With the coming of a new spring, also comes is the annual spring clean up. This year, forget the house, and get outside into the fresh spring air. Swing into spring by first cleaning up your lawn and garden using these three spring cleaning tips.
Tip #1: Service Your Equipment
Before you begin mowing the grass or busting out your power tools, make sure all of your equipment is in tip top shape. This means sharpening blades and making sure all safety guards are in place and working properly.
Test your irrigation system to ensure it is working properly. Reset the timers to match the time of day and amount of water needed for your new spring plants.
Also, don’t forget the wheelbarrow since you’ll be using it a lot. Make sure there is enough pressure in the tire and lubricate the axle with a grease gun.
Tip #2: Remove Dead Leaves and Debris
Remember that wheelbarrow you fixed up? Let’s put it to work. Start by designating two areas of your wheelbarrow for trash and compost. You can do this by hanging a bucket over the side of the wheelbarrow to contain anything you want to throw away while using the wheelbarrow itself for the stuff you’ll compost later on.
Go through your planter beds and remove all the old leaves and debris. This step is very important because all this stuff left over from the previous season could contain pests and disease that you don’t want to infest your new spring plantings.
You’ll also want to remove broken pots, old toys, and anything else that is considered junk and not reusable.
As the first mow of the season, chances are your lawn is littered with rocks, sticks, and other debris. Spend some time scouring the lawn to remove these hazards before
you start mowing. Throw them in your wheelbarrow’s bucket to discard later.
Tip #3: Edging and Pruning
Take the time now to edge your beds during spring clean up since you will most likely be too busy with maintenance to do it later. By edging now, you also ensure more time to sit and enjoy all your hard work with family and friends with many barbecues (after you clean up the grill of course!).
Also, assess your trees and shrubs. Has any damage occurred? Do you need to remove dead or dying limbs that suffered from the last winter? Or are your trees and shrubs simply overgrown? By pruning, even during the growing seasons, you’ll extend the life of your trees and shrubs and get them looking snazzy for spring.
By following these simple tips, your outdoor spring clean up will be fun and fast – well, depending on the size of your grounds! Just remember, that for every outdoor enthusiast, whether novice or expert, it’s always important to remember safety first during your lawn and garden spring clean up along with hard work – but it’s all worth it!
Jennifer St. Laurent Brown is a professional writer and landscaping enthusiast. A native New Englander who now resides in Arizona, she enjoys planting year round and sharing her gardening tips through blogs and articles.