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9 Easy Yard Cleanup Tips for Fall

Marc McCollough

By Marc McCollough
Updated May 7, 2024

Fall is a beautiful time to work outdoors but there can be a lot to do. Here are some tips to make your fall cleanup a little easier. From clearing fallen leaves and pruning branches to refreshing flower beds and mowing one last time, we’ll show you simple ways to keep your yard looking great.

Skill

Beginner

Time

Few Hours

Tip 1: Bag Leaves Easily

A woman raking leaves onto a blue tarp.

If a lot of leaves accumulate on your yard, use a tarp to make leaf removal easier. Rake or use a leaf blower to push your leaves onto a large tarp.

A woman using a carabiner to close the tarp full of leaves into a bag.

Thread a carabiner or spring snap through the tarp grommets to create what’s basically a huge leaf bag. Then you can easily drag the leaves where you want them.

You can combine leaves with other yard waste and household scraps to make compost and improve the soil in your planting beds.

Tip 2: Rinse the Gutters From the Ground

A woman using a gutter cleaning pressure washer attachment to rinse out gutters on a house.

Leaves can also block gutters and clog drainpipes. A gutter attachment for your hose or an attachment for your pressure washer is great for rinsing the gutters after clearing them out.

If you notice your gutters are damaged, now is the time to fix them. See how to clean and repair gutters to keep them in top shape.

Tip 3: Keep Your Yard Tools Handy

A woman wearing an A W P tool belt holding a hand cultivator and other gardening hand tools.

If you’ve got a lot to do around the yard, you can make work easier with the right tools. Fill a standard tool belt with your yard tools, and you’ll have everything in easy reach.

When the season is over, make sure your tools are ready for spring. Learn how to maintain lawn and garden tools.

Tip 4: Use a Bucket for Weeds and for Tools

A woman putting weeds in a blue Lowe’s five-gallon bucket.

A five-gallon bucket works great when weeding; just collect your weeds inside for easy disposal. Then you can use it to store your yard tool belt when you’re finished.

Get more tips on keeping your lawn and garden tools organized and ready for use.

Tip 5: Mulch With Fallen Leaves

A woman putting leaves in a brown Lowe’s leaf bag.

Flower beds can fill with leaves during the fall, so it’s important to clear them out to keep them looking nice and free of pests. You can store the leaves in leaf bags until spring to use as mulch to control weeds in your garden.

Someone pushing a blue Kobalt cordless lawn mower mulching dead leaves.

If you live in an area with low winter temperatures, you can shred the leaves you removed to insulate the bases of your plants against the winter cold. You can shred large amounts of leaves with the lawn mower, or place smaller amounts in a trash can and use the string trimmer to quickly shred them. See how to use mulch to protect your plants and add nutrients to the soil.

Caution

When using lawn care equipment, wear eye and hearing protection and any other safety gear as specified by the manufacturer.

Tip 6: Prune Branches

A woman using Fiskars hand pruners to remove a dead branch from a small tree.

If you have dead or out-of-control branches, the fall is a good time to prune or trim them. But wait until spring to prune green branches. Pruning green branches in the fall may not leave the plants enough time to heal before the cold sets in.

Pruning helps keep your plants healthy and encourages new growth. Get details on how to prune trees and shrubs.

Tip 7: Refresh Flower Beds

A woman pulling up a dead flower in a flower bed.

Now is also a good time to remove any dead or dying flowers and plants. As an alternative, you can invest a little extra time and bury some nesting pot planters in your flower beds to quickly change out your annuals each season.

A woman placing a potted plant inside another pot buried in the ground.

Just dig out a hole the size of the pot you’ll use, place your holder pot into the ground and fill around the edges with dirt. Then place a new plant — still in its pot — into the buried container. This’ll ensure that the soil doesn’t collapse back into the hole when you switch out plants with the seasons. You can also easily remove flowers before you spray any weed killers. Read our Annuals Buying Guide to learn what to look for when choosing plants and to get tips on caring for your annuals.

Don't forget that now is also a good time to think about getting your garden ready for winter.

Tip 8: Pressure-Wash Your Concrete

A person using a pressure washer to clean stains of off a concrete driveway.

Once the leaves have all fallen, you may notice stains on your concrete. The fall can be a good time to clean your sidewalk or concrete driveway with a pressure washer.

Someone using a green Greenworks pressure washer surface cleaner attachment to clean a sidewalk.

For a large area, a surface cleaner attachment can make short work of a big job. Having a clean sidewalk is safer and it looks great too.

Consider both cleaning and sealing your concrete driveway or sidewalk to help protect the surface from stains.

Tip 9: Mow and Trim the Lawn

A woman mowing grass with a blue Kobalt cordless mower with a bagger.

Before the cold weather begins, it’s a good idea to give your yard one last mow. Bag the clippings or use a mulching blade to return the grass to the soil as compost.

A person using a blue Kobalt cordless string trimmer to edge a flower bed.

A string trimmer or edger helps create clean lines around the boundaries of your grass, which will help keep everything looking neat throughout the winter months.

Need more help with fall lawn care? Get mowing tips, learn how to apply fall lawn fertilizer and learn the steps for fall overseeding to keep your lawn healthy. And don’t forget end-of-season maintenance for your lawn equipment. Learn how to take care of a push mower, riding mower, string trimmer and blower.