Fall yard care doesn't have to be awful. These are the 10 tools that make it less of a pain.

Prepare for hungry deer

"One of the fastest ways to have your landscaping destroyed in the winter is deer," says Douglas Dedrick, founder of Natural Landscape Designs, a Woodstock, New York-based professional lawn care and landscaping service. As the temperature drops, hungry deer can munch away at your trees and shrubs, as well as rub their antlers on young trees, which can kill or scar them for life.

Dedrick explains that although liquid fence products are a great way to repel deer most of the time, installing deer fencing around your plants is the best option. To combat rubbing damage, Dedrick also recommends wrapping burlap or plastic around trees under 4-inches in diameter.

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Clean up fallen leaves and acorns

Removing accumulated leaves on your lawn is essential. If left over the winter, they can become a heavy, wet barrier that promotes rot and prevents your grass from breathing properly. Fallen acorns can pose similar problems, and large quantities can hinder grass growth and result in unwanted seedlings. Dedrick adds that accumulated leaves at the edge of your house can also attract rodents and draw moisture into your home.

You can rake your leaves into garden beds, "creating a biosphere for animals and insects to live out the winter," says David Angelov, master gardener and founder of Plant Parenthood, a garden design and maintenance company in Massachusetts. He adds that this creates a layer of insulation on the ground.

Both experts recommended blowers for easy cleanup. Dedrick recommends blowing leaves into a tarp, so you can easily drag them across the yard. Acorns are notoriously difficult to rake or sweep up, so we recommend using a wet-dry vac on a dry day.

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Prune dead tree branches

"Pruning dead branches saves you a headache in the winter so that they don't fall on your property in the event of extreme weather or wind," says Angelov. We've had great success using both manual pruning saws and electric chainsaws to remove dead branches.

Only dead branches should be pruned in the fall. Pruning live branches during this time can damage your plant. If you're dealing with especially large branches or those near power lines, or you're just not comfortable climbing a ladder, call a professional landscaper or arborist.

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Aerate, fertilize, and overseed your lawn

Dedrick explains that "aerating will decompact your soil, allowing nutrients to reach the roots of your lawn more easily." Once this step is complete, he recommends overseeding your lawn, followed by fertilization with a nitrogen- and potassium-rich fertilizer. This is a great way to effectively and efficiently introduce new seeds and fertilizer deep into your grass.

Once winter passes, your lawn will have grown a rich, strong root system primed for upcoming spring growth. We've had good experiences using either handheld or tow-behind aerators, but if your lawn is especially large, consider renting a gas-powered machine from your local hardware store.

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Apply a thick layer of mulch

Applying a healthy layer of mulch on your garden beds is an essential fall task and one that your garden plants will appreciate. Dedrick explains that it "will help your plants stay a few degrees warmer in the winter months and protect them from getting too cold." He also warns not to pile mulch around the trunks of shrubs or trees since this can end up killing the bark and, ultimately, the tree itself.

To determine how much mulch you need, multiply the length and width of your garden bed to find the square footage. You can then use that number to work with a garden center or hardware store expert to figure out the ideal number of bags.

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Clean out your gutters

While maintaining clean gutters is necessary year-round, it's especially important in the fall. Heavy rains can combine with fall leaves to create clogs, causing gutter overflow and increasing the chances of expensive water damage to your walls, siding, and foundation. Freezing temperatures can turn this trapped precipitation into ice, preventing melting snow from draining and causing roof damage.

We've used a variety of tools and techniques to clean out gutters, and if you're not comfortable climbing a ladder, choose an option that allows you to stay safely on the ground. If you plan on using a pressure washer, make sure you're able to properly adjust the nozzle. Too much pressure can damage the gutters.

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Turn logs and tree limbs into firewood

If you're clearing any felled trees or large branches on your property, turn them into firewood. This will require a decent amount of elbow grease, but you'll thank yourself when you have a supply of fuel for your home fireplace. (It's worth noting that firewood will need to season (dry out) for about six months, so you won't be able to use it immediately.)

Although using a splitting axe or maul is a perfectly fine approach, it's not the most efficient method, especially if you have a lot of wood to process. In my time as a landscaper at a large state park, we split logs using a hydraulic splitter. These machines aren't cheap, but they work extremely quickly and do most of the work for you.

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Turn leaves into valuable mulch

If you don't feel like using a rake or blower to dispose of leaves, you can easily transform them into mulch with a lawn mower. By shredding leaves into tiny pieces — 3/4-inch is a good size — they won't smother your yard like full leaves and still allow the airflow necessary to prevent fungal outbreaks. Plus, you won't need to spend money on yard waste bags.

This leaf mulch can be left on the yard by simply removing the bagger from your mower, or leave it on if you want to transport that valuable mulch to a compost pile. Keep in mind that, depending on your mower, you might need to make several passes to cut your leaves down to size.

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Compost your yard waste

Chances are, these cleanup tasks will yield a large amount of organic material, and composting is a great way to reduce waste and create a supply of nutrient-rich fertilizer for the spring. Toss leaves, garden debris, fallen fruit, and grass clippings into a store-bought composter, or you can create your own with chicken wire or an old trash can. It's worth noting that depending on your climate, your composter won't work as quickly as in the warmer months, but once it warms up, it will be primed to start back up again.

We've had great success using rotating composters that use a handle to easily aerate the contents, but you can also just use a pitchfork or shovel to achieve the same result with a stationary bin. Unless you're using a "hot composter" that can reach the high temperatures needed to kill harmful pathogens, don't include any diseased plant material in your compost pile.

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Sharpen and store your tools properly

Fall yard cleanup can extend to your garage and toolshed. Gather any gardening or yardwork tools that have been scattered around your property, and give them a good cleaning to remove dirt, sap, or other contaminants. We also recommend sharpening any dull or dinged-up tool edges with a mill file and giving the moving mechanism of your hinged tools a few drops of machine oil to keep them working smoothly.

Keeping your tools maintained and organized in the fall will not only prevent them from getting left out or damaged during the winter, but you'll be thanking yourself in the spring when everything is where it should be. It will be easy to locate winter tools when you need them too, like snow shovels and ice pellets.

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