11 Landscaping Spring Cleanup Tips for an Awesome Lawn and Backyard
1. Fill in Cracks
If you have walkways in your backyard, you might want to make sure they’re not cracked. That’s because those cracks are the perfect environment for weeds to grow. Not to mention the fact that they ruin the appearance of the concrete. It’s true, filling in the cracks is not as good as redoing your entire walkway, but doing that every time you notice a couple of cracks it’s pretty unrealistic. Unless there are a lot of cracks in the concrete, filling them in will have to do.2. Remove Clutter
Since we’re talking about a spring cleanup, removing clutter is one of the most important steps. Usually, people tend to organize and declutter their home, but not so much their backyard and lawn. This year, try to take a closer look at it and see if there are any things that you don’t need there or things that you can throw out. Some examples would be pots that you don’t use but left there in case you ever will, random toys that your children or pets left in the backyard, different tools that you can’t find a proper place for, and so on.3. Organize the Backyard Shed
If you own a backyard shed, now it’s time for a little bit of spring cleanup and organization. We all have certain things stored in our outdoor sheds that we know we’re not going to use anymore, but we still keep just in case. This spring, you can try getting rid of everything you have no use for. This will also help you make more room for things you found lying around the backyard and couldn’t find a spot for. You could also think of some new ways of storing tools and other items that will help you reach them faster and save space at the same time. Before reorganizing everything, make sure you clean the area thoroughly since it’s not one you clean as often as others.4. Clean Your Lawn
In the case of spring cleanup for your lawn, there are two ways in which you can do it, depending on the type of lawn you have. If you have an artificial grass lawn, there isn’t much you have to do. As long as you spray it down using a hose and then fluff it up with a handled brush or broom, it will look beautiful and lush. The cleaning will remove the dust and debris on it, and provide your artificial lawn with an as-new look. If your lawn is made of natural grass, things change a little bit. What you have to do is dethatch it. If you’ve never done this, don’t worry, we’re going to explain how it’s done. The first thing you have to do is set your lawn mower to cut shorter than usual. Then, dethatch the lawn by using a convex rake. Keep in mind that this will take some effort. If you want to make things easier, there are places where you can rent a power rake, such as an equipment rental yard or a home improvement center. While dethatching, you’re going to pull up quite a lot of debris. Use a rake to remove it, and your lawn will look as new.5. Aerate the Lawn
Natural lawns require more maintenance than artificial ones. For instance, another thing you should include in your spring cleanup list if you own a natural grass lawn is lawn aeration. There are people who aerate the lawn instead of dethatching it, while others consider that both practices done together help the lawn look even better. If you want to be on the safe side, we recommend aerating the lawn. This will allow air to flow better and water to reach the soil faster. In turn, the lawn will become much healthier. As an extra tip, if you notice the lawn is patchy or there are dead patches of grass ruining its overall aspect, you should reseed whatever you can from the lawn. This will help it look better for summer.6. Fertilize the Lawn
When it comes to taking care of the lawn, the last step you should be aware of is fertilizing it. This is especially effective after you’ve aerated it because the nutrients will reach the soil faster and deeper. Fertilizing the lawn will make it healthier and more beautiful. We have already covered which fertilizer you will need.7. Clean the Outdoor Furniture
Another thing that you have to get ready for spring and summer is your backyard furniture. Whether you’ve left it outside and simply covered it with something, or you’ve stored it away for the winter, you’re going to have to clean it before using it again. Not only that, but you should also use this opportunity to see if there’s anything that needs fixing, repainting, and so on. In terms of spring cleanup for furniture, depending on its material, you can use a garden hose to spray it down, and then wash whatever cushions you have separately. For special types of furniture, look up the best way to clean them beforehand.8. Clean Out Borders and Flowerbeds
If your backyard also serves as a garden, and you have flowerbeds and borders where you normally grow plants, you should know that you have to clean them as well. That’s because rain and snow probably brought debris and leaves into them. Leaves can actually serve as a natural fertilizer, so you don’t have to clean them. Still, there are people who can’t stand the way they look. If you’re one of them, you can either clean them or add some wood chips or mulch on top of them.9. Check the Lighting
If you have outdoor lighting (which you should), this is as perfect a time as any to inspect it. Maybe there are bulbs that don’t work anymore, in which case you’ll have to replace them and throw away the old ones. Maybe the wiring needs repairing, which might take longer, depending on the damage. In terms of wire repairing, we advise you to call a specialist instead of attempting to do it yourself, especially if you’ve never done it before and the issue seems complicated. The bulbs and globes that provide your backyard with light also need cleaning. This is something many people overlook. If you want them to work at their full capacity, you’re going to have to help them do so.10. Clean Grilling Tools
A lot of people like to barbecue in their backyard, which means they also own a grill and grill tools. Since barbecuing in winter is difficult (for most people), spring cleaning should also focus on getting the grill ready for all those spring barbecues you’ll throw. Think about the fact that you’ll be using those tools to handle food, which means you have to pay extra attention to how you clean them. Apart from making them squeaky clean again, you might also have to get rid of rust. The best way to do this is to get some aluminum foil and scrub the tools with it.11. Clean the Cleaning Tools
The last tip we have for you today is something not many people think of when considering spring cleanup. Some of the things that get the dirtiest when we clean our lawn and backyard are the tools we use for cleaning. Which is why once you’re done cleaning the entire backyard, you should take some time to clean the tools you’ve used before storing them away. This way, when you’ll need them again, you won’t have to waste time cleaning them, because they’ll already be clean.How Can Gardening Games Help with Spring Cleanup in the Lawn and Backyard?
Spring cleanup in the lawn and backyard can be made more enjoyable with gardening games for kids. These games introduce children to the world of gardening while teaching them valuable skills. By making yard work interactive and fun, these games help kids develop an interest in nature and encourage them to actively participate in beautifying their outdoor spaces.