7 Spring Yard Care Tips for a Beautiful Yard

1. Clean up Debris

The first thing you’ll want to do once the snow has melted (if you live somewhere with snow) is to clean up debris in your yard. Leaves, old toys, any trash that blew in and dead foliage are all important items to clear out in the spring. You’ll also want to look at your shrubs and trees. This is an excellent time to prune any dead or overgrown branches. Why is a cleanup important? According to Peter Doran Lawn, “Picking up the loose debris on your lawn ensures that toxins and other unwanted minerals don’t spread disease throughout your lawn. Additionally, damage to your lawn from plow trucks and other snow removal equipment should be repaired early in the spring to give your lawn more time to plant its roots.”

As far as tools and items that you’ll need to maintain and clean your yard, there are many options. A few of the most important include:

• Gloves
• Rake for leaves
• Shovel
• Garbage bags
• Trash can
• Pruning shears
• Lawnmower
• Hedge trimmer
• Edger

If you have things like a pool, grill, outdoor furniture or even a shed, there might be other tools or cleaning supplies you’ll need to maintain these items.

2. Check Your Shed and Outdoor Furniture

Speaking of storage sheds and outdoor furniture, you’ll want to inspect these items at the beginning of the season. Winter can be harsh even on items stored inside. So, it’s important to check for wear and tear. With patio furniture, make sure there are no cracks, damage from pests or structural issues. There’s nothing worse than sitting out to lounge around the pool and realizing that your lounger isn’t in good working order.

Garden sheds are a bit more technical when it comes to inspecting them after the winter. You’ll want to check for holes in the foundation, cracking, damage to the seals on doors and windows, pest damage, moisture and the roof. You’ll want to remedy all of these issues immediately. Unfortunately, they are not rare occurrences unless you have a resin Keter shed that requires little to no maintenance because it is weather-resistant. If you’d like to learn more about opening your shed up for the spring, check out our blog for more details.

3. Getting the Pool Ready

There are a number of things you’ll need to do to get your pool ready for warmer weather. Sometimes the spring is too early to open your pool, so this is dependent on where you live. Once it’s time, though, you’ll want to start by taking the cover off and inspecting the pool. Look for any damage that might need to be repaired. You’ll want to check and fix the water level, if needed, and remove any equipment you put in for the winter. You’ll then want to turn on your regular equipment like the pump and filter. Once you’ve turned those on and made sure they’re functioning properly, you’ll want to give the pool a good scrub and run the pool vacuum. Remove any larger debris with a net and double-check the pool chemicals. You might need to balance them so the pool is safe and clean. Now might also be a good time to pull out umbrellas and sun loungers so you can start taking in some vitamin D as soon as possible.

4. Control Weeds

Next, you’ll want to evaluate how many weeds you have in your yard. Weeds can be in the lawn, flowerbeds and even in raised garden beds. For flowerbeds and raised garden beds, you’ll want to clean up any remaining debris and pull out weeds. If your lawn has a big infestation of weeds, you might want to call a professional to spray. Abracadabra Lawns says, “One great reason to hire a professional for weed control is because they know the best time to come and spray for you. They will spray multiple times in the Spring before the weeds ever emerge, which is known as pre-emergent treatment. They will also return to spray active weeds in the Summer.” 

So, if you’re experienced in lawn care, you can probably take care of it yourself, but otherwise, professionals might be the way to go. No matter where weeds might be hiding in your yard, it’s important to take care of them early on. Otherwise, they’ll get stronger, bigger and much harder to remove. They’re unsightly and they can also kill your plants.

5. Mowing and Edging the Lawn

Mowing and edging your lawn are essential if you have grass and you want to have a beautiful yard in the spring. While grass might still be in hibernation when spring rolls around, it’s important to prepare for the mowing and edging you’ll need to do when it is “awake” again. Regular mowing helps to keep your grass healthy by promoting new growth, preventing weeds from spreading and improving the overall appearance of your lawn. Edging is important because it creates a defined border between your lawn and the garden beds, driveway or pathways, giving your yard a polished, finished look. Maintaining your lawn enhances your home's curb appeal and also helps to maintain your property value. So, if you want your yard to look its best this spring, make sure to prioritize mowing and edging as part of your regular lawn care routine.

6. Proper Watering of Plants

Water is a big deal in the spring and summer months. Unfortunately, under or overwatering can have bad effects on your lawn and other plants. Lawns can be lush and green with the right amount of water and can quickly turn yellow without proper watering. A good way to ensure your lawn is getting the proper amount of water is to set up watering timers and schedules. Many sprinkler units have these built in so you can easily control watering. You’ll also want to keep an eye out for broken sprinkler heads as they can cause under and overwatering.

When it comes to gardens and potted plants, you might water them manually. If that’s the case, create a watering schedule so you remember when they need to be watered. Otherwise, you might not remember and the plants can die. This can mean fewer crops and flowers–and no one wants a bunch of dead plants scattered around their yard.

7. Planting a Garden

One thing that you can do to really add to the beauty and function of your yard is to add a vegetable garden. If you’ve never done this before, you’ll want to read more about planting seasons for certain types of plants. This can be a very rewarding experience. You can dig out your own garden or plant in one of our raised garden beds. By planting and nurturing your own produce, you’ll spend less at the grocery store, and have much fresher and yummier fruits and vegetables. 

When it all comes down to it, what makes a beautiful yard really depends on your personal preferences. However, we hope that these seven tips provide a great jumping-off point as you prepare your outdoor space for warmer weather and family fun.