Preparing Your Outdoor Spaces for Fall and Winter

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, late October to mid-November is the perfect time to plant, weed, prune, and mulch, so your yard looks nicer and your plants will be protected during the winter.

1.    Trim trees of dead branches for your own and neighbors’ safety. November to March are ideal times to prune trees to give them a better shape and prevent branches from blowing against the house.

2.    Now is the time to get rid of leggy shrubs and plant new ones. Plant new shade trees with leaves that turn colors. Few fall sights are as beautiful as a maple tree with flaming red leaves or a ginko with golden yellow leaves.  

3.    Clean out flower beds and re-mulch with a layer of “wood chips, tree bark, leaves or other organic material.”

4.    The Oklahoma State University extension office advises that October and November are the ideal times to plant bulbs before the ground gets hard. You can also plant pansies, ornamental kale, ornamental cabbage and other cool-season annuals.

5.    Pull weeds from the lawn after a rain so they’ll be easier to pull out by the roots. They’ll be less likely to crop up again in the spring.