Spring is in the air! Flowers are starting to peek out, baseball has come back to Cleveland and I'm waiting to hear lawnmowers start revving up again in my neighborhood.
If you are a local, you will not be at all surprised to hear that it has been a rough winter here in Northeast Ohio. I have lived in Ohio for all of my life, so I can't say that the weather ever really surprises me. I am also a fan of winter, and even I got tired of it this year!
The winter has not been kind to my yard. In addition to the dead spots that are from a dog that only wanted to venture so far into the yard and maybe some salt from the sidewalk, we also have a mole problem in my front yard. Every time the snow melted we found another new tunnel popping up in the middle of the yard. They are driving my husband crazy, and it really made me start looking more into yard maintenance!
I found a great article for people like me, who might not be too familiar with what it takes to make your yard stand out! (But not with mole tunnels - that gets you noticed for a different reason) The schedule gives you advice in all four seasons, but for now, let's just focus on Spring!
Spring is the time to prep for what is ahead. If you are responsible for mowing the lawn, it's time to get your lawnmower prepped again for the season.
- Sharpen your mower blades. Blades should actually be sharpened once a month for optimal performance. Did you know that?
- Tune up your mower with a new spark plug and air filter. These are simple and cheap fixes to make sure you remember the last time you did it.
- Buy fresh gas - gas that has sat in your lawnmower all winter can have moisture in it, which is bad for small engines. If you need to dump old gasoline, make sure you are doing it properly. You can contact the city where you live to find out where you can dispose of it.
- Clean up your lawn - Time to rake the leaves again, and pick up any twigs that have fallen. If you have a dog - hire a teenager. Thick layers of leaves can damage your lawn if left in the early spring to cover the grass.
Once the lawn is ready, it's time to get to work on the garden.
As far as my moles go, war has been declared. If we find a technique that works, I will be happy to share!
