With the Reno area enjoying a relatively mild winter compared to much of the country, it may be easy to assume that spring yard cleanup would be easy. 

But that is not always the case. So it is good to go through a spring yard cleanup checklist to ensure you don’t forget any essential duties.

Deep cleaning your lawn and garden in the early spring makes it much easier to maintain it throughout the summer. This process can also prevent some issues from developing, such as weed overgrowth, and save you work down the road. 

The following checklist can serve as a starting point for spring yard cleanup. Completing these tasks will ensure your yard is ready for a good time this summer!

• Clear the lawn of sticks, branches, and other debris. Remove any animal waste, pinecones, or other debris on the lawn.

• Rake or collect fallen leaves from the garden or any corners of the yard where they may accumulate. These rotting leaves can be a source of odor if they are not collected, preventing new plant growth.

• Prune dead or damaged branches from trees or shrubs. Left alone, these branches may fall and hurt someone or damage other property. 

• Replace mulch or add fresh mulch where needed.

• Clean the gutters out to ensure water can flow freely. 

• Power wash deck, siding, and outdoor furniture. Replace any broken or cracked pieces. 

• Transplant perennial flowers once they emerge, if necessary.

• Clean the grill, check the hoses, and ensure everything is safe and operational. It’s also good to make sure the propane tank is full.

• Attach outdoor hoses to water faucets and check them for leaks.

• Apply weed pre-emergent to prevent weed growth before germination, and spray crabgrass treatment before fully matured.

• Fertilize the lawn.

• Add grass seed to any bare spots on the lawn.

• Sand and stain the deck and fencing, if necessary. Repair and repaint any damaged areas. 

• Replace storm windows with screens, if necessary. 

• Aerate and overseed lawn.

• Activate sprinkler system and set for spring settings.

• If thatch layer is over ½” then consider dethatching with a power rake.

And while these tasks will help get your yard ready for the summer, you may need to take additional steps if you want to plant a garden. 

You may want to add compost and fertilizer to the soil in established garden flower beds. These additions will make the sore fertile. While working in the area, remove weeds or dead growth that you didn’t get the first time around. This will pave the way for new plants to thrive. 

If you add new garden beds, you will want to use a tiller to break into the new ground. You can kill the grass by smothering it or by soil solarization to convert the space into a planting bed. 

Since weeds will find this area quickly, you may want to lay landscape fabric over the ground or cover it with a layer of mulch. 

Completing a spring cleanup for your yard can set the stage for a great summer. This checklist will ensure your yard and garden are ready for a fun summer ahead, and getting the chores done early will mean less effort in the coming months!