Springtime Landscaping Tips

The temperatures are climbing, trees and bushes are donning their new green spring coats, lawnmowers are firing up for the first time after a long winter. That can only mean one thing: Spring has sprung!

With the renewal that spring brings, following suit with your landscaping chores is, or at least should be, at the front of your mind. Here are a few landscaping tips to get the outside of your home ready to enjoy.

Start Springtime Landscaping by Inspecting Your Trees and Shrubs

Trees are very valuable assets to your landscape – not only because of the beauty they provide, but also because they act as wind breakers, provide shade, and help to hold soil in place. You will want to inspect both your trees and shrubs to make sure they are healthy. Remove dead or dying branches, broken branches, and crossing branches. You may want to trim them back some too, encouraging a solid structure, plus keeping them nice and tidy. It also helps to prevent rogue limbs from causing damage to other structures, fencing, power lines, etc.

Preparing Your Perennial Beds

The next stop should be your perennial beds – good examples of these are your ornamental grasses, butterfly bushes and spireas. Depending on the plant, a good rule of thumb is to cut these back to between 2” and 8” from the soil. Conversely, you’ll want to hold off pruning some of your flowering bushes like your lilacs, forsythia, magnolias, or azaleas. Plan to prune these in late spring or early in the summer instead.

Testing Your Soil

When working in your plant beds, take a few minutes to evaluate how your soil looks. Healthy soil has moisture and life – living roots and living organisms, such as insects or worms. Unhealthy soil typically appears to be dry, crumbling, cracked, and/or compacted.

If you have concerns about soil health, inexpensive soil testing kits can be bought online or at your local home improvement stores. There are also some do-it-yourself options online that use some standard pantry items. Testing your soil can help you to determine if and what nutrients may be missing from your soil. Fertilizer can be added to soil with insufficient nutrients, but before doing so, you should always check with state and local governments regarding usage rules and regulations for your area.

Moving onto Mulch

Be sure to thicken up the mulch in your beds and around your trees to at least 1” but no more than 3”. You’ll want to ensure your mulch is lying flat and isn’t pushing up against the tree trunks. Adding mulch helps to maintain moisture, control weeds, and prevent soil erosion. It also aids in insulating the roots, helping to keep them cool and protected from the hot Florida sun. And above all, mulch beautifies your landscape. Plus, the mulch rings around your trees and shrubs will prevent damage from your mower and weed eater.

Springtime Landscaping Services from Gibson Outdoors

If your springtime landscaping leaves more to be desired, Gibson Outdoors landscaping services can help you – by designing the perfect landscaping plan for your Florida property. Contact Gibson Outdoors via the website contact form to learn more.