An overgrown yard can feel like too much to start. The trick is working in the right order, so you're not cleaning the same area twice. This is the checklist our crew follows on a cleanup.
1. Walk the yard first. Look for anything that needs care before you start cutting: sprinkler heads hidden in tall grass, drip lines under the weeds, low branches, and anything that shouldn't go in the green waste.
2. Cut back the big stuff. Start with overgrown shrubs, hedges, vines and low tree branches. Working top-down means the debris from trimming lands on areas you haven't cleaned yet.
3. Pull weeds and clear the beds. Get the roots, not just the tops, or they'll be back in a few weeks. Clear out dead plants and old leaves from around the base of shrubs.
4. Mow and edge. With the beds clear, mow the lawn and edge along walkways and driveways. If the grass is very tall, mow it in two passes at different heights so you don't scalp it.
5. Rake and blow. Rake up leaves and clippings and blow off walkways, patios and driveways.
6. Check the irrigation. A cleanup is the perfect time to run each zone and look for broken heads, leaks and dry spots — problems that were hidden under the overgrowth.
7. Deal with the green waste. A real cleanup usually produces far more than a single green bin can take. Either spread it over several weeks of pickups or have it hauled away in one trip.
8. Keep it from happening again. A regular maintenance schedule — even once a month — keeps a yard from getting back to the point where it needs a full cleanup.
Don't have the time or the truck? JR Landscape does complete yard cleanups and hauls everything away. Call or text (831) 205-9966 for a free estimate.