How to Clear an Overgrown Yard in 5 Steps
Whether you’ve recently purchased a piece of property, you’re attempting to sell property, or your green thumb isn’t as green as you thought it was, there is one task that seems to loom over many: overgrown yard cleanup. It can create unnecessary stress for those involved, like where to start, what tools are needed, and what plants are actually weeds. However, with the right knowledge and tips, it doesn’t need to be stressful!
The Best Way to Clear Overgrown Yard
1. Work in stages
At first glance, spending a day or two clearing a yard that has become overgrown may seem like the best route. However, depending on the severity and work that needs to be done, this is a lot to do in a day, even two days, unless you have a team of professionals handling the job for you.
2. Have the Right Tools
An overgrown yard requires more than just a lawnmower. You’ll need heavy-duty tools like a brush mower, stump grinder, chain saw, pole saw, and hedge trimmer. Never try to mow overgrown grass with a regular lawn mower as it will cause damage. If you don’t own these tools, you can rent them from your local hardware store or contact a professional with the machines and expertise on how to use them safely.
3. Remove the debris
First remove junk or anything that will get in the way like lawn furniture, broken garden features, old planters, rusty lawn ornaments, etc. Depending on how long the yard has gone without being maintained, the number of debris that needs to be removed will vary. Whether the debris is litter or fallen pinecones, it will need to be removed before mowing begins, removing plants, defining areas, or putting in new plants
Start a compost pile for tree limbs, bush trimmings, grass clippings, and other organic waste and use a wheelbarrow, large garbage cans, or dumpster to remove other debris.
4. Decide What You’re Keeping (and not keeping)
Identify plants you want to keep, as well as weeds, dead plants, and invasive species. If you don’t have a green thumb, it may be hard to identify a weed from a plant, and you may not know which plants to keep if you want a neat, maintenance-free yard. Some types of perennials, flowering vines, and shrubs take constant vigilance, or they will just grow back and start to take over again. If you aren’t sure what should stay and what should go, contact an expert who can not only identify what you have, but can recommend what to keep based on the level of upkeep you desire.
It’s also important to know just how to get rid of weeds and other invasive or undesirable plants, Often just cutting down or removing roots will not do the trick and you will find these plants creeping back. Invasive brush can be some of the toughest plants to eradicate. Nonselective herbicides can be used to destroy these plants; however, professional application is recommended.
5. Mow open areas
Once the debris is removed from your overgrown yard, it’s time to mow. This is when you’ll want a string trimmer or brush mower to clear weeds, tall grass, and young saplings. Be careful to avoid mowing over any perennials or small shrubs you’ve decided to keep. If you are looking for help, contact Grasshopper Gardens and learn more about our lawn mowing services
6. Define edges
With the open area finally cleared, it’s time to tackle the edges. Whether it’s along a fence, stone wall or patio, even a garden, your landscape has edges that need defining and maintenance. Giving them the precision trimming they need helps to remove weeds while giving your landscape the curb appeal you desire.
7. Prune Shrubs and Trees
The last step to clearing an overgrown yard is to prune the shrubs and trees that remain. Pruning helps to create a strong plant and makes it more attractive. Pruning away dead or diseased limbs promotes positive health and growth for the tree or shrub. When left in place, the plant sends a lot of nutrients to the limbs to repair them. This means fewer nutrients and energy for the remainder of the plant.
You can now shop shrubs and trees on our online shop. You can browse through several categories to find the right fit for your yard. This includes sun exposure, mature height, mature spread, and maintenance.
8. Talk to a professional:
Clearing an overgrown backyard takes time, hard work, and knowledge to do the job safely and correctly. Our experts have been providing quality care and maintenance for the greater Capital Region for more than 28 years so you can enjoy life outdoors as much as possible. Allow us to do the work for you, so you can enjoy time with family or friends, rather than worry about yard work taking over your downtime. Contact us today to get started!
You Can Now Purchase Your Lawn Care Services Online
Here, at Grasshopper Gardens, we want to Enhance Your Life with Lawn Care Made Simple. We are revolutionizing the way you buy lawn care and you can now get an instant online quote for many of our lawn services and online products. These include lawn aeration and mechanical seeding to our new customer fertilization program, and more.
Start your online quote and trust the experts to take care of the rest. Get back to what really matters, more time to do what you love with who you love.