As the spring season in North and South Carolina draws closer, you may start to see some grasses turning green and buds on the trees. It’s time to start preparing your lawns and garden to flourish in the spring and summer months. Read on to learn the steps to cleaning up our yard in spring so you can enjoy its beauty all season long.
Trim Your Trees
Trees are an important part of your yard’s ecosystem and need care and keeping up just like your flowers and shrubs. If you notice lots of hanging and dead branches, they can make your yard look untidy but can also be a safety risk if they fall. Trimming the trees also encourages growth and can establish a larger canopy. It’s time to remove any dead branches and those unruly new growths to tidy up your trees.
But before investing in a tree trimming project, do a detailed inspection to know what should be removed and what needs to stay. You’re better off removing the diseased branches, low branches, and small-shaded branches that don’t get enough sunlight. You may be able to trim smaller trees and low branches, but larger projects should be left to the professionals.
Clean Up the Shrubs
While many shrubs and plants are dormant during the winter in the Carolinas, by the time spring arrives, you may notice dead branches that need to be cut. Or unruly growth that leads to poorly shaped shrubs. You can trim hedges and shrubs with electric shears or pruning scissors. If your azaleas need cleaning up, you will need to wait until after they bloom to start trimming.
Prepare your Lawn
After the winter, your South and North Carolina yard will need proper maintenance and cleanup to be ready for spring growth. Start by raking up your yard to remove organic debris and remnant leaves, allowing your lawn to get adequate sunlight and start growing again. You need to be gentle on your lawn when raking, so it’s wise to use a leaf rake instead of a hard garden rake. This will help protect any new grass that has begun to grow. Inspect your lawn for compacted areas or spaces with excessive thatch. Ensure you dethatch or aerate such areas before you start planting.
Apply Weed Killer and Fertilizer
To keep your yard green and lively, apply fertilizer and weed killer to your lawn. Fertilizer is necessary for augmenting and fastening the growth process of trees and plants because it feeds them with the necessary nutrition. Weed killers are necessary for killing crabgrass and related weeds that stagnate the growth of your newly planted spring trees and plants. Apply both the weed killer and fertilizer at least once every six weeks.
Prepare your Garden Beds for Spring Planting
Removing any dead plants, leaves and other debris is an important step in getting your garden beds ready. After the last frost, is a good time to inspect perennial plants and begin dividing any that are overcrowded. Adding fertilizer to your beds and borders will help you get maximum growth from old and new plants. Applying mulch to your garden beds now will also prevent weeds from overtaking before you get your spring plants in.