Prepare Your Lawn and Yard for a Beautiful Summer and Fall
Your lush and healthy outdoor oasis.
Simple tips to make your lawn and yard beautiful.
1. Gather your supplies.
For the basics: You’ll need a rake, shovel, some lawn and yard garbage bags, a wheelbarrow, fertilizer drop spreader, hedge trimmers, a pair of gloves, and a ladder.
For more robust tasks: Additional tools include a leaf blower, mulching mower, power hedge trimmer, power edger, and aerator.
2. Clear away leaves, branches, and debris
One of the first tasks of a spring cleanup is clearing away leaves, branches, and debris from your lawn, yard, and planting beds. Remove large yard debris first, and then follow with the smaller stuff.
This can be a tedious job, so use your tools at hand, but if your spring cleanup is extensive, take advantage of leaf blowers and mulching mowers to speed up the process.
3. Trim trees and shrubs.
Neaten up tree limbs and branches. Spring is an ideal time to trim trees and shrubs in your yard.
Pruning trees and shrubs this time of year is key to promoting healthy growth and removing dead or diseased branches that can weaken the structure of the tree or bush. It also encourages new growth, making plants look fuller and more attractive.
Repeat the clearing and cleanup process by raking up tree and shrub clippings, limbs, and leaves.
If you’re unsure which trees and shrubs should be trimmed and pruned in the spring, consider consulting a professional. Understanding which trees and shrubs can be trimmed in the spring is important, as trimming during the wrong season can result in tree or shrub damage.
4. Clean gutters.
Prevent costly home repairs. As the snow melts and spring temperatures rise, it is important to make sure that your home’s gutters are clean.
Clogged gutters can cause serious damage to your roofing, siding, and foundation. Water overflow from clogged gutters can also lead to flooded basements, landscape erosion, and pest infestations. Regular gutter cleaning will help remove leaves, twigs, and dirt so water can flow away from your home.
If this is overwhelming, consider professional gutter cleaning services. Hiring a professional ensures that the job is completed correctly, efficiently, and safely. You won’t have to worry about climbing a ladder, and will prevent home damages and costly repairs from improper maintenance.
5. Trim the edges of your planting beds.
Neaten and trim landscaped edges to give your garden a neat and tidy look.
Trim garden and landscape edges to prevent grass from invading landscaping beds and prevent weeds from taking over.
This can be laborious if done by hand, so consider a power landscape edging tool.
6. Spread fresh mulch.
Add contrast and texture to your landscaping. New mulch in planting beds adds color, texture, and life to your landscaping and garden.
Mulching helps retain moisture for plants during dry periods, keeps soil cool in hot weather, and prevents weeds from taking over. It also provides an extra layer of insulation that protects roots from extreme temperatures. Plus, it’s aesthetically pleasing.
This is a delicate and time-consuming effort. You may want to opt to have a professional landscaper who will supply and spread mulch for you. Landscapers have all tools and materials at their disposal and can complete the job quickly and efficiently.
7. Aerate and fertilize
Help your lawn recover and flourish. Aerating and fertilizing your lawn in the spring is a great way to give it a head start on the growing season.
Aeration helps break up compacted soil, allowing water and nutrients to penetrate deeply into the roots of your grass. Improving water and nutrient absorption promotes healthy growth and increases stress tolerance throughout summer’s heat and sun. Aeration can also reduce weed pressure by minimizing compaction levels that favor weed germination and spread.
Fertilizing your lawn further prepares it for optimum health. Fertilizing your lawn is important to a healthy and vibrant yard because fertilizer provides essential nutrients that help the grass grow strong and resistant to disease and pests. Applying fertilizer in the spring replenishes soil nutrients that have been depleted over the winter, allowing for lush growth throughout the summer. Additionally, fertilizing can reduce weeds by creating thicker turf, preventing weed seed germination. With proper fertilization, your lawn will be better able to withstand drought or other environmental stressors during hot summer days.
Your Spring Clean-Up Project is Now Complete!
Pro Tip:
No need to manage these tasks yourself.
While many of these home and yard tasks may seem simple enough to do on your own, hiring a professional can save you time and frustration, and ensure the job is done quickly.
Wrapping up
Springtime is the perfect time to get your lawn and yard ready for summer. By following these simple steps for spring clean-up, you can ensure that your outdoor oasis will stay beautiful all season long.