Time for Spring Yard Cleanup

It’s the time of year to start cleaning up your yard and get ready for the hot and humid summer months in Des Moines. You will want to wait until it is above 50 degrees for 7 days consecutively.

Here is a list of things to do when starting your home’s Spring cleaning in your home’s yard.

1. Clean up debris

First things first: Take care of any big debris that might be laying around the yard. Do you have any large sticks or branches that have fallen off of trees in recent storms? If so, you’ll want to remove those. Make sure to also remove any piles of leaves that may have accumulated around fences and in the corners of your yard.

2. Reinstall discharge hose for sump pumps

Purchase a new 1 ½” discharge line if it’s broken, crushed or has any holes. Pull caps of buried discharges and remove debris.

3. Clear out the garden

Now that you’ve cleaned up the debris in the yard, let’s take a look at your flower and garden beds. Remove any weeds and replace any broken dividers.

You want your flowers to have a nice place to grow, free of any harmful weeds. Place fresh mulch around flowers, consider adding a weed guard fabric, and remove any flowers that are dead and won’t be coming back. If your flowers will be coming back, make sure to prune off any dead or dying branches.

4. Handle pets and pests

During winter, your yard may have accumulated pet waste that needs to be removed. Before you get too far into the summer landscaping process, make sure to clean up and throw away any pet waste.

As you clean up pet waste, take the time to look for any unwanted pests that you may need to take care of, like wasps or rodents.

5. Mow the grass

Now that you’ve gotten the big debris out of the way and made sure your flower and garden beds are nicely divided, it’s time to mow the lawn.

6. Cut out crabgrass

If your yard is full of crabgrass remove and use a weed killer.

7. Reseed any bare spots

Once your grass is freshly mowed and you’ve cleared debris away, are you seeing any muddy spots or patches of dead or dying grass? If so, you might need to reseed these spots so that new grass can grow.

8. De-winterize your sprinkler system

Speaking of sprinkler systems, if you haven’t already, make sure that your sprinkler system is de-winterized and ready to go this season.

9. Clean off patios and walkways

Now that the yard is looking great, make sure to clean off patios and walkways. We recommend using a leaf blower to clear any leftover debris from your patio, followed by a power washer to really make a difference.

10.  Check outdoor lighting

Are your outdoor lights in good working order? Do any bulbs need to be replaced?

11. Mend fences

A solid fence is extra important in the warm weather when pets can get out and little critters, like rabbits or stray cats, can get in. Now’s the time to replace missing or broken boards and repair any other issues with your fence. If the paint on your fence is chipping off, think about repainting before it gets too hot! Another option is replacing your fence entirely with a modern style to give your whole home a facelift!

If a fence just isn’t your style but you have a dog (or want to get one this summer!), consider installing an invisible fence instead—it’s the best of both worlds.

12. Take care of your soil

Part of keeping your lawn healthy is the regular maintenance work of soil aeration and fertilization.

13. Prune trees and shrubs

If your shrubs or trees have dead or dying branches, make sure to remove those as soon as possible. Removing the dead and dying parts of the trees and shrubs will make it easier for the shrub or tree to grow new branches.

14. Mulch your garden beds

Make sure to mulch around your trees and garden beds to protect from weeds.

15. Clean off patio furniture

If your metal and plastic outdoor furniture needs a good clean, mix a generous amount of dish liquid soap with warm water in a bucket. Then spray the furniture down with a hose. Using a nylon scrub brush, wash the chairs with the solution; then rinse thoroughly. Cut the drying time by tipping the furniture on its side in the grass to let the water drain off.

16. Clean out window wells

Clear out debris, shop vac if needed, make sure the drain is working properly and replace or rearrange gravel.

17. Gutter clean out

Clear out any debris, remove clogs, flush the gutters out and fix any gutter leaks.

While doing all of the spring exterior cleanup also take a look at downspouts to make sure they are directed away from home or garage. Take note of pooling water in yards or window wells. If noticing any water leaking into the basement when doing gutter clean out or window well cleanout, don’t hesitate to give BAM Basements and Masons of Des Moines a call to come out and provide a free estimate for all your basement waterproofing needs or Egress Window needs. We proudly serve Des Moines and surrounding areas.