Top 10 Spring tasks to do

What are you doing to get your yard in tip top shape this spring? As a professional contractor providing these services to a variety of residential and commercial clients, we are often asked what we recommend.

Here are the Top 10 Spring Tasks to Help Jump Start your Yard

1. Clean up all the winter debris that has accumulated in your yard. This spring task includes, but is not limited to: trash, sticks and branches and leaves that have accumulated over the winter. Remove any damaged and dead plant material. Start a compost pile with the natural debris so you can create a nutrient rich additive for your gardens.
2. Remove any and all sand and rocks from your lawn area. Winter sand will quickly choke out and kill the lawn so try to remove it before the grass starts to grow. The best tool for this is a power sweep attachment. If you don’t have one, or want to rent one, a good old fashioned rake and broom will do the trick, you’ll just need some elbow grease.
3. Rake down your lawn area. This will help to remove smaller debris, and more importantly, loose thatch. If you have heavy thatch you may need to use a power de-thatcher or bring in a professional to do it. Raking also stirs up the ground – allowing more room for water and nutrients to reach turf roots and to encourage new growth.
4. Repair Plow Damage or make Spot Repairs to the Lawn. If the grass is just pushed back, you might be able to lay it back where it goes and tamp it down. Use screened topsoil or another good soil to fill in holes and cracks. Then sprinkle over the area with new grass seed. For spot repairs, the process is much the same except you will need more soil and seed. Either remove the damaged area and replace it, or fill in the open areas with new soil and seed. Always buy the best soil and seed that you can. A little extra money up front can save a lot of headaches later. Also to note, high end seed contains zero weed seeds.
5. Apply recommended fertilizers to your lawn. A high quality spring fertilizer will do wonders for your lawn in the short and long term. This is not only relevant to spring tasks, but a great program to adopt all growing season. Have Blue Mountain Four Season apply your lawn fertilizer.
6. Aerate and Overseed the Lawn. Soil compacts with Rainfall, Watering, Mowing, Normal Foot Traffic, Etc.. Compacted soil may not contain enough oxygen to allow for healthy turf plant growth. Core aerating cuts finger sized plugs of soil and turf out of the lawn which allows oxygen, water, and fertilizer to reach the roots of the plant enabling the roots to grow deeper and produce a more vigorous lawn. Over-seeding your existing lawn with new seed is imperative to replace dying grass and to maintain the density of the turf.
7. Edge the garden beds. This is a great time to edge the garden beds. A straight shovel is all you need. Once you have an area started, simply overlap the shovel blade to keep a straight line. Marking where you want to go may help also. Edging helps the garden to look clean and defined and If mulching is needed it helps keep the mulch in the bed. Edging also reduces the amount of hand trimming needed when mowing the lawn! If you have extra material after edging, it is a great way to make repairs to the lawn at little to no cost.
8. Mulch the Beds! As one of the best Top 10 Spring Tasks, mulching garden beds serves many purposes. First, it makes the yard look fresh and defined. It makes your gardens stand out because of the contrast in colors between the mulch and the plants. Another big reason to mulch is to reduce weed growth and all the hard labor that you would otherwise have to do to weed the bed! Mulch will also keep the soil moist, thus conserving water. The benefits are well worth the work to apply it.
9. Plant Spring Annuals. Bright flowers will help perk you up every time you look at them. Annuals are easy to plant and there is a wide variety to choose from. They also tend to be a lower cost plant. Annuals can be changed out easily to match the season. Most people have a designated area for annuals, like a specific place in a bed, or around the mailbox. Annuals are also great in planters or hanging from a porch.
10. And probably the most important Top 10 Spring Tasks to do is? Relax! After all of that hard work getting your property ready for the growing season, you deserve to put your feet up and enjoy your outdoor space.

If you do some or all of this Top 10 Spring Tasks list – you will be well on your way to a great looking yard. It is easy to find out how to do all of these tasks and don’t be afraid to ask Blue Mountain Four Season for advice….we love to help!

Good luck and Happy Spring!