Spring cleaning isn’t just for your house and car, it’s also for your yard too! The weather will soon be warm enough to make being outdoors enjoyable again. That means it’s time to get your yard ready! We know you’ll want to have your yard looking ship shape for barbeques, bonfires, and any other parties you may have planned, so we’ve listed these tips to make the process easier.
- Do a walk through. It’s a good idea to check out your yard after the long winter we’ve just had. Look for any branches that need to be cut and take a general survey of any work that needs to be done so you know exactly what areas you need to focus on.
- Break out the rake. After a walk through you need to clear out all of the debris that may have accumulated over winter, and a rake is the best way to do that. Once you’ve cleared out all of the leaves, twigs, and other debris, you’ll be ready to get started!
- Re-seed the lawn. If you find any bare patches you’ll want to fill those in so your lawn is in tip-top shape. First you need to loosen and level the soil before you spread grass seed and fertilizer over the area. Tap the soil down to secure the seeds and make sure to water it.
- Mulch. Applying a layer of mulch to the base of trees, shrubs, plants, and flowers will not only make your yard look better, it also deters weeds and maintains soil moisture. Killing two birds with one stone!
- Fertilize. If you want your plants to be looking their best, fertilizer is a must. It provides added nutrients to plants that they wouldn’t get from soil alone.
- Prune. Pruning existing plants and trees will prevent them from being smothered and allow them to grow to their full potential without dead limbs getting in their way. Plus plants look much better once you’ve gotten rid of the dead stuff from last year.
- Compost. Creating a compost pile is easy and has many benefits including being used as fertilizer. You can dump leaves, cuttings, dead foliage, old mulch, and even old produce that you’re not going to eat into a compost pile. Make sure you aerate it every two weeks and keep it moist.
- Update fences. If you have wooden fences you’ll want to replace any rotted wood or wobbly fence posts and sand and paint any areas that need to be touched up. If you have pets, make sure you look for any holes or areas that they could dig out under and get that taken care of ASAP.
- Get ready to plant. One thing you need to do before you start planting is to test the pH of the soil. Soil test kits are available at home improvement stores and they’re important because plants grown in the proper pH are much healthier and more vibrant. Different plants require different pH levels so you’ll want to do your research before you actually begin to plant. It’s also a good idea to examine the sunlight patterns in your yard so you can choose a spot where your plants will be getting enough light.
- Plant. Once you’ve cleaned up everything it’s time for the fun part! Pick out the plants that you want and soak the soil with water before you plant them. If you’re planting container plants, make sure you loosen the roots so that they can spread out more easily.
If you keep these tips in mind, your yard will be looking as beautiful as ever, so get out there and get to gardening!
Photo By: Lori L. Stalteri