Springing Forward

Spring is an exciting and one of the most beautiful times of the year. The days are becoming longer, the weather is getting warmer, you awake to birds chirping in the morning, and spring blooms and lush green plants come alive in your landscape.

After a long winter, your lawn and gardens may be looking a big ragged and dreary. So before you pull out your lawn furniture from storage, get in the “spring spirit” by getting your yard looking spectacular.  Help your lawn, trees and shrubs get off to a healthy growing season with these six luscious landscaping tips:

1. ASSESS YOUR TOOLS:  Check, maintain, sharpen and repair your landscaping tools for a smooth spring and summer experience. This includes your lawnmower, weeding/pruning tools, rake and edger.

2. CLEAN UP:  Clean out dead leaves, branches, trash or anything else that could impair your garden and lawn’s growth. Prune

3. WEED CONTROL:  Uproot any existing weeds you find out of flower beds and check your lawn for any weed growth,  whether they’re leftover stalks from last year or brand-new shoots. Once weeds are clear, DK Landscaping recommends spending between 10-15 minutes a few times per week to prevent new weed growth in your garden.

4. FERTILIZE:  Make sure your early spring fertilizer has less nitrogen and more phosphorus to promote strong roots.  Be sure to keep fertilizer on target to prevent run-off, and sweep fertilizer granules that may reach pavement back onto your lawn. Give your lawn a slow, steady watering about once a week, but adjust depending upon rainfall, grass and soil type in your area.

5. MULCH:  A fresh layer of mulch can take any flower bed from drab and dreary to beautiful. DK Landscaping suggests applying four inches of mulch over the top soil, which will help retain moisture and prevent growth of those pesky weeds.

6. IRRIGATION: Check your in-ground sprinkler system and make sure all your sprinklers are working properly. Remove any overgrown grass that may have covered up any part of the pop-up heads. Check the sprinkler heads for cracking and breakage from last year and have them replaced if needed.

It’s the perfect time in Northern California to gather up tools, slide into your boots, pull on your garden gloves, and enjoy that first breath of spring.

DK Landscaping specializes in landscape maintenance, irrigation, clean-up and colorscape in Sonoma County. Contact Kathy or David Lee for more information and a consultation on your landscaping (707) 280-3632.

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