April begins gardening season, the time we get antsy to start working the soil, thinking about fertilizing the lawn and planting flowers in our Santa Cruz home.

Whether you’re preparing your Santa Cruz home to put it up for sale or just doing general maintenance and upkeep, here is your to-do list:

Annuals and Containers:

• Deadhead flowers to promote more blooms.
• Clean and sanitize summer containers, and plan your design for the summer.
• Plant summer annuals after the last frost.  Bring them indoors or cover with a cloth during a late cold snap.
• Start seeds indoors for annual herbs.
• Plant annual herbs such as basil and cilantro after the last frost.

Lawn:

• Raking should be your first task of spring lawn care. This removes dead grass, leaves and thatch.
• Lightly fertilize cool season lawn grasses such as fescue and bluegrass.
• Top-dress lawns and patch bare spots. Use compost or an organic mix.
• Aerate and de-thatch only if necessary, otherwise do this in the fall.
• Fertilize and plant warm season grasses such as St. Augustine and Bermuda.
• Re-seed grassy areas that winter may have killed off.

Cleanup and Maintenance

• Clean water features and lawn ornaments.
• Clean out, inspect, and repair bird houses for spring nesting season.
• Put out plenty of fresh food for migrating birds.
• Take care of any drainage problems.
• Inspect irrigation systems once freezing weather has passed.
• Test soil to determine what nutrients are needed.
• Remove debris from drainage ditches, gutters, and planting beds. Use a rake and lawn bags.
• Get all your lawn tools ready to use.  Oil, sharpen and tune-up your lawn tools.  Don’t forget to tune-up your lawnmower and sharpen the blades for mowing season.
• Repot houseplants if needed.

Perennials and Bulbs

• Cut back dead foliage on perennials and ornamental grasses. 
• Plant perennials. Color always brightens up the grounds of your Santa Cruz home.
• Gradually remove winter mulch when plants begin to grow.
• Fertilize spring-blooming bulbs after blooming.
• Plant perennial herbs such as rosemary, thyme and lavender.

If you’re thinking of selling your home this year, spring the perfect time to get started. Give me a call today at 831.662.6522 or email me at Lauren@LaurenSpencer.com for more information.

For additional information please visit my homepage at www.MySantaCruzRealEstate.com.

Links:

Top-dress lawns

De-thatch

Plant perennials

 

Posted by Lauren Spencer on

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