4 steps to take now to enjoy your yard through spring and summer
Welcoming warmer weather means saying hello to what winter left behind in our yards and gardens - messy garden beds, dead plants, leftover fall leaves, sticks and limbs all need attention.
Posted — UpdatedWelcoming warmer weather means saying hello to what winter left behind in our yards and gardens – messy garden beds, dead plants, leftover fall leaves, sticks and limbs all need attention.
Follow these steps to ready your yard for outdoor fun in the spring and summer.
Tune up your tools
“One of the first things you want to do in spring is make sure all of your equipment is ready for the year. So, lawnmower, string trimmer, leaf blower, all of those might need a tune-up," says Paul Hope of Consumer Reports
Clear out the old
Clear any debris from the yard before you mow and trim, especially any leftover leaves from the fall.
Hope says, “You want to clear them before grass starts growing in the spring. That’s because if you have a dense bed of leaves anywhere on your lawn it’s actually gonna black out the sunlight and keep the grass from growing properly.”
Use dead leaves to feed new growth
Compost, or better yet, mulch leaves with your mower or tractor. The churned-up clippings will feed your lawn and reduce any needed fertilizer.
Give bees a break with No Mow May
Hope sayd, “No Mow May is a chance to let small flowering plants have a chance to grow and help out pollinators.”
If you don’t need a lot of lawn space, set aside a portion of your yard to grow just wildflowers or plant a pollinator garden.
Another pollinator-friendly tip from Consumer Reports: Avoid chemical fertilizers and herbicides. They can get absorbed into your soil or eventually enter the water table and threaten the survival of pollinators — not only on your property but also throughout your community.
Enjoy the outdoors
Finally, take in all your hard work, and don’t forget to enjoy your outdoor space this spring and beyond!
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