Yard Clean Up Tips

In this article you will learn to simplify our yard clean up.

It’s true, there is a never ending list of clean up chores in the yard.

And, it only makes sense to search for more efficient techniques.

So, today we bring to you, the top 10 yard clean up tips.

Whether it is spring, or fall clean up. You will want to use these clean up tips in your yard.

Now for yard clean up tip #1!!

Yard Clean Up Tip #1- Use the Right Tools

It’s true, no matter the job. The right tool can make an otherwise difficult task a walk in the park.

That is why the first yard clean up tip is to use the right tool for the job!

Simple enough, but what if you don’t know what the right tool is?

The wonderful thing about the internet is that you can learn to do just about anything a little bit better. Whether it is the best methods for removing gophers from the lawn, or simply how to more efficiently mulch your garden beds.

If you don’t know what the right tool for your yard clean up task is, or you are trying to do something that you have never done before. I recommend that you check on Youtube, and definitely check out step #2.

Yard Clean Up Tip #2- Leaf Clean Up Tips

It’s no secret. Second only to mowing the lawn. Leaf clean up is perhaps the biggest yard clean up task that there is!

Although it is only once a year, leaf clean up can be brutal. Trees can quickly cover a lawn in inches of leaves in the fall months.

Get this, there are some easy leaf cleaning tips that will make your fall yard clean up much simpler. Here is one of them!

Use a Tarp

So many people don’t know this, and just default to using a wheelbarrow. But tarps are one of the best investments a homeowner can make when it comes to simplifying your yard clean up. Whether it is leaves or pruned branches, using a medium sized tarp can cut hours of time from all of your yard clean up tasks.

Seriously, unless you can afford to rent a commercial leaf vacuum. A tarp is a valuable asset for all of your leaf litter clean up.

That is a difference of $225 and 1 hour of labor for planting 50 plants.

Even if you have a great leaf blower, you can only blow piles of leaves so far. In my experience it is best to blow fall leaves into large piles, and then rake them onto a tarp. From there you can drag the leaves to the farthest edges of your property, or to the street with ease.

Yard Clean Up Tip #3- Mulch to Avoid Weeds

It’s true, no one has ever said mulching is “mulch ado about nothing”. Not just because that is not how the saying goes, but because mulching is an essential seasonal task. Mulching will save you countless hours of yard clean up.

How?

A fresh thick layer of mulch will prevent weeds from sprouting in your garden beds, and it even helps retain water.

I don’t know about you, but one of my least favorite yard clean up tasks is weeding garden beds. Simply put, mulching your garden bed in the early spring and late fall will help cut hours out of your yard clean up regiment.

Bonus Weed Control Tip:

Every weed that can be prevented from growing is time saved. That is why I wanted to tell you that if you want even less weeds in your garden beds, you can use a pre-emergent. Corn gluten is a cheap, effective and organic pre-emergent which can be applied each time you mulch. It also works in the yard to prevent dandelions too!

Yard Clean Up Tip #4 Keep Those Gutters Clean

One of the most easily overlooked yard clean up tasks is cleaning the gutters.

It’s true, it is easy to overlook your gutters. It’s a yard clean up task which is literally over your head. But failing to clean your gutters every year can cause damage to your roof, and lead to premature rot.

There are two methods you can use on your gutters to simplify the chore:

Method One: Use a Leaf Blower

Look, this one comes with a disclaimer. If you need to clean the gutters. You should hire a pro. It’s no secret, getting up on the ladder can be dangerous if you don’t do it right. Especially if you are bringing a leaf blower on the ladder with you.

That is why I don’t recommend it!

But there is a better way. There are kits you can attach to your leaf blower. With the right leaf blower attachments you can blow the leaves out of your gutters a literal breeze! Get this, these leaf blower kits come with parts that can allow you to blow out your gutters, while you stand on the ground.

Method Two: Use Gutter Guards

Do you want to eliminate gutter clean up from your yard clean up list entirely?

Then you may want to look into installing gutter guards. Gutter guards are a screen that can be easily installed on top of your gutters. They will allow water to flow through, while keeping leaves out of the gutter!

Be Aware! Although gutter guards can keep most leaves out, they may still collect leaves on top of them. Be sure they are installed correctly, and check up on them annually.

Yard Clean Up Tip #5- Prune Bushes and Trees

I can’t express this enough. Pruning your bushes every year is a critical yard clean up tip that too many people overlook. The worst part is that failing to properly maintain your bushes with pruning, can damage them permanently.

