A thorough spring cleanup prepares your landscape for summer. Without a spring cleanup, your landscape can get out of control very quickly.
Cleanup
The best way to prepare you yard for the season is to take a ‘clean sweep’ approach to the appearance of things. Perennials and ornamental grasses should be cut back to allow for the new season’s growth. Any stray annual flowers from the previous summer should be removed. Leaves and debris should be removed from bed areas and the lawn should be raked or de-thatched.
Pruning
Now is the time to prune shrubs and trees to remove suckers, crossing, winter damaged or broken limbs and branches. If your yard is filled with spring flowering trees and shrubs we advise minimal pruning only at this point, lest you remove too many flower buds.
Edging
The beds should be edged. Deep edging your beds defines the line between the landscape and the lawn and gives your landscape a well-maintained look. Edging help to prevent the lawn from growing into the mulch and helps to retain mulch within the beds. Without an edge, you’re bound to find mulch out in the lawn following a heavy rainstorm!
Mulching
Along with edging, mulching your landscape beds helps to lend a well-defined and maintained appearance to your landscape. By applying mulch to bed areas after they have been cleaned up, you can help to minimize weed growth, assist with the moisture retention of the soil, and regulate the ground’s temperature.
Planting and Transplanting
Spring is an ideal time to plant or transplant plants! The temperatures are typically cooler, giving plants time to adjust to their new environment with minimal stress from heat and drought. Spring is a great time to divide and transplant any existing perennials that have become overgrown, too.
Lawn and Plant Fertilization
Spring is an ideal time to begin feeding both the lawn and plantings in your yard. A proper fertilization program, coupled with weed control applications will help you to maintain a healthy, weed free, green lawn throughout the growing season.
Plants- including trees, will benefit from a care program. A mild winter may lead to excessive insect damage or fungal conditions on your plants the following summer. An excessive amount of rain in the spring can contribute to plants looking ‘off color’ or chlorotic during the height of summer. We utilize an IPM (integrated pest management) model to help combat insect and disease populations while fertilizing plants to boost their health and vigor.
All of this is a great guide to follow. If you don’t have time, but want to have your landscape well maintained Eastside Landscaping’s professional crews are equipped to service all your spring cleanup needs! Call today for a free consultation 216-381-0070.