Tips for your spring yard cleanup from a professional cleaner-upper

Spring is a busy time for planning and reinvigorating our landscapes. There are many aspects to this work that may demand more time and energy or experience than you have available to deal with effectively. Why not reduce your burden and enlist the help of an experienced landscape professional? All it takes is a phone call, and The Hilltop will have a crew at your place tidying up so you can enjoy your yard this spring and summer.

But if you are a die-hard do-it-yourselfer, here’s a little checklist of things that you may want to include in your spring chores.

Leaves and trash

Clean up all the leftover leaves and trash that have accumulated in the landscape over the winter. Cleaning up litter removes hiding places for bugs that can attack your plants later. Add the leaves and other organic debris to your compost pile.

Plants and tree trimming

Most trees and shrubs benefit from annual pruning. It keeps them in shape, gets rid of dead and diseased wood and encourages new growth. But not all trees and shrubs should be pruned early, especially some of the flowering ones. Pruning them early in the spring would mean losing some blossoms. But sometimes it’s easier to prune when you can see the shape of the plant, before the branches are covered by leaves. Trees and shrubs that are in need of a good shaping could sacrifice a few blooms to be invigorated by a spring pruning.

So generally prune flowering trees and shrubs after their spring bloom. If you’re not sure about pruning there are many resources on the web. You may need an expert tree trimmer to handle the bigger trees on your property.

Irrigation system check

If you have an irrigation system, do a thorough check up of the system. Check drip irrigation systems to ensure they are not clogged up. Check that all the valves are working properly as well as backflow prevention devices. Inspect lawn sprinklers for even coverage. This may be the time to add or move a sprinkler head to get rid of that annoying dry spot in your lawn.

Lawn care

After a long winter your lawn needs to be mowed, aerated and fertilized. It’s a good time to patch in or reseed bare spots.

Check the mulch

Walk around your yard and look for bare spots in the mulched beds. Add mulch to areas that are thin. If you have gravel mulch in your beds rake the beds to even out the gravel.

Till the Garden

Till up your garden and add compost or other organics. You can start many vegetables and flowers from seed at this time. Start making plans for your vegetable or flower garden.

Plan summer landscape projects

Spring is a great time to plan ahead for your big summertime projects. If you don’t want to do-it-yourself, you can arrange for a designer to come for an on-site visit and meet to discuss your garden’s problems, potential and what you would like it to be. Whether it’s starting from square one or rehabilitating existing plantings, a landscape professional will be able to recommend the best course of action.

Did I miss anything? What’s your favorite or worst springtime chore? Please comment below.