Spring Clean Up Time

     The weather is getting warmer and the days are seemingly longer now with the onset of daylight savings time. Coming home at the end of the day and still having a few hours of daylight left reminds me that summer is just around the corner. As I walk around the yard, I assess the damage done by old man winter and begin my spring clean up strategy. Spring cleaning not only pertains to the inside of your home, but the outside as well. Left over leaf debris, snow mold, bed lines and mulch all need attention as we transition into summer. For those of you looking for a little guidance in readying your yard for the outdoor grilling season, here are some tips on what to look for and how to tackle your spring cleanup project.

1)      Timing is everything. Don’t be too anxious to re-mulch, prune or dethatch your yard. Wait until you can see the tips of your perennials poking through the surface before you add new mulch. This way you can see what has made it and what may need to be replaced. Dethatching is a violent process and doing so too early could damage the root system of your lawn. Pruning too early could leave plants susceptible to disease. Wait until the weather turns a bit warmer and drier.

2)      Add some definition. Re-defining planting bed edges is something that should be done at least once a year if not twice. The best way to keep your planting beds well defined and thus easier to maintain is to keep them well defined. Avoid using plastic or metal edging unless you have stone mulch, as these materials tend to push up out of the ground over winter. Cutting a 3-4” trench around planting beds and maintaining it will keep bark mulch in place and grass in its place.

3)      Freshen up your mulch. Adding about 1-1 ½” of new bark mulch over the top of the existing mulch will freshen up the color and look as well as thicken up the layer of mulch to keep weeds at bay. You can also fluff up the existing mulch if you already have a 3-4” layer of mulch down. Although stone mulch does not need to be replaced or added to, it also doesn’t add back to the soil like bark mulch does. Consider changing from stone mulch to bark mulch or freshen up your stone mulch by washing it down with a hose and raking out any leave or debris.

4)      Roll it out. If your lawn is lumpy or uneven, spring is a great time to roll the lawn out. You can rent a roller or hire a contractor to roll it out for you. Either way you can eliminate minor unevenness in your lawn while the ground is soft from the winter thaw.

     These are just a few things that you can do in a weekend to get your yard ready for spring and summer. Although each individual yard has its own personality and needs and each homeowner has their tolerances, keeping a well maintained yard doesn’t have to be a lot of work and will help keep maintenance down during the rest of the year. If time is a concern, consider letting Breckenridge Landscape get your yard ready for summer. We tailor our Spring Cleanup Programs to each individual property and can have your property looking it’s best just in time for summer.