By now the snow is behind us, but your yard is still showing effects of the aftermath of winter. It’s time to let your outdoor space shine again and bring back that curb appeal you love about your property. April is the perfect time to get some fresh air and start your outdoor spring cleaning. Once your yard is in better shape, use mulch and flowers to make it more inviting.
As a supplier of masonry and landscaping supplies and services, we often have customers asking us for some tips on beautifying their outdoor space. Here’s our best tips for spring cleaning and how to use mulch to brighten up your property and give it the curb appeal it deserves!
Outdoor Spring Cleaning Tips for 2019
Spring cleaning shouldn’t just be done inside. Getting your yard ready for the new season should be on your priority list this time of year. Outdoor spring cleaning is especially important as the warmer months roll around because you are likely to spend a lot more time outside. Streamline the process with these outdoor spring cleaning tips!
1. Survey the damage and create a plan.
Once the snow is gone, you should take a walk around your property and survey the damage. Are there any dead spots or bare areas on your grass as a result of the winter season? Do the heavy traffic areas need special attention? Is there debris that needs to be cleaned up? Once you know what you need to work on, you can create a plan that helps you save time and be more efficient during cleanup.
You can create your own spring cleaning checklist so you know what supplies and equipment you need to gather and what you need to purchase. If you are hiring someone to do the work for you, they’ll know exactly what to expect before they start the job.
2. Tidy up the debris first.
Cleaning up the debris left behind is the best way to start. Scan your yard for fallen branches and twigs. As long as the ground is dry, rake away any leaves that were left behind. If you aren’t using your leaves, twigs, and branches to create a compost pile, find out when your town or city does spring cleaning pickups.
3. Clean up your outdoor landscaping equipment.
You may not be ready to mow the lawn just yet, but you can take the time now to get all your outdoor equipment in good working order. Especially if you use equipment that is gas or battery powered, or has a motor, it’s important to keep these tools in good condition.
Fall is the best time to remove the dirty oil and replace old spark plugs, so if you didn’t do it last year, now is the right time. Swap out the used oil for new, clean oil and replace the spark plugs. You should also put lubricating the wheel bearing, height adjuster, and other moving parts on your spring cleaning checklist.
Find a local professional to sharpen the mower blades so you have an even cut. You can also sharpen any other outdoor tools you use for preparing your yard.
4. Prepare a plan for pruning, planting, seeding, and mulching.
With everything cleared out and all your equipment ready to go, you can prepare your yard for the next steps. Pruning shrubbery, trees, and plants should be next on the list. Doing this every spring will help keep your plants and shrubs looking healthy, adding to your curb appeal. You should also think about addressing any bare spots in your grass by laying some new grass seed.
Finally, think about what gardening steps you are going to take. Laying mulch throughout your yard is a great way to make it look nice. Consider what types of mulch you might use. Lay out a plan for what types of plants you need to purchase. You can add these on your spring cleaning checklist to help you create a shopping list.
Ready to Mulch? The Different Types of Mulch Available
Using mulch around the yard doesn’t just insulate your soil before the season changes, it gives your outdoor space a better look. The benefits of mulch are:
- Insulates the soil from temperature extremes
- Locks in moisture
- Keeps weeds at bay
- Prevents soil compaction
- Protects sensitive plantings from damage
- Gives your planting beds a manicured appearance
- Creates the look of a well-maintained outdoor space
Mulch can be a miracle cure for your gardening needs. But, it’s important you know the different types of mulch available and which will work best for your yard.
Different Types of Mulch
Generally speaking, mulch can be broken up into two basic types: organic and inorganic. Organic mulches come as a combination of the following:
- Hardwood or softwood chips
- Newspaper or cardboard
- Compost mixes
- Leaves
- Evergreen needles
- Grass clippings
- Other plant byproducts
These materials will decompose over time. When they work their way into the soil, they improve soil fertility, structure, aeration, and drainage. Because they do this while they decompose, they bring amazing benefits to your yard. They do, however, need to be replenished regularly since they decompose. Despite the fact that they need regular replenishment, organic is usually the more popular types of mulch because of its amazing benefits.
Inorganic mulches do not decompose. They are created with various types of materials. They are beneficial in decorative use or if your main goal is to control weeds. The different types of mulch that are inorganic are:
- Rock
- Stone
- Crusher dust
- Pulverized rubber
- Landscape fabric
- Other man-made materials
Stones and rock absorb or reflect heat, so they have been known to warm the soil for those looking to plant fruit and vegetables early in the season. For the same reason, however, they can be harmful to your plants during hot spells in summer. Once you decide which types of mulch you are going to use, organic or inorganic, the choice doesn’t stop there. You also have a variety of types of mulch within each main category. Since the most common types of mulch is organic, we’ll focus there. But, feel free to contact us if you’re looking for inorganic options as well!
What Kinds of Mulch Are Organic?
We carry several types of organic mulch in our commitment to offer our customers the solution to all their needs. Here are the different types of mulch available regularly at our supply house.
Sweet Peet Organic Mulch
They don’t call it the best mulch on Earth for no reason. The Sweet Peet mulch is the most popular seller across the board when it comes to organic types of mulch. It is used a variety of our customers for residential use and even commercial businesses. Sweet Peet is a premium mulch that is great for flower and vegetable gardens. It shields both alkaline and acid soils to give you the best garden maintenance.
The benefits of Sweet Peet are:
- Soil enrichment
- Improves tilth
- Encourages beneficial earthworms
- Replenished microbes
- Destroys weeds and weed seeds during its thermal stage
- Smothers the soil to suppress further weed growth
Chocolate Brown Mulch
Chocolate brown mulch is generally made of virgin timber. It is naturally color enhanced with a rich chocolate brown color, hence the name. The dark appearance is preferred by many clients and the natural color is fade resistant. If you want to add style to your outdoor design, this is an excellent option.
Cedar Mulch
Cedar mulch is another of the types of mulch that serves as an option. It is slightly different from the two listed above. That’s mainly because of the ingredients used. Cedar mulch comes from the bark of the cedar tree and is either shredded or chipped. It creates an airy layer over your soil. It’s best used in outdoor garden beds that contain larger plants because it has a heavy, denser nature.
The benefits of cedar mulch include:
- Suppresses weeds
- Neatens the appearance of landscape beds
- Conserves water
- Diminishes soil erosion
- Decay resistant
- Colorful
- Pleasantly scented
Where Can I Get My Mulch?
Once you decide from the different types of mulch, getting what you need is easy. Bethlehem Masonry and Supply has two options for you to get your mulch. You can pick it up at our store, or you can have it conveniently delivered to your property. As part of our commitment to excellent customer service, we deliver mulch regularly to our clients. And we offer a fast turnaround. Simply call the shop and schedule a day/time that works best for your schedule.
To get in touch with a dedicated member of our team, head over to our contact page and choose the method most convenient for you! Thanks for continuing to let us serve all your masonry and landscaping supply needs!