How To Create A Garden Cleanup Plan

Having a garden and taking care of it is wonderful. You can spend your free time nurturing your plants, enjoying hot summer days under the shade of your trees, and relaxing by doing all garden related tasks. To keep your garden in the best condition possible, it is advisable to do a thorough cleanup at least once a year. This is why we have created this useful guide on creating a garden cleanup plan.

When is the right time for a garden cleanup?

Dealing with a garden is one of the most beautiful things you can do. It has been proven that when you work in your garden, the ground injects you with serotonin, the hormone of happiness. This means that you will experience lower stress levels and feel much more content in your life. This is why it is important to do everything in its own time and respect nature in your backyard.

The best time for a garden clean-up is in spring. However, you should not start cleaning up your garden until the ground dries up a little bit. Also, you should wait until the temperature is at or above 50F as some species are still in a hibernation state before that, so removing anything from the garden might hurt them.

Make a to-do list

What is it exactly that you want to do with the garden? Many people believe that they just want to clean their garden, and when they start, they realize that they have several other projects in mind as well. While nothing is wrong with this, it is more useful and efficient to write down every single thing you want to do, think about what you will need to do it, and then just accomplish one thing at a time.

Making a to-do list is a great way to create a garden cleanup plan, as it will guide you through the entire process.

Gather the right gardening tools and equipment

When you are about to clean your garden, it is essential that you have everything that you need within your hand’s reach. Starting to do something only to realize that you don`t have the right equipment for it is a motivation killer, and it will postpone the entire project. Here is what you will need to clean your garden perfectly.

• Trimmer
• Brush
• Weeder
• Lawnmower
• Gloves
• Bag
• Knife set

Start by pruning

You can start your garden cleanup process by pruning the shrubs. After winter, pruning the shrubs is an ideal step as it will stimulate new growth. Just be careful not to trim the shrubs at this point, as you may cut the buds and prevent growth. If you are not sure how to do that properly, you can always hire a professional tree pruning company.

Remove the mulch

Before winter, if you have applied mulch or any other type of protection to the ground, now is the time to remove it. Warmer weather enables your plants to thrive on their own, so the sensitive plants do not need a protective coat over them anymore. Instead of mulch, some people use plant cones or windscreens, so you can remove these as well.

Remove any thick leaves from the ground

A common situation that you encounter while cleaning up your garden is plenty of leaves on the flower bed. These leaves should not be removed as they help the soil be healthier. The decomposing leaves also feed the plants on the ground, so having this layer of protection is beneficial.

However, you should pay close attention to the number of leaves that are covering the ground. Thick, heavy layers of leaves will not help the plants grow and thrive. Instead, they will inhibit growth. Hence, you should remove the thick layers of leaves and leave some leaves on the ground for protection.

Remove the dead annual plants

If you had annual plants, after winter, you should pull them out from the ground. Due to snow and harsh winter temperatures, these plants will not regrow. Some of the most popular annual plants are petunias, begonias, geraniums, and marigolds.

And the vegetables, if you have any

It may happen that you haven`t removed all the vegetables from last year. Now is the time to pull them out with roots. In this way, you are making paths for new vegetables to plant. You should pull their roots from the ground and throw them away. You can also leave them to decompose in a bag and use that as mulch later on.

Take care of the perennial plants as well

When it comes to perennial plants, you should only dead leaves from them. Put the gloves on your hands and remove all the dead leaves you find on the plants. If you miss any, don`t worry, it is important that you remove most of them. This will stimulate further growth in a plant.

Take care of weeds

Removing the weeds from the ground is an essential part of the garden cleanup process. You can pull out the weeds while the soil is still wet from the snow. If you do it like this, it will be easier to pull them out from the ground.

Clean your lawn

Throughout the year, when the weather permits it, you should mow your lawn. Keeping the grass levels neat will make your garden look flawless. Also, make sure to remove any larger branches or leaves from that area of the garden.

Clean the garden furniture

Soon you will be able to open the season of staying in the garden the whole day long. For this, you will need to clean the garden furniture that has not been in use throughout the winter period. You can use any cleanser that you normally use for the type of furniture that you have. Chairs, swings, tables should be cleaned so that you can use them on an everyday basis.

Garden cleanup does require some time to be done properly, but having in mind that the garden is one of the most beautiful parts of our home, it is definitely worth every second. Enjoy the process, and nurture your garden in the best way possible with our useful tips. If you are looking for professional local tree services, do not hesitate to reach out!