The colors are splendid: gone with the green and in with crimson, saffron, and persimmon! Here in New England, we’re lucky to have beautiful foliage in autumn; but appreciating its beauty is only a brief respite for what comes next: fall cleanup.

Many of us will spend the next few weekends raking the yard and filling many, many bags with all those pretty leaves. Or maybe we’ll mulch some of them? Either way, there’s work to be done before the snow flies in earnest.

If there’s one thing our arborists love more than trees, it might be teaching the public how to care for them. So before setting out with our rakes and barrels, we spoke with them to learn more about what our yards need before winter arrives. Here are some of their fall cleanup tips:

Perform a Fall Assessment: Branches and limbs may be broken or injured from summer storm events. Take a moment to assess the trees on your property and if you observe broken or hanging branches, have them removed before they can cause damage or injuries during the winter months.

Fall Pruning: Fall is an excellent time to prune dead wood out of the trees on your property as the trees are entering their dormant season. Not only does this remove dead and loose branches that are hazardous, it also helps reduce the mechanical stresses the tree experiences.

Plant a Tree: Fall is an ideal time to plant a new tree. Planting trees in the fall avoids issues associated with the summer drought season. Cool, moist soil conditions in the fall are ideal conditions for stimulating root growth. We have many tips for planting the right tree in the right place, including a guide with 30 recommended trees under 30 feet tall. Doing so will help us reduce power outages and ensure reliability.

Water: While the temperature cools off in the fall, it is still a good idea to continue to water trees that have been recently planted. The occasional warm, sunny day in the autumn months can evaporate moisture from the soils in your yard.

Remember, winter is coming…