Spring is a glorious time when the sun finally comes out and your back yard begins to show signs of life. The season also means its time to clean up property which is most likely in dire condition. If you go about it the right way, you can enjoy spending quality time with family and friends outdoors for the coming months. Below are seven ways to clean up your back yard or property this spring.
1: Prune Damaged and Dead Branches
Your shrubs and trees have probably been damaged by wind, snow and cold so the first order of business is pruning. Use a handsaw for branches larger than ½ inch in diameter and prune back to the live stem. Use a hand pruner to shape your hedges. Electric shears are definitely easier but these leave a thick outer growth that makes it impossible for sufficient air and sunlight to reach the middle of the shrub.
Stay away from flowers and plants that bloom in the spring such as forsythia and prune them once they flower. Don’t be tempted to do any Tree Lopping Newcastle because this will simply expose your trees to potential rot, decay and disease. You are better off calling an arborist to help you take care of larger dead or damaged tree branches and general pruning.
2: Divide and Cut Perennials Where Necessary
Prune your ornamental grasses to about 2 or 3 inches and 4 to 5 inches for height for your flowering perennials. The idea here is to allow for new growth. Check for areas where the soil has already thawed and dig up the perennials such as daylilies. Divide them into separate clumps of about three stems each. Use the excess to fill out any empty areas. This is also a good time to cut damaged rose canes about an inch below the black area.
3: Clean Areas around Plants
Rake dead foliage, fallen leaves and other debris from around the plant. This debris can create an ideal environment for disease and smother your plants if left unattended. Remove the old mulch once the ground has completely thawed and prepare for new mulch. Clean up your borders and flowerbeds and fertilize plants if necessary. The spring rain helps to sink the fertilizer into the plant’s roots.
4: Make Compost
Create new compost using spent foliage, old mulch, cuttings, leaves and other organic debris that you have collected during clean-up. You can use inexpensive wire fence to make a rudimentary corral. It is necessary to chip branches bigger than ½ inch in diameter and shred the leaves to speed up the decomposition process. Turn the pile once every two weeks and keep it moist.
5: Spruce up Your Lawn
Test the soil PH levels so you know any changes you need to make before the grass starts growing again. Remove any damaged grass and prepare the patch for new planting. Plant the new seeds immediately you see forsythia begin to bloom.
6: Clean Up Your Hardscape
Clean up the patio and walkways of any debris and fill in depressed areas with new gravel. Now is also a good time to refill flagstone joints and repair pavers. Use a pressure washer to clean your walkways and hardscapes and to remove leaf stains and algae spots.
7: Repair Fences
Finally, remove damaged or rotting lattice, boards and pickets. Scrub the wooden fence using water, bleach and liquid mild soap. Replace any damaged areas and repaint the fence as necessary.
DIY spring clean up property is a hard job and you might need some help especially with tending to your plants. Call an Arborist Newcastle or tree service to help you with your trees and shrubs for the best result. Some jobs are often best left to the professional.
For more information about hiring the Tree Services team for the job – go to https://branchmanagement.com.au/contact/ or Phone: 02 4984 6996 or Mobile: 0419 289 223
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