Depends on the client. We have clients that want cleanups done weekly, then one big final cleanup usually in December. As long as the grass is growing, mow it. Of course if you start doing a weekly cleanup, you should adjust your prices accordingly....

 

I usually ask the customer how often they want the leaves done and then advise them that it cost more money to have them picked up all at one time(after they have all fallen). Still cost more than what you would charge to cut the grass. I tell them that I charge by the hour. Some charge by the job. Hard to estimate leaves! I ask them if they want the leaves mulched or bagged. A lot easier if you can get them to do it at least 2 times. Once at the end of November and then at the end of December. That is how I work it in the SE. May work differently in the NE

 

I usually ask the customer how often they want the leaves done and then advise them that it cost more money to have them picked up all at one time(after they have all fallen). Still cost more than what you would charge to cut the grass. I tell them that I charge by the hour. Some charge by the job. Hard to estimate leaves! I ask them if they want the leaves mulched or bagged. A lot easier if you can get them to do it at least 2 times. Once at the end of November and then at the end of December. That is how I work it in the SE. May work differently in the NE

And the charge is different if they want the leaves hauled off vs. having a place to dump on property....

 

I bag the leaves and leave them at the curb for the town to pick them up. They want them hauled away then they get charged more.

You need to keep mowing the grass until it stops growing and have the leaves done before the first snow fall. On Long Island we can have a good snowfall by December 15th. Does not happen often. Though you got to have the cleans up done and not be left caught in the middle of a clean up if the snow comes early.

I mulch when I mow. Some customers want to stop mowing Oct 1. I explain that the grasses growth is slowing down though it is still growing. That the lawn will be healthier when it is kept at the correct height. And it will stay healthier through the winter and be in better shape for next spring.

Though when a lawn growth does slow down that much I will switch to mowing EOW in the fall until November.

I sell my fall clean up as a weekly service. Starting November 1st, I try give each customer 3 clean up visits every 7 to 10 days before Thanksgiving Day. Then one more visit Starting the Monday after Thanksgiving Day. Getting the last customer done by December 15th.

Come November 1, I take off my mulch kit off the mower and put on the bagger. Then I start my fall clean up. I blow out the beds onto the lawn then use the mower to bag up the leaves. The less the leaves have to be handled the better. And the lawn looks better because it gets that last cut.

 

There is a danger of leaves left on the turf for more than 2 weeks of killing the grass underneath... Especially if it is wet...
I pick up at least every 2 weeks but have stopped using a mower with bags... The heaviest of the leaves will be down by Halloween and will finish up the season mulching the remainder into the turf...

 

The few that need leaves are on a weekly cleanup in conjunction with mowing with pricing explained. This wont be a spotless cleanup just remove the bulk weekly to keep up on it. No town pickup either so I need to take them. If necessary do a final cleanup in late Oct early Nov. It's been different every year. Two seasons ago one property was a huge amount of leaves every week. The next season we had a huge wind storm that blew all the leaves away. Just this week I was stuck cleaning in light rain and wind while watching the leaves fall on the areas I had just cleaned. :laugh:

Some properties I have been able to mulch the leaves weekly but if it is a thick cover I can't do that.

Just make sure you and your clients are all on the same page with prices and expectations.

 

typical fall cleanup services:
weed flowerbeds
cut back perrenials before they are dead or dry
prune most shrubs
leaf removal
mulch if needed (to insulate plant roots during winter and retain moisture)
fertilize plants and lawn - may require license in your area

 

mulch if needed (to insulate plant roots during winter and retain moisture)

Ya know I recently read an article that talked about winter mulching, using hardwood type mulches, providing a winter home for rodents and other pests as it's still loose and fluffy. I'm not saying I wouldn't do it if asked to by a client to do so. They were saying to use other types of things like mulched up leaves, pine needles etc... But I'm not sure any client would want their nice mulch beds full of leaves!!?? I've also read exactly what you stated above for mulch in the fall. So I guess the jury is still out.

 

In the spring. Or summer. Or winter. But definitely not in the fall.
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I usually try to do 2 cleanups at each property. One in early November and the final one at the end of November. There are some lawns that I do a weekly cleanup on. It all depends on the customer.
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