The harsh winter freeze is finally over, the ground is thawing, and the sounds of Spring are beginning to come to life. Hallelujah! The mornings are still chilly and require a light jacket and a slight jog to your car but by noon you may be wishing you wore a t-shirt as you wipe away the steady trickle of sweat from your forehead.
As that once-lush, green blanket of turf now a dry, barren brown carpet begins to show signs of life, you may be thinking to yourself, what should I do? Spring is the utmost important season for your property and the way you manage it during these months will reflect down the stretch of the late-summer heat.
Where to Begin?
My general rule for every Spring rebirth of properties is this: the grass comes first, everything else follows. My first recommendation for a healthy turf this year is to aerate your turf. By doing this early, you allow the soil to heal and fill in after the aeration. Aeration should be performed early in the Spring for cool season grasses and later in the Spring for warm season grasses. (If you do not know what the difference is between grass types, see our article All Grass is Not Created Equal! How You Should Treat Your Turf). Aeration helps the ground absorb nutrients, water and air which promote stronger grass roots.
Immediately after aerating your turf, you should have an idea of what type of grass you have growing as you will need it to choose the proper type of grass seed and fertilizer. Over-seeding fills in any bare or dead spots that were left from the winter freeze and provides a thicker turf cover. Fertilizing your lawn is an extremely important step in the Spring as it promotes healthy growth. If you notice your lawn has weeds, fertilizer with pre-emergent should be deployed early before the weeds start budding.
Leaves, Weeds & Debris
Now that your grass is in good shape, it’s time to start looking at how to make your property the talk of the town! If you did not have your property maintained throughout the winter, chances are you were left with more than just a few sticks laying around. Start by cleaning out the beds with a gas-powered or electrical blower, if you do not have access to either, a rake will do. Lay a tarp flat near the area you are cleaning out and put all debris on top of the tarp. Once it looks like there is some debris building up, drag the tarp to the curb to dispose of it.
This may take some time depending on how much debris was left in your beds but it will all be worth it, trust me! As you clean out your beds, you may notice some weeds that were never pulled out, its best to pull them now while they are still dormant but be sure to take the root with it! If the weeds are too small to pull, I recommend purchasing weed killer from your local landscape supply and spraying them. If you decide to spray, be sure not to step in sprayed areas as you may track the chemicals onto the turf leaving a trail of dead footprints behind you!
Bushes, Shrubs and Hedges
If your shrubs were pruned in the Fall before the Winter or even during the Winter, please listen to me when I say hold off on trimming or pruning anything else before late April-May! Shrubs need a chance to promote new growth and chopping any little twig that grows before it can mature is not healthy and will not be good in the long run.
If your shrubs can use a trim, early Spring is the perfect time to get rid of any dead or broken limbs. This will benefit the overall health of the shrub as it begins to grow and mature. As the weather gets warmer and these plants begin to bloom, don’t forget they are hungry! A bag of organic plant feed purchased at your local landscape supply will do the trick along with a regularly scheduled watering later in the Spring when the rain slows down.
It’s Time to Put the Finishing Touches On
There are many things you can do to make your property truly pop in your neighborhood. Some of my suggestions are as follows:
Before you start going crazy with planting flowers, let’s take care of that mildew on the sides of your house or perhaps the built-up dirt on your walkway and driveway. Pressure washing is a simple option to clean all your hard surfaces around your property. You can do this yourself, but I recommend getting this professionally taken care of.
Ok ok, we can start planting now… Spring flowers can create the most colorful beds in your neighborhood and have your neighbors asking you about what they should do for their properties. If it’s still cool out, perennials are a colorful option that enjoy cool nights and mild days. They do not survive in the heat so make sure you know you will be replacing them by the end of May!
You can also plant larger flowering shrubs that will make your property pop. My all-time favorite plant in the spring is the Endless-Summer Hydrangea. These plants prefer morning sun and afternoon shade and water, but not too much water. They produce beautiful blooms ranging from blue to pink in mid-late spring. If I were you, this is a plant I would want on my property.
Now You’re Ready!
Your turf is set, your beds have been cleaned out, your shrubs have been properly pruned and you have just planted your perennials along the front of your house. It’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, sit on the porch and watch your jaw-dropped neighbors walk by in envy and awe.
Thank you for reading my article today, I hope I set you on the right course for success this Spring! You can enjoy more of my blogs and many like it under The Green Space tab! For more information about what you can do to make your property the best on the block, feel free to give us a call and ask questions! We enjoy talking about your lawn and we can’t wait to hear from you!