Autumn yard cleanup: what to do and in what order before winter
Autumn yard jobs are not difficult. They go wrong because they are done in the wrong order: leaves are raked before the trees have dropped them, and the outdoor tap is remembered after the first freezing night.
In Kanta-Häme the window runs from early September to mid-November. Here are the jobs in the order they are worth doing.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| September | Last mow, cutting hedges |
| Early October | Clear downpipe mouths and manhole covers |
| Late October | Rake in one go, clean the gutters |
| October–November | Outdoor tap, hoses, rain barrel, pressure washer |
| November | Furniture under cover, lights, snow stakes, grit |
September: the last mow and the hedges
The last mow happens at the end of September, sometimes in early October. Grass should go into winter at 5–7 centimetres. Cut too short and it takes frost damage; left too long and it flattens under the snow and goes mouldy.
This is the single most important date of the whole autumn. Skip the last mow and by spring the lawn has grey patches that need reseeding.
Hedges are also cut in early autumn, so the cut surfaces harden before the frosts. A shrub cut late in the season suffers more.
October: leaves, but not too early
There is no point raking leaves three times. Wait until most of them are down — in southern Finland usually after mid-October — and do the job in one go.
Under a layer of leaves the lawn cannot breathe. A wet layer forms a dense mat, and spring's yellow patches come from underneath it.
One exception: if leaves collect at the mouth of a downpipe or on a manhole cover, move them straight away. A blocked downpipe freezes in the first frost, and the water starts looking for another route.
Compost them or take them away. A pile left under the trees draws rodents in close to the building.
October: downpipes and gutters
Gutters are cleared after the leaves are raked, not before. Otherwise the job gets done twice.
While you are up there, check that water is directed away from the foundation. A downpipe that ends right against the wall is the most common cause of spring damp.
This is a job where it is worth being honest about your own ladder work. Wet leaves are slippery and the ladder stands on softened ground.
October–November: get the water out of everything outdoors
Close the shut-off valve for the outdoor tap from inside, then open the tap outside so the water left in the pipe drains out. Closing the tap alone is not enough.
Drain the hose and bring it in. Water left in a hose freezes and splits it, but it is worse if the hose is still connected to the tap.
Empty the rain barrel and turn it upside down or move it under cover.
Drain the pressure washer, the pump and any irrigation system according to the manufacturer's instructions. These are expensive devices and frozen water destroys them in one go.
November: furniture, lights and snow stakes
Garden furniture, the grill and cushions under cover. Wooden furniture left outdoors survives one winter, not several.
Check outdoor lighting and sockets while there is still daylight. Replacing a broken light in the dark is a different job.
Put out snow stakes before the first snow. This is the item that gets forgotten every year. The stakes tell the plough where the edge of the lawn runs and where the manhole cover is — without them, the first job of spring is repairing the lawn edge.
Get the grit and the shovel out and put them where you can reach them in the dark and the cold. A sack buried at the back of the garage does not help at six in the morning.
What to outsource and what not to
Do yourself: moving furniture, draining hoses, putting out stakes. Together that is about an hour and needs no equipment.
Worth outsourcing: the last mow on a large plot, taking leaves away, gutters and anything involving the roof. In these the share of equipment or of fall risk is significant.
We price autumn yard work by the hour, 45 euros per hour with one worker. An autumn cleanup on an ordinary detached-house plot is 3–5 hours and covers raking, the last mow and moving furniture. Waste taken away is priced separately.
The labour share qualifies for the household tax credit, since this is ordinary household work on your own plot.
The yard care and lawn mowing pages set out what the work covers. Winter follows on from here: a snow removal contract is signed in October or November, at the same time the yard is being put in order anyway.
Frequently asked questions
When should the last mow of the year be done?▾
At the end of September, sometimes early October. Grass should go into winter at 5-7 cm: cut too short it takes frost damage, left too long it flattens under the snow and goes mouldy.
When should leaves be raked?▾
Once most of them are down, in southern Finland usually after mid-October, and in one go. The exception is downpipe mouths and manhole covers, cleared immediately, because a blocked pipe freezes in the first frost.
How is an outdoor tap prepared for winter?▾
Close the shut-off valve from inside, then open the tap outside so water left in the pipe drains out. Closing the tap alone is not enough. Drain the hose and bring it in, and empty and invert the rain barrel.
When should snow stakes be put out?▾
Before the first snow, in practice in November. The stakes tell the plough where the lawn edge runs and where the manhole cover is.
What does an autumn yard cleanup cost?▾
Work is billed by the hour, 45 euros per hour with one worker. An autumn cleanup on an ordinary detached-house plot is 3-5 hours and covers raking, the last mow and moving furniture. Waste taken away is priced separately.
Need a hand?
Tell us the job, the address and when suits you — we reply within the hour with an estimate.
We reply in writing in English, Finnish and Russian.
Phone service is in Russian: +358 44 928 5010