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Four Smart Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Yard

When winter’s coming to a close, your yard will need a spring cleaning just as much as the inside of your house will.  New homes in PA have new landscaping in place, so the work will consist of tidying up more than heavy planting. It’s fun and rewarding to look after your yard, and keep is looking its best. Starting early, before the weather warms up too much, can save a lot of time. Getting an early start can also prevent problems that may come up later in the summer. Here’s a handy list to help you create a checklist of jobs you need to get done for the new season.

Lawn Repair

Farmers once called snow the poor person’s fertilizer. That’s because snow has a neutral pH, and it works its way slowly into the soil as it melts in the spring. As the snow begins to recede, avoid walking on wet areas of your yard until they’re solid and dry. Walking on swampy patches on your lawn can hurt the dormant grass. If you’re using warm-season grass, you can overseed during the early spring. That being said, you want to do your cool-weather overseeding in fall weather. New homes in PA will have new lawns, so there’s little need for weeding and similar chores. Once your grass is four to five inches tall, you’re ready to mow. Make sure you only trim it down to three to four inches. If you mow too early, or take your grass down too low in spring, you’ll create weak grass that summer dry periods will damage.

Pruning

New homes in PA will have a lot of new plantings. To help them grow faster and stronger, trees, woody plants, and shrubs need spring pruning. Pruning helps with general appearance, and encourages new growth. Usually you won’t prune your flowering shrubbery until after they bloom, although it’s always a good idea to trim away dead branches whenever you spot them. You’ll also want to cut back your dead perennials like coneflowers or ornamental grasses. Bring those down to a few inches above the ground before new growth starts. Early spring is also a great time to pull up any dead annuals in the yard.

Mulch

The mulch protecting your perennials during the winter can look a little ragged and worn out in the spring. Winter storms have a tendency to wash or blow mulch out of the beds. It’s smart to rake the old mulch away from the base of trees and stems to keep a small area between the plant and the mulch. Use fresh mulch over your garden beds to renew the old mulch, and to keep it at two to three inches deep.

Debris

Over the winter, your yard is bound to collect debris that gets stuck in the snow. Fallen leaves, dead grasses, and other objects will appear like magic as the snowbanks disappear. Of course a single pass around your yard in the Spring with a trash bag is enough to corral all the litter. For the organic debris, it’s a great opportunity to gather some items for your compost. Leaving piles of debris on the lawn will kill the growing spring grass under it. It also provides a great nest for slugs and other pests. Be sure to rake while the grass is dry, or the rake can pull the grass out of the wet ground.

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This post was written by Chetty Builders