09 October 2023 Arden Hills Notes

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cityofardenhills.org • october 2023 • 5 cityofardenhills.org • october 2023 • 5 Tips to Tackle Fall Cleanup It's time to think about fall yard cleanup! As the season changes, look to these best practices for tackling fall yard cleanup. 1. Clear out debris. Survey all your plant beds and remove fallen foliage, leaves, and weeds. This will remove possible nesting spots for harmful critters. 2. Trim and prune. Get out your trimming shears and trim and prune away! Hire a professional if any limbs are too high or daunting to tackle. The City licenses tree contractors and has a list at cityofardenhills.org/411/Tree-Service-License. 3. Dig and plant. Add some color and variety to your yard by planting fall annuals, shrubs, or spring bulbs. 4. Rake and mulch. Fall leaves can quickly smother your lawn if left unattended. Instead, rake your leaves, shred them if you have a shredder, and use them as mulch around young trees and planting beds. You could also gather them up and bring them to a yard waste site. 5. Fertilize a final time. Before your lawn takes a winter snooze, give it the nutrition it will need in the spring to come back healthy, green, and vibrant with fertilizer. 6. Seed and re-seed. Fall can be a great time to seed or overseed your lawn. To optimize the life of your seeds, get the grass seed down soon enough to germinate, water it well, and protect it from hungry critters. 7. Reduce and trim. Gradually reduce your lawn mower height between now and your final cut of the season, as shorter grass in the fall helps ensure a healthier lawn in the spring. 8. Compost your pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. Pumpkins cannot be thrown away in the trash. However, your old Halloween pumpkin can still benefit your yard and garden. After removing decorations from the pumpkins, the pumpkins can be placed in the compost or broken down and spread around the garden to improve the soil. They also can be disposed of at a yard waste site. The Ramsey County Yard Waste Drop-Off Site in Arden Hills is located at 3530 Hudson Ave. For more information about yard waste disposal, visit cityofardenhills.org/compost or call Ramsey County's Recycling & Disposal hotline at 651-633- EASY (3279). As the fall season approaches, now is an excellent time to start thinking about the efficiency of our homes and appliances! Both Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy offer free and reduced-price items for their customers. These items promote less water usage and improved energy efficiency. Free items include interior storm window shrink kits, outlets, switch plate gasket covers, pipe insulation, wall-mounted massaging/saturating shower heads, standard faucet aerators, and swivel pause faucet aerators. Each company also offers a variety of items for purchase, with prices starting as low as $.10 per item. Customers of CenterPoint Energy and/or Excel Energy can also schedule a visit from the Home Energy Squad to determine how to improve their home's energy efficiency. Improved home energy not only helps to keep your living spaces more comfortable, but it may also result in lower utility bills. To learn more about a Home Energy Squad visit, go to mncee.org/home-energy-squad?sign-up or call 651-328-6220. • CenterPoint Energy (online) Energy Efficient Products site: https://b2c2. poweredbyefi.org/centerpoint_energy_mn • Xcel Energy online Store: poweredbyefi.org/xcelenergymn • State of MN Commerce Dept, Energy Assistance Program Income Guidelines: https://mn.gov/commerce/energy/ consumer-assistance/energy-assistance-program/guidelines.jsp Free and Reduced-Price Energy Efficient Household Items