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Mulching, Fall and Spring CleanupSeasonal cleanup, whether it's for the spring or fall seasons, is no small feat. It's a good idea to get a head start on the process and get your lawns and gardens prepared for the growth spurt.
Pruning Trees and Shrubs If you look closely, you'll be able to identify sections of trees and shrubs that have been killed or severely damaged by the harsher elements of winter seasons. These sections are naturally colored, with brown sections indicating areas that are dead or are dying, while green represents sections still in good health. Carefully trim these sections off until only the live portions remain. Timing is the most critical component when it comes to pruning - incorrect timing runs the risk of reduced blossoming. For shrubs that flower during summer, pruning should be done before the buds start to grow and swell. Buds will generally grow on the newer branches that form during the spring season, so older branches can be pruned away first. For shrubs that flower during spring, wait until after the flowers have grown to begin the pruning process. Spring shrubs generally already have their buds in place and are ready to grow once warmer weather arrives. Cutting Grass and Perennials The ideal height for perennials is around 4-5 inches, while lawns and ornamental grasses should be kept in the 2-4 inch range. Sometimes perennial beds become crowded in which case you can dig up the more crowded sections and transplant them to less dense sections. Any dead stalks should be removed - often times, scissors will work better this process compared to pruners. Cleaning Beds and Borders It's inevitable that leaves will have fallen and drifted into your garden and flower beds. As part of the spring cleanup process, we'll rake away all of the dead matter and help redefine the borders for your gardens. Sometimes, due to the neighborhood, there may be trash, litter, and even dog feces on your property. Our experts will handle all of the dirty work for you and handle these unpleasant experiences in the safest manner (removal of animal feces from the property is best handled by experts as they may contain pathogens). Even if your yard doesn't have any of the above problems, it's still prudent to do a deep raking for your lawn as it prevents any potential for thatch build-up. Preparing Cleaned Beds, Fertilizing, and Mulching For perennial beds that grew well and were healthy in previous seasons, adding some extra compost as a natural, slow-acting fertilizer will help to promote the same results. Make sure to do the same for the entirety of the garden and yard, not just for select flower beds. All plants will receive some benefit from thin compost layers right as spring comes around. Using compost as your fertilizer choice also prevents any risk of burning your plants, which may occur if an excess amount of chemical fertilizers are utilized. If ground was broken to create new planting beds, a combination of mulching and landscape fabric should be quickly applied to prevent weed growth. Straw is a preferred mulching material but, in general, any choice will be a powerful method to reduce the amount of maintenance required to keep the yard weed-free. One added benefit of using a combination of mulch and landscape fabric is that the mulch will serve as UV protection for the fabric. Cleaning and Repairing Hardscape Harsher elements may have displaced parts of your hardscape. For pavers that have been displaced, take them out first before attempting reinserting replacement base material. Joints between flagstones and tiles may have eroded over time and should have replacement material, such as sand, swept in and set in place with water from a hose. Loose gravel should raked and returned into aggregate walking areas. If too much gravel has been lost or removed, get additional supply to fill in areas that could be dangerous due to large holes or ruts. 
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