As days get longer and temperatures climb, now is the perfect time to get outside to revitalize your landscaping. Whether your plans include new plantings with abundantly budding flower beds, or just getting the lawn back to normal after a long winter, your home’s landscaping doesn’t have to be a difficult job. Prep’n Sell can share some simple yard maintenance tips, based on years of experience in improving the “curb appeal” of countless homes. We break down what might seem like a big job into a few simple and manageable tasks. Follow our lawn and landscaping expert advice and amazing tips to get your home’s spring landscaping looking fresh and beautifully appealing.
Before getting started on your landscaping chores, check the condition of your equipment. Start by preparing your lawn mower for the spring and summer seasons. The first thing to check is that the lawnmower is operating correctly.
Be sure to check the blades and sharpen them if necessary with a metal file. Safety first! Make sure to remove the spark plug on a gas mower, and unplug an electric mower before putting your hands anywhere near the lawn mower blades. You can also get a lawnmower repair shop or landscaping company to sharpen your blades (if you want to protect your fingers). Setting the height your lawnmower cuts is important as below two inches can lead to damaging your lawn. Grass growth is stunted when a lawn is trimmed too low this causes the root to draw too much energy resulting in wide-scale grass death. Set the mower to the highest setting using the lever by the back tires.
Tip: Your lawnmower should sit at a height where it trims no more than a third off the top of your grass.
Old gasoline is the main reason lawnmowers tend to stall out or worse never start at all. It’s always good to run the excess gas out prior to the last seasonal cut. Check the lawnmower’s oil level as well. There is a colour gauge to determine if your oil has been tainted or contaminated. Contaminated oil will give off a much darker colour and its consistency will be altered. Similar to the process with your gasoline, it’s suggested to replace your oil to make sure your lawnmower has no issues throughout the season. The air filter and spark plug on a gas mower also need attention.
Other lawn care essential tools are a string trimmer, a garden spade or a half-moon edger – both of the last two will work much better if you keep their edges sharp as well, so don’t put that metal file away after sharpening the lawn mower blades.
Clean up your gardening tools and patio furniture. This allows you to get an idea of what you have and what tools you’ll need to replace if they are missing or damaged. Quality tools should last more than a few seasons so long as they are well maintained.
After a long cold winter, most yards will require some maintenance before you can tackle the larger tasks on your landscaping checklist. Now that you’ve serviced your lawn mower, you’ll want to make sure to go over your lawn before mowing to pick up any sticks and small branches that have fallen over the Winter and that might damage your mower’s blades. These can be added to your compost bin. Be sure to walk the perimeter of your home and yard, looking for any trash that has blown into your property or garden beds. If your area experiences heavy snowfall, Spring is the time to rake away any gravel or sand that might have accumulated on the boulevard, or near the street or sidewalk.
Homeowners can start to prepare their garden beds in spring, but it’s wise to wait until there have been a few dry days in a row to avoid compacting the soil by walking on it when it’s too wet. Working the soil when it’s too wet destroys the soil structure, especially if you have clay soil. Focus on removing leaves, trimming or removing dead plants. When you’re all set you can begin preparing the soil for new growth or planting any new perennials or annuals.
Tip: If you’re itching to get your hands into some soil, but it’s still too wet or cold in your area, try starting some seeds indoors to get a jump on your garden. It’s a very economical and satisfying way to ensure you have more than enough plants to beautify your garden beds as soon as the weather warms up enough to get into the garden!
Most homeowners’ yards have some trees or shrubs. They are great for privacy or to create a focal point. When doing any Spring landscaping it is important to inspect the trees, bushes, and shrubs around your home. Trim any damaged or overgrown branches to maintain a pleasing shape. Ensure trees and branches don’t come into contact with overhead wires, or interfere with your home’s eavestroughs or roof. Address these issues immediately before they becomes a risk to hydro lines or your home. Trees and shrubs are a great addition to the outdoor space and if well taken care of can add amazing curb appeal and value to your home. Spring and Autumn are the best times to plant trees and shrubs in most parts of Canada.
Fertilizing is an easy way to revitalize your home’s lawn and help get it back to that perfect green colour. Fertilizer is the quickest way to jumpstart your lawn and improve the quality of your soil. The right fertilizer is key. Just because you have used a particular type in the past doesn’t mean it was the correct one to use. It’s important to get advice from an expert who knows the best treatment for your lawn. There are a wide range of options when it comes to fertilizer, from slow-release, pre- or post-emergent blends, to spot or blanket spray treatments. Identifying the condition of your lawn matters when it comes to figuring out which type of fertilizer best suits your needs.
Tip: Don’t forget to fertilize your trees and shrubs. Research which type of fertilizers are best for each plant type.
Spring is the perfect time to give your deck or patio a thorough cleaning. Determine if pressure washing is necessary with your deck or patio material. Patio stones can be pressure washed or cleaned with a scrub brush to get rid of any debris from the winter. When it comes to composite decking, it should be cleaned with warm soapy water using a soft bristle brush to avoid marring the surface. Lastly, give your deck a good washdown with your hose and paint any areas with peeling paint or that were damaged over the winter months.
Winter often does damage to gates and fences, especially if your climate includes freeze-thaw cycles. Spring is a good time to check and make repairs to loose boards or misaligned fences. Sometimes all that’s needed to get the fence back into alignment is to replace a few missing screws or one or two damaged boards, which is a quick adjustment. Other times, fence posts that weren’t set deep enough and have now heaved due to frost need a more extensive repair plan. In order to make a permanent repair, you’ll need to dig out the original post and any remaining concrete that was used to set the post. Next, a deeper hole will need to be dug out and a new fence post set in place – this time below the local frost line. This is a big job and might be best left to the professionals, unless you have a very strong back!
One quick way homeowners can make their landscaping stand out is by adding mulch to flower beds. Mulch acts as a protective barrier to your plants and soil and offers great aesthetic appeal. Homeowners should touch up mulched beds every spring as it’s an easy way to boost curb appeal and protect your plants throughout the summer. You can use mulch to fill in areas that have issues with weeds. While it doesn’t stop weeds that have already germinated in the ground, it makes it harder for new seedings to take root. Mulch provides protection from excessive rainwater, aiding in proper water retention and keeping the soil in place. It even provides protection during the warmer months by shading new plants from direct sunlight and keeping the soil at the perfect temperature. With all the different types and colours you can purchase you can really make your home’s landscaping come to life.
Tackling these Spring landscaping chores one at a time will ensure your yard starts the year off right! Having a plan before you begin will make a big job more manageable, help you stay on track and you might discover a green thumb you never knew you had! At the very least, you’ll gain a sense of accomplishment as you check each task off your list.
Please leave any questions or comments below. We’d love to hear your favourite spring garden tips!
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Prep’n Sell created their “1 Call” home owner service in 2002. The concept was developed after the principals recognized that homeowners wanted help to prepare & update their homes for sale, and needed a renovation company that understood exactly what was required.
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Mississauga, Ontario, L4X 2E6
Phone: 844-299-1104 Email: info@prepnsell.com
Prep’n Sell created their “1 Call” home owner service in 2002. The concept was developed after the principals recognized that homeowners wanted help to prepare & update their homes for sale, and needed a renovation company that understood exactly what was required.
