Turns out, the groundhogs may have been correct! Early Spring appears to have sprung, with evenings getting longer, and weather getting warmer. It is the perfect time to give your outdoor living space a “Spring Clean” to prepare for growing season. Below we have complied a list of 10 common jobs that will have your yard ready for the busy summer months ahead!
Power Wash your Patio and Paving
A very effective, and quick, way of freshening up your outdoor living space is power washing your patios, decks, walls and paved areas. Greenworks has a wide range of pressure washers, cleaners and accessories that gives the most power for even the toughest cleaning jobs. From mildew on siding to that stubborn grime, or build up of moss in the patio stones, a power wash is a great way to clean safely and without breaking your back.
Time to Clean Those Gutters
Since you already have the pressure washer out, why not take the time to clear out those gutters? After an autumn of falling leaves and a winter of more debris, it’s important to clean them out to keep them working properly, especially before those Spring showers show up.
You can get rid of the build-up using your hands (make sure to use safety goggles and gloves when doing so) or use a gutter cleaning attachment on your pressure washer for even easier cleaning.
Wash Your Windows
What better way to watch the increased daylight hours than through clean windows? In our opinion, washing your outdoor windows should be near the top of your Spring-Cleaning List. Not only does it help bring extra light in, but cleaning helps to also protect your window frames from unwanted buildup of grime and cobwebs. For those harder to reach upper level windows, we have second-storey nozzle attachments to help get them sparkling clean. Don’t forget to vacuum out those windowsills inside and out!
Prepare to Prune
March is the time to start cutting away dead growth to allow for the new growing season. Whether you have a little or a lot of pruning, cutting and deadheading, make sure you have all the tools you need to work through it all during this time of year. From simple shear-shrubbers, to hedge trimmers and pole saws, there are many options to help.
Trimming Hedges
Did you know your hedges start to grow in March? And they keep growing until the middle of summer! A little work now goes a long way to keep them tidy and looking their best all season long. While hedge clippers are perfect for a small hedge, purchasing a good hedge trimmer or multi-tool is well worth the investment. There are many options that include rotating handles, and detachable heads, allowing you to use the right tool for the job every time. Not to mention saving you time and money!
Promote New Growth
Early Spring is a great time to really refresh your overgrown shrubs, helping to promote new, healthy growth. It allows the branches to heal from the cuts before warmer weather arrives and encourages growth. Spring also makes it easier to identify any tree branches that may have sustained damage, or even disease, over the winter months.
Dethatching the Lawn
Did you know that your lawn needs a little Spring cleaning just like your home? While the home needs removing of dirt, grime and dust buildup, your lawn needs help eliminating thatch buildup (that layer of yellow grass underneath the growing green surface) that may be depriving you lawn’s root system of water, air, and nutrients that it desperately needs to stay hardy and lush.
The best time of year to dethatch your lawn relies on the type of grass you have. If you happen to have warm-season grasses (for example: Bermuda, Bahia and St. Augustine), the better time to dethatch would be the late Spring to early Summer.
However, if you have cold-season grasses, as many of us Canadians do, early Spring or before the colder weather sets in, in the Fall, would be the best time to break out that dethatcher! Regardless, Spring is always one of the best times to dethatch your lawn, no matter the type.
Cultivate Your Gardens
Did you know, cultivating is actually a combination of two things? It is used to remove weeds from your garden, and it loosens the soil to improve its retention and penetration of air, water, and nutrients. By cultivating your soil in the early Spring, you can accomplish both at the same time. Also, cultivated soil makes it easy for newly germinated seeds to sprout through the soil surface. Not to mention, a cultivated garden looks neat and fresh.
Make sure your soil is dry before cultivating, and plan to do it before seeding for the season. A good practice would be to do a shallow cultivating whenever you top dress the soil with compost or fertilizers, allowing the top crust of the soil to loosen and integrate with the added nutrients.
Leaf Blowers and Edgers
Once the snow disappears, we often see a lot of debris lying around. While a quick raking is all you may need, for the lawn, those pesky decaying leaves may need some additional help. Not to mention the left-over salt, sand, and grime from those icy winter months.
Once the drive and pathways are cleared, you may notice the moss, and grass, have started to encroach into spaces they shouldn’t be. Having edging tools will help get those clean lines and clear pathways.
One Last Sweep
Your vacuum cleaner is the probably the most versatile tool in your Spring-Cleaning arsenal and if you are only using it on your floors, you’re missing out on some cleaning power! Not only can you use it on your mattresses, curtains, and window casings, but you can clean out your cars or even your shaggy dog, who is shedding their winter fur.
The trick to making the most of your vacuum is in the attachments. Many vacuums come with a few to start you off, but add-on attachments are often available for purchase – just make sure to check compatibility with your unit.
Another looked over unit is your wet/dry vac. Spring showers, bring May flowers is not just a clever rhyme. With the soggy weather comes puddles, or even floods. It’s handy to have one of these compact units on hand for any mess that springs up!
Thank you for reading out Top 10 Tips for giving your space a Spring Clean! If you have any questions reach out to us on social media!