1. Pull weeds from your plant beds after it rains

When pulling weeds, it is vital to remove the full root of each weed to keep it from growing back. After a rainfall, wet ground is immediately soft and therefore makes root removal much easier. In addition to pulling weeds after it rains, it’s important to know that rain can also boost the growth of weeds. To keep weeds from further spreading, pulling them shortly after a rainfall can also prevent additional weeds from growing.

2. Keep your grass blades 3” or taller

During the spring season, your grass is growing quickly, both above and below the ground. Repeatedly cutting your grass too short can make deep root growth difficult because the grass gets its energy from the leaf. A thick lawn root system is vital to keeping out unwanted weeds and other harmful growth. When implementing these practices, your lawn will show the effects of this in the coming summer months as it will look more lush and green. A good rule of thumb is to never cut more than the top third of the blade off during the mow.

3. Feed your plants and grass proper nutrients for optimal health

Fertilization of new and existing grass or plants is crucial for a healthy landscape. If given the proper doses of the right nutrients, your landscape will be much more vibrant. When plants, grass and bushes are maintained correctly, you will see an increased amount of blooms. Be careful, though, to not over fertilize. Doing this can have the opposite effect and actually reduce the overall health and beauty of the plant.

4. Trim your shrubs and bushes at the right time

The timing of trimming a shrub or bush can have drastic effects on plant health. For most shrubbery, your first trim of the year should be in early summer. It is tempting to trim in the spring, especially if a proper fall clean-up was not conducted on the plant. However, trimming your bushes in the fall ensures for a healthier spring plant, and provides for proper July trim cycles. In many cases, trimming too often, and in the wrong intervals, will stop shrub blooming completely. This is very common in hydrangeas and lilies.

Lilac bushes are another common shrub, but with different trim properties. If it is being trimmed properly, you will be trimming the bush sometime in late spring, after flowering has ceased. If lilacs are trimmed too early, or too late, they will not bloom the following year.