Your Guide to Spring Cleanup in New Jersey

It’s that time of year.

You suddenly realize it’s still a bit light out when you get home from work. You see people outside and they aren’t running straight to their cars. You may even start to see some crocus bulbs. These are telltale signs that spring is coming in New Jersey.

Besides (hopefully) putting away your snow blowers and buckets of magnesium chloride pellets, there are a few things you’ll want to do to prepare for the coming season. Being thorough in your preparation will help ensure that your lawn and garden come back beautifully and stay that way throughout the summer.

1. Clean Up from Winter

Winter can wreak havoc on the exterior of a home. You’ll want to clean the gunk out your gutters before those spring showers become an issue. Pull out any plants that died over the winter, cut back ornamental grasses, and trim the foliage of any leftover perennial flowers. Clean up dead leaves and broken branches, gather up your trimmings, and use a yard bag to dispose of everything.

2. Wash Down the Exterior of Your Home

Your windows likely need a good cleaning after being pounded by ice and snow all winter. Make them sparkle by wiping from top to bottom with a squeegee or hire a local company to take care it. Use a pressure washer and a good multipurpose siding cleaner to remove dirt and mildew from the house. You can also pressure wash your fence using a low-pressure nozzle.

3. Prep Your HVAC System

Get an annual spring checkup from an HVAC specialist to ensure your system is still in good shape. You don’t want to wait until it’s 90 degrees outside to find out that your air conditioner isn’t working properly. A professional will clean the coils, add refrigerant, and check the airflow.

4. Prep Your Yard

As the ground starts getting softer, the conditions become perfect for applying pre-emergent weed killer around your yard. This step will keep weeds from taking over later in the season. Find any bare spots in your yard and apply a mix of soil and grass seed, and give it plenty of water. Add a good fertilizer to the plants, and aerate the soil all around your yard so your grass grows in nice and thick.

5. Plan Your Garden

Creating a thoughtful garden bed plan with an array of colors, textures and bloom times will ensure that your house has good curb appeal all the way into the fall. Because there is so much to consider with shrubs, ornamental grasses and flowers, you may want to consult with a landscaping company. Considering that good curb appeal can add to the value of your home, it makes sense to invest a bit of time and money in outdoor maintenance projects in the early days of spring. Plus, careful planning and preparation will pay off throughout the next few seasons, so come the dog days of summer, you can relax in a lawn chair with a cool glass of lemonade and enjoy the view.

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