There is always a lot to do around the yard and garden when spring arrives, and now is the time to do a little planning so you are ready when the chores start to pile up. Here are a few of the first chores you want to be ready for when spring arrives.
Check for Winter Damage
One of the first things you should get out and do when then snow has finally passed is to take a walk around to take stock of any damage. Pick up stray branches from the yard, and find out if there are any patches of grass that didn't survive the snow. Trellises or plant supports should be fixed up at too.
It's a good idea to keep an eye on the house while you're inspecting too, not just your gardens. Loose siding or shingles, cracked window frames, sagging gutters or peeling paint should all be fixed up to minimize further weather damage.
Don't Start Too Early
Though it is really tempting to get started when spring arrives, you need to have a little patience for the serious work. The soil and turf are going to still be quite soggy and will be damaged if you put a lot of wear on it. A little walking around is fine but hold off on the machinery until things dry up.
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Garden and Lawn Machine Maintenance
Make sure your tools and machines are in good working order before you actually need to start using them. Gas-powered equipment should be started up, oil changed and tanks topped up with fresh fuel. Sharpen your mower blades, and any other hand tools that could use a new edge.
Soil Aeration
Not all lawns need to be aerated, but if you are dealing with a heavy layer of compacted dead grass on the surface, it can really jump-start your spring growth. It's a process of puncturing small holes into the thatch to break it up and to allow better air flow through the sod. You can rent aerating attachments that you can run behind a riding lawn mower to do the job. Check your garden supply center to see about renting one.
Seed and Feed
If you find sections of your lawn with dead grass, give it a generous re-seeding in the spring. As the weather warms up, the seed will germinate and the brown patches will be gone in no time. While you are at it, you can do an overall fertilizer treatment and possible apply any products to deal with crabgrass if that is a problem in your area.
Organize and Plan Your Seeds
Until it warms up enough to get seeds in the ground, you can get ready by making final decisions on what you are going to plant this year and ordering any seeds you need. Work out a rough schedule on when everything needs to be planted. Some things will germinate best if planted before you have that last hard frost and you don't want to miss that time frame by waiting until it's warm. Also, by making up a plan, you should eliminate all that panic that comes in the spring when you are trying to manage and plant too many things all at once.
