Most of us in Pennsylvania know Fall has arrived when the foliage lights up the Poconos Mountains in vibrant hues of deep reds, burnt oranges, and bright yellows from mid-September to mid-October.
Meanwhile, here in Central Pennsylvania, our foliage doesn’t peak until a few weeks later in late October. Some of our local species such as Bradford Pears and Oaks will even stubbornly hold onto their leaves until the late winter!
That is why at emi landscape we carefully inspect every site to ensure that we are planning fall clean-up based on when your local trees shed their leaves. Therefore, as the seasons change, so do our landscaping routines. emi follows a fall clean-up routine that ensures your properties are set up for success year after year.
What is a Fall Cleanup and When Do They Begin?
Our maintenance contracts provide fall clean-up services that include: mowing, removing leaves and debris, weed control, cutting back perennials, and fertilizing.
Our fall cleanup service can include up to two visits. Your account’s maturity and the length of the client relationship will determine the number of visits required. Depending on what the weather permits for each year, the first round often starts in late October, and the second round follows in late November to early December. Additional mowing may be needed in between fall cleanups.
1 – Blow then Mow
We start fall clean-ups by using leaf blowers throughout the property to ensure that any leaves in tree rings, in beds, or in pocketed areas are blown into the grass so that they can be bagged or mowed.
Afterward, we carefully mow the entire area so that any debris left behind is chopped up with our gator blades. By mowing the leaves and finely chopping them, they will drop between the blades of grass into the soil surface. As the leaves naturally decompose, they will contribute to the organic matter present and nutrients will be released for the turf to utilize. When we are finished, there should be a very light layer of dry leaves covering the surface with visible turf just beneath it.
Any areas with thick, heavily saturated leaves will be manually bagged to avoid choking out the grass. In more serious debris conditions, we will instruct that the leaves are blown out to the curb and our vacuum will be brought on site for removal.
2 – Weed Control
At this time of year, weeds are still visible and growing. However, our chemical applications are not as effective due to the temperature changes, so our crews help control weeds by hand pulling weeds when necessary.
3 – Fertilize
In between the fall clean-up services, we offer slow-release nitrogen fertilization applications. Fall is a great time to fertilize because it provides the turf’s root systems carbohydrates to store throughout the winter to withstand dormancy.
The turf will make use of the reserves to protect them against winter damage and disease. Fall fertilization can also increase a fuller and greener lawn come spring.
Add A Pop of Color To the Autumn Season
Here at emi, we believe that landscaping should never be bland! Apart from the maintenance contract, we offer seasonal color services at an additional cost.
Our fall color consists of different designs and displays that may include: pansies, chrysanthemums, kale, pumpkins, and hay/straw bales.
The annual color displays can be modified to meet your specific design needs. Fall annuals come in a variety of different colors, grow quickly, and provide color throughout the autumn season.
Fall color and seasonal displays are typically installed in the last two weeks of September.
Winter is Coming – Be Prepared
Now is the perfect time to ensure that you have a snow provider. Set up for success this winter by contacting us today so our highly skilled snow experts can provide first-rate snow removals on your property.
At emi, we start preparing for winter by setting up our equipment on-site in late October to ensure effective and efficient snow removal for our clients.