Warmer weather across the US has brought the first green leaves ahead of schedule and home gardeners are starting to think about their spring gardening checklist.
Home renovation expert, Fixer Upper star and co-founder of Magnolia Homes, Chip Gaines, is encouraging gardeners to get started now with yard clean-up tasks for the growing season ahead.
Earlier this month Chip was announced as the new brand ambassador for gardening equipment manufacturer Bobcat, and has shared some tips for getting started in the yard this spring as part of this new partnership.
Chip's spring yard clean-up tips
Spring has come early for the US and Chip Gaines has shared some essential clean-up tips for home gardeners to get started with ahead of spring gardening.
1. Start smart
The first thing Chip suggests doing at the start of the gardening year is prioritizing your clean-up tasks and getting together the essential gardening tools and equipment you need.
Chip began his spring tasks with a project to extend the length of a barrier fence for his livestock on his farm in Waco, Texas. He was able to get the job done efficiently by ordering the right supplies and materials in advance.
'The auger attachment on my Bobcat mini track loader operates like an oversized drill bit, making post holes super efficient to dig,' he says.
2. Give the grass some attention
Grabbing a lawn mower and jumping on lawn care is an essential task for this time of year, according to Chip.
'Whether you’re like me and love the feeling of being in the driver’s seat or prefer a more manual approach to getting the job done, come spring it’s time for all of us lawn enthusiasts to get after it,' he says.
Chip notes that gardeners will reap benefits of luscious green carpets by aerating lawn and overseeding lawn, especially focussing on bare patches underneath trees. Doing so now will take advantage of the extra sunlight before tree foliage comes in and creates shade.
3. The right equipment makes all the difference
Having created a priority task list, gardeners should be able to gather all the correct tools needed. This is especially important for tackling trickier tasks.
For Chip who lives in Texas, this includes dealing with the problematic, fast-spreading and invasive mesquite trees.
'Every region in the US has their version of mesquite trees like we have here in Texas. Investing in quality tools makes the job of tackling them easier and way more efficient,' he says.
4. Keep your equipment looking sharp
It isn't enough to just have the right equipment, however, as Chip notes you need to clean garden tools regularly and keep them sharp to make tasks easier.
'In Texas the grass starts growing in early spring, so the first mow of the year is actually just bagging the lawn of the old dead grass, sticks and debris from winter and adding it to the brush pile,' he says.
Gardeners may even want to get larger pieces of equipment serviced to be able to cope with tougher garden waste, as Chip describes.
5. Don’t forget to have some fun
Clean-up tasks in the yard can be strenuous at times, but Chip urges gardeners to remember what they're doing it for in the first place - enjoyment.
'Though farm chores and construction work are some of the most physically demanding jobs that I do, when I keep my mind set on the thrill of the discovery - what it’s all going to look like or what I’ll get to learn on the other side - it’s a whole lot more natural to love the work itself,' says Chip.
'And there’s something really satisfying about work that feels like it’s giving you purpose,' he adds.
