The calendar says it’s been fall for two weeks, but the temperature outside has just now
started catching up with the season….finally, we have some fall weather!  Yay!  To go along with that, the fall display at my house is done, minus a few pumpkins I still want to get to round everything out. 

So, on to fall yard work and maintenance. Last time, I provided a link to an article by Consumer Reports regarding fall lawn and garden maintenance, which you can access by clicking here.  This week’s edition includes some basic steps on how to keep your yard equipment safe and sound for the winter.

Since my husband is the keeper of the yard equipment in our household, I asked him what he normally does to get everything ready for winter.  For yard tools, i.e. rakes, shovels, garden tools, etc., he makes sure they are cleaned and placed indoors away from moisture, so as to prevent rust.  For our mower, edger, leaf blower and trimmer (all gas powered), he does the following:

1. Makes sure everything is clean and all debris is removed from the equipment, i.e. the mower doesn’t have big clumps of grass still stuck to it.
2. Drains all remaining gas.
3. Fills with fresh gas and adds a stabilizer, which you can get from Home Depot or a small engine store.
4. Covers everything up.

Of course, your list could vary from ours, depending on all of the different types of equipment you have and depending on whether you have kept up with routine maintenance throughout the summer. For more tips on how to protect equipment with different types of engines, please click here for an article from better-lawn-care.com.

Also, remember to drain hoses and put them away, as well as drain your underground irrigation system, whether you call a professional or do it yourself.

It just makes sense that if you take the time to winterize your equipment, it can significantly prolong the life of the equipment, as well as cut down on future repair costs.  In the long run, it is well worth the effort!

Diane Crabtree

Home Repair Coordinator