Yard Cleaning

Preparations

Before heading out to clean up your yard, make sure all snow has thawed. It’s twice as hard to work on a frozen lawn. Remove all twigs, needles, leaves, and debris using a simple rake. Raking out all the debris eliminates any ground for hiding pests and growing weeds.

Also, debris can get caught up in your lawnmower and may block the intake of fertilizers. If rakes don’t do it, you can consider air blowers- they are much easier.

Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials

Look out for any dead, dying, or diseased branches and clip them out. This gives an ideal foundation for your plants to regrow effectively during the coming seasons. Consider trimming branches that are encroaching your pathways or high-traffic areas.

This will not only enhance the appearance of your yard, but it will also make sure the plants receive enough sunlight. To do your pruning effectively, you’ll need to identify the kind of plant you’re dealing with. Use this guide as a prefix for all your trees, perennials, and shrubs:

Semi-woody perennials: Reduce Russian sage and butterfly bushes to around 4 inches tall.

Broad-leaved Evergreens: Remove any damaged foliage from your holly firethorn, boxwood, or any other evergreen.

Flowering trees: Prune dead, crowded, or damaged stems of hydrangeas and roses just before they fully bloom.

Ornamental Grasses: Knot the upper part of grasses for faster cutting, and cut as close to the ground as possible.

Lawn

Your lawn is the easiest place to clean up. Once you’ve confirmed all snow to have thawed, inspect your yard for potential black spots. Consider these tips as you move on:

If you host a couple of pets or your lawn has heavy traffic, you might want to sprinkle soil all over the patchy areas. Add a little grass seed and fertilizer to revive the spot and make sure you keep it moist.

As mentioned in the prep work, clear debris from your lawn and clean fallen twigs, or pet messes.

Mowing is always an ongoing process, and nothing changes during spring. Mow early and consistently throughout the first six weeks of spring. You can come up with a routine of, let’s say, every six days. Remember, the weather should help you determine all this.

Garden Beds

Flowers require a lot of space to grow effectively. You need to clear your garden and remove dead foliage, fallen leaves, and notorious weeds before the full effects of spring. Always make sure you start clearing up once all the snow has gone.

For an even prettier look, take care of your garden using these useful tips:

Remove last season’s mulch to give space for a new layer. Ideally, your mulch layer should be added once spring is complete.

Root up perennials like hostas, daylilies, and separate into three stem groupings. Use these stems to cover sparse spots in the garden.

Any thoughts of adding new plant beds? Well, this is a great time to do it! Just break new ground with a tiller and create raised beds. You can plant trees, hardy perennials (geraniums, bleeding heart, etc.), and shrubs at the start of spring. Hold until the last frost of spring to plant tender perennials or annuals like calla lilies, begonias, among others.

If you have irrigation lines, now is the time for a regular checkup. To fasten them, use pins and square-head shovels to keep turf grass from growing. This gives your bed a clean edge.

Fences and Trellises

Check your picket, lattice, or boards for any damages and scrub wood structures clean. Use a mix of bleach, liquid soap, and water. If you spot rotten sections, patch them up with wood epoxy and install new wood. Fix any wobbly fence post and check if they’ll need a new paint job.

Tip: The best time to prepare and paint your woods is when the temperatures are above 50°F.

Patios and Pathways

Before you unleash the full potential of your backyard, it is important to do some finishing touches ready for entertainment. Your patio is the next stop. You need to step up your decking game, consider outdoor patios, and even spruce up dirty patio furniture. These tips will help you bring out the best of your backyard;

Clean dirty patio furniture:

If you see some unusual colors on your patio furniture, then grab a clean mix of liquid soap with warm water and spray with a hose. Wash down the chairs using a scrub brush and rinse thoroughly. Tip the furniture and leave it in the grass to dry.

Clear mildew on decks:

As a rule of thumb, you need to place your planters in a moisture-free environment. Otherwise, you risk breeding molds. In case you have mildew stains on your decks, mix 2½ tbsp of powdered laundry detergent with 2 cups of liquid chlorine bleach and add to 2 quarts of warm water.

Soak the area with this solution allowing it to settle for 10 to 15 minutes. Grab a stiff broom and scrub the stains. Rinse thoroughly.

Remove mud and grime:

Sweep all debris in your pathway until clean. Add a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar on the concrete patio. Leave it for circa 30 minutes and scrub using a nylon-bristled scrub or brush.

Revamp Wicker and Rattan Furniture:

To do this, simply dip a soft cloth in a slightly soapy solution and wipe off the furniture’s surface. Look for a spare toothbrush and remove dirt hidden in the grooves. Leave the furniture out in the sun to dry.

Clean and organize hardscape surfaces:

Refill joints using escaped gravel and order more if needed in large depressions. Water with a hose to set the place and use a pressure washer to eliminate slippery algae spots from the walkways and patios.