Spring Yard Cleanup Checklist

Spring is a great time to go outside and start getting your lawn ready for the warmer weather. Looking around your lawn, you may seem overwhelmed and perhaps not even know where to begin. Now is the perfect time to complete basic spring yard maintenance. As temperatures warm up, your yard will be in better shape for seeding and planting. Use the following checklist to tackle your spring yard cleanup.

Trees and Shrubs

Cold, snow and wind can damage tree and shrub branches. Prune back tree and shrub branches to their live stems. Using hand pruners when shaping hedges prevents a thick outer layer of growth, which prohibits sunlight and air from reaching the shrub’s center. Prune summer-flowering shrubs before buds swell.  Prune spring bloomers after they flower.

Clean Up Around Plants

Clean beds and borders by raking out fallen leaves and dead foliage. Dead foliage can smother plants and foster disease. Remove existing mulch after the threat of frost has passed. Use the base of your foot or a shovel to replant heaved plants in flower beds and borders. Don’t forget to take the time to spread pelletized fertilizer so spring rains will carry the fertilizer to the roots.

Compost Yard Waste

If you have a compost pile, dump raked leaves, cuttings, foliage, and last season’ mulch into the pile. You can make a simple compost by combining sections of wire fence into a 3-by-3-by-3-foot cube. Accelerate decomposition by shredding leaves and chipping branches that are larger than ½ inch in diameter. You can also add a bagged compost starter to the pile to aid in decomposition. It is important to keep your compost pile as moist as a wrung-out sponge. Every two weeks use a pitchfork to aerate the compost pile.

Prepare Damage Lawn Areas for Spring Seeding

Early spring is a good time to test the soil’s pH. Remove damaged turf to prepare for seeding that should follow in the coming weeks. To keep the new lawn seed moist and increase the germination rate, work in a ½-inch layer of compost. You can begin seeding once forsythia starts to bloom.

Tidy Up Hardscape Surfaces

Do not forget to include your patio and walkways in your checklist. Rake escaped gravel back into walkways and patios. Order more gravel to spread in large depressions. Remove algae spots and leaf stains from patios and walkways by using a pressure washer with a low-pressure tip.

Northeast Landscape Contractors

For all your landscaping needs, contact Northeast Landscape Contractors and have your lawn and landscaping looking great for the summer! Contact us today at 978-794-1010 for fill out a contact form for more information.