A common springtime goal for homeowners is to find ways for improving curb appeal. April is the perfect time to focus on making your home look great.
Improving Curb Appeal: Short Term
Refresh Mulch and Pine Straw
Refreshing your ground cover looks nice, it creates a nice barrier from weeds, and it helps plants retain moisture. Mulch and pine straw start to look dull and worn out after getting beat up by rain, sun, and time. The process is as simple as buying the bags or bales you need and applying it on top of your old ground cover. We recommend refreshing your ground cover 1 to 2 times a year. To give it a professional look, check out these tips from HGTV.
Re-Edge Beds
Create the defined separation that makes your lawn look sharp year-round with something as simple as a shovel. Edging your beds and walkways prevents grass from creeping into areas it should be staying away from, plus you create the aesthetic appeal everyone is always going for with their lawn. Trust us, we wrote the original guide to DIY edging.
Power Wash
This might be the easiest way to add dramatic improvement and prevent future damage from mold. Remove years of mold, mildew, and stains in just a couple of hours. House walls, sidewalks, fences, and porches will gleam in this Southern Sun once you get to power washing. You can rent your own equipment, but we don’t recommend that. Hire a professional — it’s the only way to get that brand-new-house look back.
Trim Shrubs
Messy and overgrown shrubs make an otherwise beautiful home look unkempt. Trimming your shrubs is an easy, although time-consuming way to make your lawn pop. Keeping your shrubs neat also keeps them healthy all year-long. Check out our tips for easy pruning.
Improving Curb Appeal: Long Term
Water Your Lawn
This is going to be an obvious statement, but watering your lawn is important. A well-watered lawn looks greener and is healthier. Before getting started, consult with local water conservation acts to avoid fines and to stay environmentally friendly. When watering, stick to a schedule that allows your turf to dry in between watering sessions, and water in the morning before it gets too hot.
Fertilizing
There are quick-release and slow-release fertilizers, but we highly recommend going with a slow-release fertilizer. This allows your lawn to absorb benefits over a long period of time. Quick-release fertilizers can force you to mow your lawn too often, inviting injury and stress upon your turf. Early spring is the perfect time to fertilize your lawn, as it’ll help keep your lawn going in the heart of season. Here are some suggestions for using fertilizer.
Weed Control
Weeds compete with your grass for nutrients and space. If you already have weeds, pick the method you want to use to get rid of them and get rid of them fast. Your lawn will look so much neater once they’re gone. In the future, apply pre-emergent just before spring starts to prevent weeds altogether.
Keep Your Mower Tuned
Mowers, like cars, need occasional maintenance. In particular, blade-sharpening, air filters, and oil changes are items to keep an eye on. You wouldn’t shave your face with a dull blade, so why would you mow your lawn with a dull blade? Just make sure you put the blade back in correctly. Keeping your mower in tip-top shape is the best way to guarantee the healthiest lawn on the block.
To start improving curb appeal, knock off the items in the short-term list first. Then, you’ll have all the time you need to dedicate to the long-term items that will build a strong foundation for your lawn for years to come. You know how to find Lawn.com if you don’t want to deal with any of this hassle.