for the spring by rotating the soil with a shovel or renting a rototiller. You want to bring the deeper soil to the surface, send the topsoil lower down, and generally break up the ground. It helps nutrients penetrate and lets the soil rest. It's also an excellent opportunity to test the soil and see what, if any, soil amendments you need. Different crops and plants use different nutrients. Test your soil to see if it's balanced or if you should restore certain nutrients that have been depleted.
Indoor Gardening
Gardeners with potted plants can extend their growing season by bringing the plants indoors to a sunny window. Indoor gardening allows both outdoor plants to live longer and indoor plants to bring joy into your home. Just turn them regularly to give all leaves equal sunlight, and make sure they get enough water now that they won't benefit from rainfall. Remember to place decorative dishes beneath them if the pots don't have built-in overflow dishes to catch any extra water.
Warm the Outdoors with a Fire Pit
Stretch out your fall evenings with a fire pit, patio heater, or outdoor fireplace to take off the chill. No matter if you're looking for outdoor heaters for decks, small patios, or cozy porches, we've got options. All you have to do is pick the one that matches your decor style.
We've got fire bowls and fire pit tables ready to warm your outdoor space. Check out stylish propane and natural gas fire pits in a variety of shapes. We've also got woodburning fire pits and the firewood to stoke them. You can even build your own with fire pit kits or make it completely custom and build an in-ground fire pit to fit your vision with pavers that lead to and surround the pit. Stop by your closest garden center to see what's in stock.
Ease Into Autumn
This fall, prepare your garden for the coming cold with us. We've got everything you need for putting the garden to bed, leaf cleanup, and restoring nutrients to your soil so it's ready for next spring. Shop our wide variety of outdoor living products and fall garden care in your local store, online, or in our mobile app.
410 Elmira Rd Bldg 1
Ithaca, NY 14850
34.76 mi
Mon-Sat: 6:00am - 9:00pm
Sun: 8:00am - 8:00pm
800 Commerce Blvd
Dickson City, PA 18519
48.30 mi
Mon-Sat: 6:00am - 10:00pm
Sun: 8:00am - 8:00pm