Now that the snow has melted and we’ve all gone a little stir-crazy from staying in doors in the winter months, it’s time to start looking outdoors. After all, April showers bring May flowers. So now is the time to start preparing your yard for the beauty that the coming months will bring to your curb appeal. Use these tips to start making your home the one where the grass is greener.
- Access The Mess – As soon as you can stand being outdoors for an extended period of time, see what hand you’ve been dealt by Mother Nature. Case your property for thrown branches, dead leaves, and other debris. Clear it away so you’re able to do a general inspection of your soil, lawn, trees, shrubs, and garden structures. See what grass is coming back (or not). Get rid of broken tree limbs, but call a professional if they look dangerous. Now’s the time to take stock and make a plan.
- Tend The Grass – The grass may be a bit brown, but that doesn’t mean it’s dead. Vigorously rake your grass to wake it up and begin to get it to grow. Rake out areas of thatch (dried, dead grass that can be thick and deep). If you don’t, thatch will keep oxygen and sunlight from other plants and grass.
- Time The Weeds – If crabgrass is your enemy, remember preventing crabgrass is all about timing. You want to nix the nasties before they start germinating. You need to use a preemergent crabgrass control before the soil temperature hits about 55 degrees and the crabgrass begins growing. You can’t put out grass seed until at least eight weeks have passed since you applied crabgrass control, so make sure you plan your timing accordingly.
- Trim The Trees – Trim out the dead to allow better growth and fuller trees and shrubs. You want new growth to get healthy enough to sustain itself in case of another cold front moving in. For flowering shrubs, wait until flowers bloom so you don’t cut off limbs that will be producing flowers or fruit.
- Check The Equipment – Fix broken or damaged patio furniture and any wooden structures. Clean off and refresh your deck or patio. Don’t forget to tune up the lawn mower and string trimmer. Clean, sharpen, and oil your pruning shears so they’ll be ready when the temperatures start to rise.
If you get the heavy lifting out of the way early, it won’t be long before you’re leaving your socks and boots behind, and feeling the warm, soft grass between your toes. Like we tell our kids, if you do your home work now, you’ll get to enjoy the time later on (and wouldn’t you rather be free when the warm weather hits than trying to get started then)? For more information on improving your home’s curb appeal, call Helen today at 847.967.0022