Has your Reno lawn turned into a jungle? Elbow grease, our yard clean-up guide for Reno, and a few tools are all you need to keep from becoming overwhelmed when tackling a big lawn clean-up project.
If you don’t stay on top of your yard work, it’s easy for it to quickly get out of control. Once it does get to that point, it can become a huge headache to have to tackle. It can also be hard to know where to start and become overwhelming. Use this article as your guide to help you along the way.
Gather Your Tools
To DIY a yard clean-up, you will need a few tools to help you properly clear your property of anything that could endanger the health of your landscaping.
- Clearing tools: Use saws for cutting down vines or branches. A chainsaw might even be necessary.
- Rake: A good rake is necessary to help clean up leaves and dead plants from your yard. Check out the Best Garden Rakes for recommendations.
- Weed removal tools: Tools that help remove weeds with the roots intact may be necessary.
- Weed spray: Use a weed spray to make sure they don’t come back. Check out our review of the Best Backpack Weed Sprayers.
- Brush mower: A severely overgrown lawn will damage the average lawn mower, making this type of mower necessary in the beginning.
- Lawnmower: The most important and most used tool for proper yard upkeep. If you are in the market for a new mower, check out the Best Push Lawn Mowers.
- Hedge clippers: Keep your shrubs and other plants looking well-manicured with a good set of clippers.
- Shovel: A shovel may prove to be a helpful tool for removing plants that have died over the winter or that you want to relocate.
- Trowel: Use this tool to dig in small areas and turn dirt.
- Stump grinder: You may need to rent one of these if you have a dead or diseased tree that needs to be removed.
- Wheelbarrow: This is a necessary tool for gathering debris and transporting it to where you will be disposing of it. For wheelbarrow recommendations, see our Best Wheelbarrows article.
Caution: Don’t forget proper protective gear! Goggles, gloves, ear protection, etc.
When to Clean Up Your Yard in Reno
While there may not be heavy clean-up needed throughout all four seasons of the year, you will still want to make a conscious effort to keep your lawn clean of debris and heavy objects. In every season debris is possible, making clearing your yard something that should be continually done throughout the year.
- Spring: It’s called spring cleaning for a reason. This time of year, you need to clean up any winter debris left on your lawn, including leaves and tree limbs.
- Summer: Since you did your spring cleaning, the only thing you need to worry about during the summer is keeping your yard clear of heavy items when not in use, such as children’s toys or easily movable furniture. Keeping heavy items on the grass can damage it and invite diseases and pests.
- Fall: Rake and bag leaves as they fall from the trees. You don’t want to leave them for an extended time as they block sunlight and water from reaching the grass. It’s especially important not to leave them over the winter because the leaves can mat and create a prime environment for pests and diseases.
- Winter: Don’t forget to rake up the late-season leaves. Throughout the season, be sure not to leave heavy equipment or bags of de-icing salt on the grass. It’s best not to leave de-icing salt even near your yard as this could cause salt runoff into your grass.
For more tips, check out our articles:
How to Clean Up an Overgrown Backyard
Cleaning up an overgrown yard can seem like an incredibly daunting task. But you can easily make it a manageable chore if you take it one step at a time.
Plan
Evaluating the job and coming up with a game plan is the best bet for tackling this challenging chore. You will need to assess the current state of the project and what will need to be completed. Is it just overgrown grass and weeds? Or is there a lot of debris mixed in or other things that will need to be removed or dealt with before the overgrown grass can be addressed?
During this process, decide what stays and what goes. Do you want to get rid of all bushes and flower beds so you can start with a clean canvas? Or are there healthy parts of your landscaping that you want to keep?
Work in Stages
First off, working in stages is key, otherwise, you will become overwhelmed and quite possibly choose to put it off, which will only make the chore worse. Figure out what are the different tasks and consider doing one task at a time. Or consider dividing up the space and completing the clean-up section by section.
Get Rid of Debris
Now that you’re set with a plan and are properly equipped with the right tools and protective equipment, you’re ready to get started. This will likely be the most back-breaking, tedious, and time-consuming part of your project.
First, remove any lawn furniture or other objects that will impede your ability to continue the job. These items can include old planters, garden gnomes, or other lawn ornaments.
Picking up pinecones and tree limbs or branches is the next goal. A wheelbarrow can come in handy if you have lots of debris to remove.
Mow
Once you have the yard clear enough to begin to tackle the grass, it’s time to get out your tool of choice. Whether you are using a brush mower or grass trimmer, begin to attack the overgrown green mass to get it down to something sustainable. Depending on the size and severity, you may want to section it out and tackle each individually to make it more manageable.
Sharpen Up Edges
Now that the yard is finally starting to take shape and you can see a difference between the edge of the yard and everything else, it’s time to work on cleaning up the edges. Pull out the weed wacker or edger and add some definition to the edges of the yard.
Prune Shrubs and Trees
The final step to cleaning up an overgrown yard is pruning. Removing dead or dying limbs will help the plant to grow strong and healthy. After facing such neglect, many plants will need a lot of TLC. Take into consideration whether you want to nurse these plants back to health or just pull them out and start fresh.
Before you prune your plants or trees, properly educate yourself on what pruning is and how to make proper cuts. If you prune a tree or shrub incorrectly, you could further damage the plant.
How Much Does a Yard Clean-Up Service Cost?
Numerous things will factor into the cost of cleaning your yard. However, as you would expect, size is the driving factor in the cost of cleaning your yard in Reno. Naturally, the bigger the yard, the more it will cost. The extent of the debris and work will also play into the overall cost.
If you’re looking to keep the cost of clean-up services to a minimum, performing maintenance regularly is essential. Other factors that can influence the price are the frequency of services, pricing method, season, types of services, and debris removal.
The National average cost for yard cleaning services is $318 with a typical price range of $174 to $436.
Services included in professional clean-up service:
- Leaf mulching
- Flower bed and garden clean-up
- Leaf removal
Other related services (not included in a basic yard clean-up):
- Aeration
- Dethatching
- Gutter cleaning and repair
- Mowing
- Weed control
- Bush and tree trimming
- Tree removal
- Stump removal
- Sprinkler installation and repair
- Landscaping
- Land clearing
FAQ About Yard Clean-Up
What is the Most Efficient Way to Clean Up My Yard?
There are a few things you can do that will help you tackle your project in the most efficient way possible:
- Keep your tools sharp
- Divide tasks into separate days
- Mulch leaves and grass clippings
- Split your property into sections and work section by section
What Can I Do to Avoid An Expensive Yard Clean-up?
To avoid an expensive yard clean-up, keep up on all your regular landscaping chores throughout the year, such as mowing regularly and aerating once a year in Reno.
- Dethatch as necessary
- Mulch leaves
- Use grass clippings as mulch
- Control pests at first sight
- Apply herbicides to help control weeds
How Often Should You Clean Your Yard?
You should be cleaning your yard twice a year. Every spring you will need to clean up any debris leftover from winter. You also want to clean your yard again in the fall. Be sure to clear your property of all fallen leaves quickly so they don’t have time to wreak havoc on your lawn’s health.
Does the “Grass Ban” Impact Reno?
No. Being in northern Nevada, Reno residents are not impacted by the ban on nonfunctional grass. For more details about the ban, check out our story about What Does Nevada’s “Grass Ban” Mean for Homeowners?
Ready to Get Rid of That Jungle in Your Yard?
If you want to reclaim your outdoor space but don’t have the patience or time to devote to getting rid of the jungle that is your yard, contact a local lawn care company. Leave it to the professionals to get your yard back in ship-shape in no time without ever lifting a finger.
Main Image Credit: Adobe Stock
