Fall Chores Around the Farm
What autumn chores are you doing this weekend? Now that the days are getting colder and all the trees are dropping their leaves, my outdoor grounds crew is busy with fall cleanup.
To stay organized during seasonal transitions, I create very detailed lists of all that needs to be done around my Bedford, New York farm. Over the last few weeks, my team has been working hard blowing leaves, cleaning equipment, covering air-conditioner pits, bleeding and storing hoses, winterizing the greenhouses, and installing heaters in all the coops. Our annual fall burlap project has also begun - that's when all the outdoor urns and precious boxwood shrubs and hedges are covered with protective burlap. So far, the weather has cooperated and allowed us lots of time to ready the property for the cold season ahead.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- It is so beautiful this time of year when all the deciduous trees show their stunning autumn colors before dropping their leaves. Here at my farm, leaf blowing is now in full swing.
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- As colder weather approaches and sunlight decreases, these trees seal the spots where the leaves are attached – this process is what causes them to change color and fall to the ground.
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- Some trees, such as the American beech, tend to hold onto their leaves for quite some time. It will be a couple more weeks before all the leaves are done falling.
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- It is very important to remove the leaves after they fall in order to maintain a healthy and attractive lawn and garden. A thick or matted layer of fallen leaves casts excessive shade over the ground below and can prevent adequate sun, nutrients, and water from reaching grass and other plantings.
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- Here, Domi and Chhiring are blowing leaves outside my main greenhouse and flower cutting garden. They’re using our trusted STIHL backpack blowers. We’ve been using STIHL’s blowers for years here at my farm. These blowers are powerful and fuel-efficient. The gasoline-powered engines provide enough rugged power to tackle heavy debris while delivering much lower emissions.
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- While Domi blows leaves with the backpack blower, Pasang works alongside using a walk-behind gas leaf blower. This helps to move the leaves into one central location.
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- Leaf blowers are the most effective for gathering the bulk of leaves into large piles.
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- Pasang then directs the leaves to the opening of this vacuum tube connected to our dump truck. The leaves are taken to the compost area, where they will decompose and get used again as mulch next year.
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- The feathery brown foliage from the bald cypress trees is bagged and used as mulch in the cold frame and between my berry bushes. These are my Multi-Purpose Reusable Heavy Duty Tote Bags – so useful for carrying, organizing, and storing so many things indoors and out.
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- These bald cypress trees are changing so beautifully. Although many conifers are evergreen, bald cypress trees are deciduous conifers that shed their needle-like leaves in the fall. Their autumn colors include tan, cinnamon, and fiery orange.
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- Here, Chhiring works on the a/c pits. These air conditioner pits are covered with industrial strength plastic, and plywood to protect them from the winter elements. I keep all my air conditioners in large pits, where they are well hidden behind each house.
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- The vegetable garden is also put to bed for the winter. This year, after removing all the old plants and rototilling the soil, the crew covers the area with industrial weed cloth. This cloth will remain here until spring, when it is time to prepare the garden for planting once again. A small patch of herbs is left in the center.
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- In my large Equipment Barn, Domi works on rolling up our Gilmour hoses. With so many trees, shrubs, and plants to maintain, it’s important we use only the best quality outdoor tools. I have been using Gilmour products for years. The Gilmour 50-foot and 100-foot Flexogen hoses are heavy-duty eight-ply garden hoses with a polished surface that resists abrasions, stains, and mildew. I have these hoses all over the farm.
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- In fall, the hoses are gathered, drained, recoiled, tied, and then stored away for the season.
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- The crew also cleaned and organized the Equipment Barn. All the equipment is checked and cleaned and put away on one side of the room.
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- On the other side, the many gardening tools are organized by type and then hung, so they are easy to find.
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- All the doormats are collected, cleaned and stored away until next year. For years, I’ve gotten my mats from Cape Cod Doormats in Hyannis, Massachusetts. They’ve been featured in my “Living” magazine and on my web site. These mats are extremely durable, attractive, and come in both standard and custom-fit sizes – plus, they’re American made.
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- I like to offer supplemental heat for my peafowl, pigeons, and chickens during the winter months. Here, Pete installs our Sweeter Heaters in all the coops. These Sweeter Heaters stay at or below a safer heat level, and use far less electricity – and, they’re also designed and assembled right here in the United States. There are two heaters for every coop.
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- This is the largest size Sweet Heater, which measures 11-inches by 40-inches. The unit is designed to be suspended, so the electrical cord is at the top and away from any birds. As the season progresses, we can lower the heater depending on the cold, and the chickens’ warming needs.
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- Fernando is changing the doors. Here he is bringing out a storm door for my Summer House. All the screens and storm doors are stored in my basement and are specifically labeled to indicate which door insert belongs in what house and what door it fits.
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- Carlos “dos” puts the glass storm door insert into the door frame. Most storm doors are made of wood (like mine), fiberglass or aluminum, and have interchangeable glass and screen panels. Some doors use screws and brackets to hold inserts in place, while others use spring loaded clips. Storm windows and doors have a lot of benefits – they provide added insulation and more protection to the existing windows and doors. They also offer more security for the home. When changing inserts, it is also a good idea to clean the frames by wiping them down with a moist towel or rag.
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- Here’s Pete wrapping the exterior shutters around my small greenhouse just outside my head house.
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- The vents of the vegetable greenhouse are also covered. This greenhouse is equipped with several heavy-duty aluminum vent systems that automatically open and close when needed to allow hot air to escape while simultaneously allowing fresh air into the space. Before winter, both the inside and the outside of these units are covered to help insulate the structure.
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- And the “burlapping” has begun. This is when the crew wraps all the valuable outdoor urns with plastic and fabric to protect the vessels from the elements. For a few weeks, the back of the Polaris vehicles will carry rolls of burlap and twine as the crew completes the annual project.
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- The first stop – my Winter House terrace. The urns are fitted for their burlap shrouds. Here the material is cut to size and ready to drape over the plastic covered stone vessel. Then, it will be sewn snug all the way around. There’s always lots to do on a working farm – I’m glad the weather has been mild enough to complete many of the tasks on our lists.
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