Want Easy Spring Clean Up Tips?

Spring is a time for new beginnings.  The birds have come back, flowers emerge in areas you forgot existed and after months indoors, you finally take a moment to actually look at your  landscape.  With a little time and effort you can transform the outside of your home.  Follow some of these easy steps to have a care free landscape this year.

Get out and walk your property!  If you live in Columbus, OH you’ve been cooped up for months hiding from old man winter.  Take fifteen minutes to walk around your property and assess your trees and shrubs.  Look for any signs of damage from the winter including broken limbs and dead limbs.  Remove any piles of debris or leaves and look for anything that might be out of place.

mulch pic

Have the right tools!  Make sure you have the proper tools to do the job.  A spade shovel, a flat shovel, a round point shovel should all be in your arsenal for digging.  A hard rake and a leaf rake always come in handy for removing debris.  Hand pruners, hedge shears and loppers are great for cutting out unwanted growth and general maintenance.  Don’t forget about a wheelbarrow!  It will come in handy with those heavier loads.  If you do not have a tool sharpener, take your tools to your local home and garden shop.  They will clean and sharpen all of your tools for a small price.

Edge your beds!  Take your sharp spade shovel and make a 2-3” edge separating your mulch beds from your lawn areas.  Make nice clean lines and remove excess grass and edgings.  If you have a low spot in your lawn or need to fill an old tree hole, use those edgings as fill dirt.

Fertilize, Fertilize, Fertilize!  Your plants need nutrients to grow and fertilizer will help in so many ways.  Use a balanced fertilizer for all of your plants and trees.  Ohio does not have favorable soil for hydrangeas, hollies and rhododendrons so if you have an acid loving plant, buy some Hollytone or an acidic fertilizer for those specific plants.

Pre-Emergent herbicides for a stress free summer!  Put down pre-emergent herbicides in your beds.  These products are designed to kill weed seeds as they begin to germinate.  I can’t promise that you will not be pulling a few weeds but the numbers will significantly go down.

edging-mulch-beds

Mulch as needed!!  Take a look at how much mulch is in your beds.  If you already have 2” of mulch in some areas, just try fluffing what you have.  If you don’t have enough, add enough mulch to obtain a 2” layer to help suppress weed growth.  Too much mulch is as bad as no mulch at all.  Not only is mulch aesthetically pleasing but it helps retain soil moisture and keeps the soil at a constant temperature.  If you have too much mulch in your beds, take the time to remove it!  Your plants will be so glad you did.  If you’re not sure how much mulch you need, take a look at our landscape calculator for all your material needs!

Speak Your Mind

Tell us what you're thinking... and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!