You see, when you don’t prune bushes properly, many species of bush or shrub will get thin and long. They just won’t have the thick, full appearance that they ought to. This is especially true of hedge rows. And, once they get out of hand, catching them back up may be more trouble than it is worth.

How do you avoid this?

Pruning. Regularly, and properly.

Yard Clean Up

Tip #6- Tips for the Lawn

You will find a lot of information on GreenPal about how to maintain the lawn in depth. But when it comes to this list of yard clean up tips. I will keep it brief.

Here are the essentials of lawn care:

1. Aerate Bi-annually
2. Overseed Bi-annually.
3. Fertilize the lawn as needed.
4. Cut the lawn regularly.
5. Water as needed.

If you are looking to more yard clean up tips for the lawn, I recommend these lawn mowing tips.

Yard Clean Up Tip #7- Keep Your Edges Sharp

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again.

Maintaining the edges of your lawn and landscape is like adding a frame to an amazing piece of art. Sure the art looks good on it’s own, but add a frame, and it becomes priceless.

In the same way you need to focus on your properties edges while doing any yard clean up.

There are two types of edges. Soft and hard.

A soft edge is anything like your hedges, a woodline or another “edge” that may not be defined by a hard border. Although soft edges should be maintained as well, it’s the hard edges which require very regular maintenance.

A hard edge on the other hand is any edge of the property such as a fence, driveway, walkway, landscape bed edging or curb. These edges must be maintained regularly, and look best when they are defined. Be sure that when you are doing your yard clean up, that you take the time to define any hard edges, as it will make your property look a whole lot better.

Yard Clean Up Tip #8- Start a Compost Pile

One great solution for simplifying your lawn clean up is to start a compost pile.

In my experience, a compost pile is a simple solution to easily dispose of yard waste, and it can save you a lot of time and energy. Rather than having to drag your yard clean up waste to the street, bag it up, or load it into a truck to haul away. You can just move it to your compost pile!

You can add a lot of yard waste to a compost pile including:

1. Small branches.
2. Leaves.
3. Grass clippings.
4. Flower and bush cuttings.
5. Soil from potted plants.

Yard Clean Up Tip #9- Winterize Your Lawn

One of the most important yard clean up steps, in colder climates especially is winterization. This is one step to yard clean up that you do not want to skip out on if your area experiences regular freezing temperatures in winter

Be sure to drain and winterize your irrigation system, disconnect any hoses, and be sure to bring your frost-sensitive plants indoors! The onset of winter is also a good time to add a winter fertilizer which will help your grass grow deeper roots, which will help your lawn survive winter.

Yard Clean Up Tip #10- Spot Problems Early

Look, the last thing anyone wants is a dead branch or tree crashing into their home, or a clogged gutter causing a leak in your roof. That is why one of the most important yard clean up tips is to spot problems early, and act.

Be sure to do an inspection of your property often. Monthly if possible.

Keep an eye out for dead limbs, or trees which may cause issues in the future. Also, keep an eye out for gutters that are clogged or coming loose from the roof. And make sure that there isn’t any organic matter (leaves, soil, etc.) sitting against your foundation which may be causing rot.

This preventative yard clean up step can save you from massive headaches down the road!

Plan Out your Yard Clean Up Strategy

Planning is by far the best way to do just about anything, and yard clean up is absolutely no exception. Fortunately, the tasks required for cleaning up the lawn are fairly straight forward. Most of the clean up tactics are seasonally based.

In the spring you will want to aerate, fertilize, seed and of course begin mowing the lawn!

In the summer your yard clean up will mostly consist of mowing the lawn. But, you also want to water and fertilize as needed.

Fall is easily one of the busiest times of year when it comes to cleaning up the yard. Seriously, autumn is one of the most overwhelming times of year. There is aeration, seeding, fertilizing, cleaning the gutters. Then of course there is the leaves! Fall is also the time of year when you want to conduct most if not all of your winterization.

Winter is pretty easy in most places as far as tasks involved with cleaning up the lawn. If there is anything to do it is shoveling snow as needed, and of course getting the driveway plowed. Winter is an excellent time of year to get all of those indoor chores done.

What’s the Bottom LIne on Cleaning up the Yard?

Yard clean up is pretty straight forward, but there are of course a few easily overlooked tasks. Fortunately you have this guide to help you make sure that you get everything done!

It’s true, that at times cleaning up the yard can be overwhelming. It’s not so much that any one task is difficult, it is just the number of yard clean up tasks required to properly maintain a landscape that can be overwhelming.

That is why you should always have a lawn care pro on deck to help you get things done! If you are looking for lawn care, or landscaping professionals near you. You are in luck. GreenPal can help you connect with lawn care professionals near you today.