🍂 Don't Slow Down: Fall/Winter Maintenance Checklist and the Importance of Leaf Removal in Orlando

In Orlando, "winter" doesn't bring snow, but it brings a significant change that demands specialized attention. While your lawn's growth rate slows down, the work of protecting and preparing your landscape increases, especially with the leaf drop from deciduous species and palms.

Green Horizon Landscaping has prepared this guide to ensure your yard not only survives the cooler season but thrives once spring returns.

The Challenge of Leaf Drop in Florida

Leaf accumulation is more than an aesthetic nuisance; it's a real threat to the health of your lawn, particularly in Orlando:

• Suffocation and Disease: A thick layer of fallen leaves blocks sunlight and air, suffocating the grass underneath and retaining moisture, which creates a perfect environment for fungi and diseases like Brown Patch.

• Pest Attraction: Piled leaves can provide shelter for unwanted pests during the cooler months.

• Color Loss: Grass needs sun, even in winter, to maintain its color and vigor.

The Essential Leaf Removal Service

Our Green Horizon team uses professional equipment and efficient techniques to:

• Complete Cleanup: We remove leaves from the entire lawn, flower beds, and hardscape areas (patios and sidewalks).

• Lawn Protection: We ensure the lawn's surface layer is exposed to light and air, actively preventing fungal diseases.

Your Orlando Fall/Winter Maintenance Checklist

Although the grass grows slower, Fall and Winter are the most critical times for foundational landscape work.

1. Fall Fertilization (Root Nutrition)

• Objective: Instead of focusing on leaf growth (as we do in the summer), we use a fertilizer with a higher Potassium content. This strengthens the roots and improves the grass's resistance to cold and seasonal stress.

2. Strategic Pruning & Trimming

• Shrubs and Perennials: We perform pruning to remove spent summer growth, shape shrubs, and encourage dense, healthy growth in the spring.

• Palm Trees: We remove dead or yellowing fronds (leaves) to maintain aesthetics and eliminate potential nesting spots for pests.

3. Pre-Emergent Weed Control

• Winter-to-Spring Prevention: Fall is the ideal time to apply pre-emergent herbicides. This prevents weed seeds, which germinate in cooler weather (like poa annua), from establishing and taking over your lawn in the spring.

4. Irrigation Adjustment

• Savings: We reduce the frequency of the irrigation system. Plants require less water with lower temperatures and less intense sun, preventing overwatering (a leading cause of fungus).

Don't Let Your Lawn Sleep Through Winter

The planning and execution of quality Fall/Winter maintenance are what separate an average lawn from a truly spectacular one in Orlando.

Trust Green Horizon Landscaping to protect your investment during the cooler months and ensure your yard wakes up green and ready for the Florida Summer.

Schedule your Leaf Removal and Seasonal Maintenance service today!