Simple Steps to Clean Up Your Yard

After aerating your lawn, spread a thin layer of peat moss over it using a rake. Known as top dressing, this toughens your turf and helps it to resist thatch, disease and the growth of weeds.

A healthy lawn is a happy lawn. Giving your lawn the nutrients and care it needs is the best way to keep weeds at bay. A weed trimmer pulls weeds up from the roots, making the process quick and easy. Or you can apply a weed killer to your lawn to get rid of existing weeds and prevent them from taking root in the future. Edging a lawn will keep grass (and weeds) within bounds.

You’d be amazed at how the smallest of creatures can cause extensive damage to your backyard. There are a number of ways to control pests, including applying pesticides, using other insects to feed on them or washing them off with water, to name a few. Also, consider disease-resistant plants to keep fungus, bacteria and other damaging diseases from destroying your lawn and garden.

Learn how to properly use and store pesticides.

Whether they originate from disease, damage or your dog’s urine, bare spots in your backyard are unsightly. First, fill the exposed patch with a good grade of topsoil. Then, scatter grass seed over the area, but be careful not to plant too many seeds. Rake the patch lightly (about 5 percent to 10 percent of the seeds should be visible), and spread a thin layer of compost over the area. The seeds should be watered daily, but ensure they don’t become too soggy.

Get step by step instructions for repairing bare patches in your lawn.

While grooming your backyard is a no-brainer, it’s certainly worth mentioning. Improve the overall look of your yard by mowing the grass, trimming trees and shrubs, clipping hedges, pruning plants, edging the lawn, picking up debris and washing away dirt using a pressure washer from The Home Depot Tool Rental Center. Also, consider using the grass clippings as mulch for vegetable or flower gardens, or adding them to a compost pile.

Winter weather can wreak havoc on your deck, patio or fence. Rotted wood, cracked tiles, loose boards, rusted metal – not only are these unattractive, but they pose safety issues as well. If the work is more than you can handle on your own, call on the professionals at The Home Depot. 

Give your lawn extra care in fall for a healthier lawn next spring. True, autumn is famously the season for raking leaves, but it’s also time to fertilize and reseed cool-season grasses.

Keep your lawn neat by raking leaves, or using a blower to corral them and then bag or mulch them. Rake regularly to keep leaves from blocking sunlight on the grass.

You can use your lawn mower to mulch leaves that can be spread on your garden to protect plants. Learn more about mulching leaves with a lawnmower.

Use a slow-release lawn fertilizer to fertilize cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fescue. With cooler temperatures and more rain, the grass will have energy to expand its root network. See our guide where we break down and explain the types of fertilizers your yard needs.

Overseed an existing lawn to revive a worn-down lawn and to fill in bare patches. Check with a Garden Center associate for advice on reseeding your type of grass. Fall is also the best time to plant a new lawn. Learn how to prep, seed and water a new lawn.

Continue mowing your lawn through late summer and fall. It’s important to keep the grass trimmed, but you’ll need to lower the mower‘s carriage to its lowest setting for the final mowings of the season. This will help your grass focus on growing roots.

Remember to water your lawn, too, especially if you’re in an arid region or during times of drought. Lawns need, on average, about an inch of water a week to maintain that lush, green look.

It’s important to clean tools before putting them away for the winter. Begin by washing off any dirt or debris and drying. Remove rust and coat metal parts with a lubricant like WD-40. Keep garden tools clean and neat.