Spring Garden Cleanup Checklist

How Do I Clean My Garden In The Spring?

Prepare Your Spring Garden Cleanup Checklist

Spring is here. Bask in the sunshine by getting outside in your backyard. Start with a little physical activity by completing a list of outside chores. Now is the time to get them out of the way. Pull out your spring garden cleanup checklist and begin. 

The following are 7 yard clean ups to tackle before gardening this summer. By clearing the clutter you prepare the space for some soon to start late spring planting. 

Depending on the size of your land, the work outside of your house can take up to three hours or less. If you have more people in your home do this as a family unit, be active, and get it done quicker. 

What Do I Need To Clean Before Gardening?

7 Yard Clean Ups Before Late Spring Gardening

1. Rake The Leaves

Start off by cleaning up your property. Pick up any branches and twigs. Rake up all the leaves and gather them together. Depending on the size of the garden you are growing this year, gather a bunch of leaves and put them to the side for later. 

The remainder of the leaves can be collected and placed into bags for yard waste collection. Rake the front and the back of your home. We have a maple tree at the front of our house so there are plenty of leaves to collect. 

What Do You Do With The Leaves In The Spring?

2. Use Leaves For Compost

The leaves that you have put aside are to be used for this purpose. This is for setting up garden soil. More details are coming up soon. For now, gather up all your leaves and save enough to use for composting. Put them away in a compost bin.

Rake up all the leaves, as suggested in number 1 item on your clean up checklist. If you have a compost bin, place the leaves inside to decompose. That is all you need to do for now if you plan on doing your spring garden cleanup checklist this week. 

When Should I Prune My Trees?

Third Week Of March To The First Week Of April

3. Pruning Trees

There is a specific time frame that is good to prune your trees and items in your backyard. Now is that time. From now, the third week of March, until the first week of April is early spring. You want to do the pruning before the onset of new growth. Pruning helps with growth in the spring and removing any unwanted twigs or branches.

The timing of pruning is important. They are less at risk of tree pests or diseases while they are still dormant. Pruning after the recommended date puts them in exposure to diseases and can open the possibility of infection. 

Not all trees are pruned at the same time. Before you prune your trees check that the kind of tree you have is suited to be cleaned up at this time. Not all pruning happens exactly at the same time, based on the kind of tree you have.

4. Organize Your Shed Before Late Spring

Cleaning up the shed and organizing all your things helps you keep everything in an orderly fashion. It is easy to access anything you need and items are not just laying one on top of each other. Throw away things that you know are useless and belong in the garbage. Make space in your shed so that when you buy garden supplies, there is a place for them. 

5. Turn The Soil In The Garden

Turn your garden soil to soften it up and aerate it so that it is welcoming to earthworms. The soil gets packed down over the winter and this will also make it easier to amend your soil. Mix it around so that when it comes time to garden the soil is ready for planting vegetables. All you really want to do with the soil is to make sure that you break up nicely and that it is softer than when you started.

6. Add Top Soil To The Sod

-Level The Land

It is necessary to spread an even layer of top soil on your lawn every spring so that the grass continues to have a good foundation. It helps add nutrients as well as offers an opportunity to level out any uneven areas in your yard that develop over time. It also lays the groundwork for the the next step. You can use either a spade shovel or a pitchfork to turn the soil.

7. Sow Grass Seeds

For those who have patches in their grass like we do, you can start sowing grass seeds in another week of so. However, wait until the first week of April. A healthy lawn is a lush lawn which makes it difficult for weeds to take root.

When Should I Start Cleaning My Garden In The Spring?

In Summary-Spring Garden Cleanup Checklist

Choose A Nice Sunny Day

Typically late March is the ideal time for a full garden cleanup. The weekend is going to be a good time to get work done and clean up the front and back of our home. This is the best time to declutter and prepare for the coming gardening seasons. 

Enjoy completing your spring garden checklist.

March 24, 2022