Five Spring Yard Clean Up Tips

There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it: springtime is the best time to take care of your yard. When all the snow has melted, it’s time to clean up the mess from the past winter, look at what survived the cold (and didn’t), and start getting your yard back in tip-top shape.

Spring cleaning is a must

Clearing out the debris from the cold season is an important first step. Prepping your yard the right way will ensure a healthy and thriving summer garden, so you must be thorough about cleaning fallen leaves, branches, and dirt from your yard. If you used organic mulch to protect your plants from the cold, remove them before topping up or replacing altogether. Failure to do so could result in mulch rot, or worse, smother budding plants.

Encourage new growth

It’s time to remedy overcrowded flower beds or garden plots to make way for new growths. Dead or dying branches have to be pruned, too. This will eliminate thick outer growth of trees and shrubs which can prevent sunlight and air from reaching the plant’s center. Trim branches and shrubs within reach, but you might need a professional tree-trimmer’s help for tall trees.

Make plans for a new/better garden

You can map out a new border or flower beds for your yard, and the best time to do so is in spring. Create a sketch of your dream garden, and then start planning around it. You can do it DIY-style or consult a professional gardener or landscape architect for drastic changes (like re-sodding your entire lawn). If you want to start simple, the plants you took out from overcrowded plots can be replanted into thinned-out areas so you can have filled-out borders and beds.

Prepare the soil for spring seeding

Raking is a good first step to prepare your yard for summer plants because it aerates the soil. Pull out weeds and apply herbicide if needed. Use your fertilizer and compost of choice on existing plants because springtime is the best period, with its light drizzles, for them to work deep down the roots. Place borders on flower beds to keep grass and dirt away from the plants.

Start planting

Expect springtime to still have some relatively cool nights, and begin planting trees, flowers, and shrubs that can survive this kind of climate well into summer. Don’t worry about sweating while gardening, because spring allows prolonged outdoor activities minus the sweltering heat.

Resources:

http://landscaping.about.com/od/springyardmaintenance/

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20352366,00.html

http://www.rd.com/home/gardening/spring-cleaning-tips-for-your-yard-and-garden/

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