Great gardening, lawn care ideas for October

Curb appeal can be a vital deciding factor when it comes to a home sale. An overgrown lawn, dead, brown plants and grass or weeds crawling up the side of the house can all send prospective buyers running in the other direction.

However, a property inspection beforehand could help point out where maintenance needs to take place, and sellers should also use October as a perfect time to do some gardening and lawn care to keep the entire home looking great year-round. 

Gardening tips for the fall

This time of year, a number of homeowners want to shut the windows, take all the outdoor furniture and toys inside and wait until the spring before tackling any yard maintenance, but October can provide ideal opportunities for lawn care and gardening.

Poor curb appeal or invasive plants can damage a house, and a home inspection could find areas where the lawn is hurting the structure itself. Those looking to sell their properties could also benefit from a few creative gardening ideas to spruce up the exterior and draw buyers into the home.

For instance, planting perennials right now is a smart choice, according to MSN Real Estate. These will bloom in the spring, and putting peat moss, fertilizer and bulb dust into the soil when planting will help them grow. As with many different types, a solid watering is also a must in order to achieve healthy, beautiful plants when the snow finally melts and the cold goes away.

However, any homeowner who lives in a chillier climate should take some perennials indoors, like begonias, gerbera daisies and geraniums, the news source noted. These could get damaged by the first frost, cancelling out hours of hard gardening work. 

In most regions, trees can also be planted during October and even into November. Homeowners should make sure to pick a safe spot in the yard, since roots and branches could grow to damage a house. A home inspection can point out any existing trees that are threats or have already moved too close to the residence. Any addition during the fall will take advantage of the winter months to develop a strong root system underground.

Smart suggestions for October lawn care 

Like with many other gardening and outdoor activities, homeowners are less tempted to break out the mower and the clippers and tackle yard maintenance in October. In many places across the country, the weather is cool enough to inspire more indoor relaxing than mowing. 

On the contrary, this month is the perfect time to clean up the lawn and get everything ready for winter and spring. Someone selling their house, either in the fall or over the next several months, could greatly benefit from attractive curb appeal. A property inspection can also prepare a residence for the real estate market.  

Step one often includes mowing, according to the University of Minnesota. As the temperature drops, the frequency a yard needs to be mowed declines as well. While this may inspire apathy, instead homeowners should continue the process. In most cases, longer grass underneath snow can lead to snowmold in the spring, which could wreak havoc on a beautiful lawn.

Additionally, October can lead to piles of leaves. While large amounts should be raked up and disposed of, a few inches of covering can be ground up with a lawnmower and left for the winter. The particles should be fine enough that it is hard to tell whether or not it was raked or mowed. 

Overall, lawn care and gardening can happen even into the late fall, and homeowners should stay up with regular maintenance. A home inspection is a great idea before selling a property, and a professional can spot areas where the flora could be damaging.