Fall yard cleanup quick picks
Biodegradable lawn bags: Rocky Mountain Goods Yard Waste Bags
Battery-operated pruners: Ryobi One+ 18-Volt Cordless Pruner
Covers for cold-sensitive plants: Agfabric Plant Covers Freeze Protection
Expert-recommended gardening gloves: Showa Atlas 370 Nitrile Tough Gloves, 12-Pack
Best-tested lawn mower: Ego Power+ Select Cut LM2135SP Electric Lawn Mower
Fall yard cleanup is an important part of home maintenance, but for many people, it can be an unwelcome chore. The job requires a lot of heavy lifting, and it can be dirty, tiring work.
If you’ve got backyard cleanup on your fall to-do list, this is a good time to start planning out what needs to be done — and looking for tools that make this often back-breaking work easier on you (and your back!).
To help you get the job done right, we asked experts what gardening and lawn care tools you need for the job and to share their best tips for backyard cleanup.
When to start fall yard cleanup
Because of differences in climate and annual weather patterns, Joshua Malik, the CEO and founder of Joshua Tree Experts, says there’s no specific time to start cleaning up for fall. “It’s really once leaves begin to fall that they should be cleaned up regularly. Leaf drop and leaf coverage are the biggest signs,” he says. “If you notice leaves beginning to decompose and rain storms are approaching, it’s definitely time to clean them up.”
Specific weather events can also indicate it’s time to start yard and lawn care. “The general rule is after the first killing frost, or in warm areas when things cool enough that annuals start to fade,” Kevin Casey, a senior grounds project manager for SSC Services for Education, says. “When the leaves start falling, it is time to get ready for a fall cleanup. Perennials starting to fade, even before the frost, is another sign that the landscape is ready for a cleanup.”
What you’ll need for fall yard cleanup
For dethatching and weeding, Husky's dual-tine rake is a versatile tool that allows users to clear a lawn while also preparing it for fertilizing and reseeding.
"Hand pruners work the best for cutting back perennials," Casey says. "Typically, you are cutting back a stiffer stem but not something that is woody, so a hand pruner gets the job done."
"Hand-weeding requires a person to get right into the plant bed and get to the weeds," Casey says. "To help, I have found either a standard hand trowel or a hand weeder with a small pointed end to get under the weed works best. The tool helps get the weed into a position to be pulled out by hand. This is especially important when working on leaves with long taproots."
"Lawn bags should be a biodegradable material," Casey says. "Debris being put in green waste areas should not have material that will not compost and degrade along with the plant material."
"Fertilizing your lawn in the fall helps replenish nutrients needed for their growth and lush appearance," Nick Wren, a merchant of fertilizer and seeds at The Home Depot, says. He recommends Vigoro's fertilizer, which he says delivers green grass within 72 hours and kills weeds while fertilizing your lawn.
For smaller yards, Michael Clarke, the founder of Yardwork, recommends using a handheld spreader to apply fertilizer evenly across the yard.
For more expansive fertilizing jobs, such as large backyards or front lawns, Malik recommends using a broadcast spreader with rubber tires.
Clarke recommends covering cold-sensitive plants with white frost cloth to protect them during the winter months.
For smaller gutter cleaning jobs, Clarke recommends donning gardening gloves "to remove larger debris and using a water hose to clear dirt and smaller debris."
Power tools for fall yard cleanup
Nicole Durden, a senior merchant of outdoor power equipment for The Home Depot, recommends the Ryobi leaf blower. "Blow out damp or dry leaves, debris and compacted grass quickly," she says, adding that this model is designed to be significantly quieter than gas leaf blowers.
When selecting a leaf blower, Casey says, "Make sure to get the maximum CFMs (cubic feet per minute) for your price range. This is a measure of the volume of air the blower moves and essentially how powerful the blower will be in moving leaves or other debris. Battery-operated equipment has made good inroads into the lawn equipment market and should be looked at. For larger properties, a backpack blower may be desirable."
When choosing a lawn mower, Casey says, "Look for a mower that has adjustable heights to allow you to respond to changes in weather conditions. Battery-operated mowers are becoming very prevalent and deserve a look, especially for smaller properties." Ego Power's mower is our pick for the best electric lawn mower.
For aerating a lawn, Durden recommends Ryobi's cordless dethatcher. "It features four-position height adjustment, making it easier to lift and collect dead grass with just a push of a button," she says.
For small pruning jobs, including cutting back perennials, Durden recommends Ryobi's cordless pruner, which she says allows you to "easily prune branches up to 3/4 [of an inch] while saving yourself time and fatigue."
"Rogue branches, rubbing branches and branches that are too close to structures are all signs that your trees need trimming," Malik says. "For most small jobs, a good set of pruning shears is all that would be needed." These durable and lightweight pruners feature a double pulley and extendable pole that makes tree-trimming jobs easier.
"Branches that cross or rub against each other can cause wounds and should be trimmed," Durden says. She recommends the Ryobi chain saw, which she says is ideal for pruning and limbing because "this brushless saw can cut 85% faster."
Durden calls Ryobi Expand-It "one of the most versatile tools for fall cleanup.” For clearing packed debris from gutters, she recommends the gutter cleaning attachment: "It extends up to 9.5 feet with the power head attached. Pair it with other Ryobi Expand-It attachments to effortlessly transform your tool into whatever you need."