LESLIE: Well, this time of year can be beautiful. You know, all that fall foliage makes for a very gorgeous view. But remember, there’s a reason why they call it fall. That’s because all of those beautiful leaves are going to end up falling all over your lawn.
TOM: Has a lot to do with gravity.
TOM: Has a lot to do with gravity.
LESLIE: Pretty much.
TOM: Leaf cleanup may not be your favorite chore but we’ve got some expert advice on how to make it a little easier as we welcome host Kevin O’Connor and landscaping expert Roger Cook from TV’s This Old House. And guys, it is a beautiful time of year but also one when we really need to get to work.
KEVIN: Well, everybody loves fall foliage; especially those of us here in New England. But dealing with the leaves is an annual project that we’d all like to avoid. So Roger, any tips to make leaf cleanup and other fall landscaping projects a little easier for us?
ROGER: Absolutely, Kevin. I want you to remember that dragging is easier than carrying. What I like to do is lay down a tarp, pull all the leaves on it and drag it over to some area of the yard and dump them there. And what you’re actually doing is you’re creating passive compost. Those leaves will break down. In years in the future, you can go back and use that leaf mold in your garden.
KEVIN: Sounds good.
ROGER: Couple other tips for the fall, keep the lawn mowed low. It helps it with disease but it also allows the leaves to blow into your neighbor’s yard (Kevin chuckles) and it’s a great time to aerate, fertilize and seed your lawn.
KEVIN: So fall is a good time to plant a lawn?
ROGER: It is the best time. You have no competition from weeds, you get a little bit of moisture due to the time of year and the temperatures are cool. In fact, I have a step-by-step video on ThisOldHouse.com to show you how to get it done.
KEVIN: Sounds great.
TOM: Roger Cook and Kevin O’Connor from This Old House, great tips. Can’t wait to get out there and hit that lawn. Thanks for stopping by.
ROGER: Our pleasure.
LESLIE: And Tom, didn’t you actually totally replace your lawn a few falls ago?
TOM: I did. In fact, we totally wiped it out. We did what’s called a Roundup restoration where we killed off all of the existing mostly weeds; you know, weeds faking it as a lawn, which definitely wasn’t cutting it. (Leslie chuckles) And the grass came up nice and strong and it was gorgeous; so, as Roger said, it’s definitely a good time to think about planting some grass.
Well, if you’d like to hear more from Kevin and Roger, you can watch them on This Old House which is brought to you by The Home Depot. The Home Depot – more saving, more doing.
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