While the meteorologists have already moved into the fall season as of September 1^st, the actual and “official” first day of fall is September 23^rd. And, for many of us who still have kids going off to school, the “unofficial” last days of summer happened over the Labor Day weekend.

Regardless of when you mark the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, now is still a great time to get your home and your outdoor spaces ready for the fall season.

And, as we know quite well here at Junk King Washington DC, that almost always means dealing with yard waste removal.

Fall Weather and the Coming of Winter in the Washington DC Region

Summer in the Capital region is a time of heat and humidity. And the onset of fall means a bit less of both, which is almost always a welcome relief.

Unlike many other areas of the country, however, we certainly don’t see a lot of rain in the fall. In fact, according to data provided by WeatherSpark.com,

“The month with the most rain in Virginia is June, with an average rainfall of 3.8 inches. The rainless period of the year lasts for 3.8 months, from November 23 to March 18. The month with the least rain in Virginia is January, with an average rainfall of 0.0 inches.”

And in Maryland, October is the driest month, with only 8.1 rainy days. The month with the least rain in Washington, D.C., is January, with an average rainfall of 2.1 inches.

In addition, the region in and around Washington, D.C. doesn’t have much snow before December. However, the temperatures begin to drop significantly by October and on into November, usually in the 60s and then down into the 50s and 40s by the first day of winter before Christmas.

All of this means that September is likely the most comfortable and pleasant time to get your home ready for fall.

Five Great Yard Waste Removal Tips to Get Your Outdoor Living Space Ready for Fall

DC area homeowners and renters know that yards can get cluttered and messy over the summer months. And when the trees begin to go into their fall mode, leaves will add to the mix.

In addition to the junk and rubbish that should be cleaned up, yards can have other debris resulting from broken fences, broken sheds, and other structures. Summer storms are known to pack a brutal punch with some strong winds along with lightning, thunder, and sudden downpours.

And too often, the debris that these passing storms leave behind doesn’t always get cleaned up right away, which results in a great deal of yard waste in many cases.

So, with that in mind, here are five solid yard waste removal tips to help you make your outdoor cleanup project a breeze!

Tip One: Keep Your Yard Tools Handy: Use a Bucket for Weeds and for Tools

Make your yard work easier by using the right tools and by keeping them in a tool belt while you clean up. A great way to keep weeds and cuttings in one place while weeding is with a five-gallon bucket. Simply place collect your weeds inside for easy disposal afterward. And once you’re finished with that task, you can use it to store your yard tool belt.

Tip Two: Refresh Flower Beds and Mulch with Bed Debris and Fallen Leaves

Plant and flower beds can fill with leaves during the fall, so it’s important to clear them out. In addition, this is a good time to remove any dead or dying flowers and plants. You can store the dead leaves and other organic debris in leaf bags until spring to use as mulch weed control in your garden.

When it comes to leaves, it’s quite possible to have a lot of them accumulated in your yard. Instead of bags, try using a large tarp to make leaf removal easier. You can either rake them on or use a leaf blower to push the leaves onto the tarp.

Or, as Bob Vila suggests, “If you are bagging leaves, rake them into rows rather than a large pile. You can then separate a manageable portion of leaves from the end of the row to put into each bag.”

And since this is also a good time to be getting your garden ready for winter, you can shred the leaves to insulate the bases of your plants against the winter cold. For large amounts of leaves, simply shred them with your lawn mower.

Tip Three: Prune Tree and Shrub Branches

As the folks at Lowe’s point out,

“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.”

You will find that it’s much easier to prune branches with sharp blades than with dull ones. And a sharp pruning tool will make cleaner cuts, which allows plants to heal faster. So, make sure all your pruners, shears, and hedge clippers are sharp, oiled, and well maintained before clearing away dead wood and broken branches. And don’t forget end-of-summer maintenance for your other lawn equipment.

Tip Four: Mow and Trim the Lawn

It’s always a good idea to give your yard one last cutting before the cold weather begins here. You can bag your grass clippings or, even better, leave the bag off when you mow and simply make mulch with the clippings, which saves time and is good for your lawn.

Grass clippings are 80 percent water and contain about 4 percent nitrogen, 2 percent potassium, and 1 percent phosphorus. These clippings break down quickly and will enrich your lawn with vital nutrients as they decompose. After mowing, use a powered string trimmer or edger to create clean lines around the boundaries of your lawn.

Tip Five: Use a Leaf Blower to Clean Your Gutters and Rinse Them from the Ground

Most leaf blowers have a special attachment that can be fitted on them to make leaf removal from your gutters much easier, quicker, and safer than doing it by hand from the top of a ladder. Be sure to clean the gutters before you rake the leaves in the yard so that you don’t have to rake twice.

Also, having a gutter attachment for your garden hose or an attachment on a pressure washer is an effective and efficient method for rinsing your gutters after clearing them of leaves and debris. And if you notice your gutters are damaged, this is the time to fix them before the cold and snow start.

No one wants to spend more time than they need to with end-of-summer yard cleanup and yard waste removal. So, when you’ve got all your piles together and everything has been cleaned up, it’s time for the final step of yard waste removal.

Call Junk King Washington DC for Your Yard Waste Removal Needs

Summer is ending, and Autumn is just around the corner! And that means football, festivities, and fall weather. This also means it’s a great time to get your outdoor spaces spruced up, cleaned up, and cleared out.

And when it comes to removing and disposing of all the yard waste, just call Junk King!

We are confident that you’ll love your experience working with Junk King Washington DC because we offer:

• Easy scheduling and on-time arrivals
• A courtesy call 15 to 30 minutes before we arrive
• Uniformed staff of trained, insured professionals.
• Safe junk removal with fast and courteous service.
• Free and honest estimates with no hidden fees

In addition, at Junk King, being green and environmentally friendly is part of our company mission.

And we demonstrate this daily by regularly recycling, donating, or re-purposing everything we possibly can. For furniture removal, we take an environmentally friendly approach by ensuring the metal, wood, and other materials are recycled properly.

If your old item can be reused, Junk King will transfer it to a local donation center where it can find a new home.

So, ready for fast and affordable yard waste removal? It’s as easy as 1,2,3.

Book online or call us today at 1.888.888.JUNK (5865) to get started with a free estimate.