Importance of Yard maintenance

If you have a home, you need to take care of yard maintenance tasks for the spring season. The flowers, trees, and grass can almost feel the refreshment after the winter season is over. 

Yard Maintenance Tasks

Drip Irrigation Maintenance Task

Over the summer, your drip irrigation system may not have been able to water all of your lawn. As the weather continues to warm up and you no longer need to water your lawn as often, your irrigation system will begin to shut off. If this happens, one of the first things you will want to do is clean your drip system. This will ensure that your system can water your lawn very effectively when you need to water it again. Cleaning your drip system will also ensure that it is in good working condition for the spring season. 

Remove Weeds and Downed Leaves

Over the summer, you may have spent some time removing weeds and removing leaves from the trees in your yard. However, now is the time to care for these areas in your yard. You will want to remove any excess leaves from the ground and any growing weeds. This will help to prepare your yard for planting new seeds and plants. You will also want to add fertilizers to these areas to help make sure that they're in good health for the spring season.

Mow Your Lawn

Mowing the lawn is one of many people's most popular spring house maintenance tasks. This will help keep your property nice and healthy throughout the spring season. You will want to mow your lawn when it's around two inches tall. If you mow too early, you risk cutting off the essential grass roots for a lawn to thrive. On the other hand, if you wait too late, it could lead to your yard coming in with a poor growth rate.

Prune Your Garden

Many people choose to prune their garden during the spring season. This can help remove dead or dying branches and trees from your yard. You will also want to do this if you have a fruit tree in your yard. This will help remove the branches that have fallen on the tree and that have become a safety hazard for people and pets. If you have a large garden, you may want to use a rope or rope system to help you keep track of the branches as you prune them.

Spread and Fertilize Your Lawn

Another prevalent spring house maintenance task is spreading and fertilizing your lawn. This will ensure that your lawn can grow to its fullest potential during this time of year. Spread your lawn fertilizer evenly across your lawn. You will want to make sure that you are not applying too much fertilizer, as this can lead to your lawn becoming too strong.

Conclusion

By preparing your yard for the spring season, you'll make caring for it easier when it comes time to mow the lawn or water the plants. You can also save some money by skipping the annual cleanup.

Is Yard Work an Effective Way to Get Exercise?

It's important to make sure that you get plenty of exercise. Not only does exercising regularly make it easier to stay in shape, but it also can promote a longer, healthier life. As a homeowner, you may be wondering whether yard maintenance can be a form of exercise, and the answer to that question is a resounding yes. However, the effectiveness of yard work as a form of exercise depends on the specific tasks that you're working on. 

Is Mowing the Lawn an Effective Form of Exercise?

Ideally, you should spend 15-20 minutes per day engaged in moderate cardiovascular exercise. Fortunately, mowing the lawn counts. However, depending on the size of your lawn, it might not take 15-20 minutes to finish the job. If you're finished sooner, you should consider taking on some other yard work tasks to get a sufficient amount of cardio for the day. 

Is Raking Leaves an Effective Form of Cardio?

Raking leaves is a potentially effective form of cardio, but it's somewhat lighter in intensity than mowing the lawn. As a low-intensity form of exercise, raking for 60 minutes per day provides a sufficient cardiovascular workout for a healthy adult. 

Is Shoveling Snow an Effective Workout?

Shoveling snow is one of the more physically taxing forms of yard work. It offers a moderate or even vigorous cardio workout, and it can help to improve your overall strength and stamina. Only 10-20 minutes of shoveling could potentially offer a sufficient amount of cardiovascular exercise for the day. 

This is especially true if the snow is wet and heavy. If this is the case, shoveling will also be an effective form of strength-building exercise. 

What If You Use a Snowblower?

While pushing a snowblower is less physically taxing than shoveling, it's still a great way to get exercise. In general, its intensity is considered moderate. So, 15-20 minutes per day offers enough cardio for a healthy adult. 

What About Digging, Removing Rocks, and Other High-Intensity Tasks?

If you're digging, moving rocks around, or are engaged in other extremely physical tasks, a mere 10-20 minutes on the job will offer enough cardiovascular exercise for a healthy adult. However, as long as you're healthy, there's no harm in doing more. Just make sure that you stay hydrated and protect yourself from sunburn.

What About Pulling Weeds and/or Performing Other Light Tasks in Your Yard?

In general, pulling weeds and other low-intensity forms of yard work are considered light cardio. So, you won't meet your daily cardiovascular exercise requirement with these tasks unless you're at it for 60 minutes or more. 

Does Taking Breaks Reduce the Effectiveness of Yard Work as a Form of Cardio?

Taking breaks does not make yard work a less effective form of exercise. The amount of cardio that you get in a day is cumulative. So, there's nothing wrong with taking breaks.