This spring garden clean up checklist is written for Central Coast gardens, where mild winters mean the weeds never really stopped and September growth arrives all at once. Work through it in this order and the garden is set up for summer. If you get to the end and decide it is a day you would rather not spend, the whole list is what a ONEVISION garden clean up covers.
1. Clear before you cut
Start by removing what is on the ground: leaf litter from gums and liquidambars, fallen branches, dead annuals and the winter's accumulation of debris in beds and along fences. Raking first means the mower and hedgers are not fighting through it, and it shows you what the beds actually look like.
2. Weed the beds and paths while the soil is soft
Spring soil on the coast is still damp, which makes hand weeding easy. Pull oxalis, clover and winter grass from beds now before they flower. Treat paths, pavers and the driveway with a full-kill product so the summer crop does not get started. If the lawn has bindii, it is already late; a selective treatment in September will still reduce the prickles but next winter is the time to hit it properly. See our weed control page for what works on which weed.
3. Cut back and prune
Spring is the time to cut back grasses, salvias and other perennials that have finished, remove frost-damaged tips from tender shrubs, and lift low limbs off paths and lawn edges. Prune spring-flowering shrubs straight after they flower, not before. Roses should already be done by now; if not, do them immediately.
4. Give hedges their first trim
Murraya, lilly pilly, photinia and westringia all push hard in September. A trim now sets the shape for the year and keeps the hedge dense. Overgrown hedges come down in stages, not one hit. Our hedge trimming page explains how.
5. Mow, edge and feed the lawn
The first spring mow should be on a high setting to take the top off winter growth without scalping. Re-cut the edges along paths, driveway and beds, which will have blurred over winter. Aerate compacted areas, especially where the kids or dogs run. Then feed. A lawn fertiliser in September, watered in, is the single biggest thing you can do for a good summer lawn. Regular lawn mowing from here keeps it that way.
6. Mulch the beds
Once beds are weeded and pruned, top up the mulch to 50 to 75 millimetres. On sandy Peninsula blocks this is the difference between beds that survive January and beds that do not. Keep mulch clear of stems and trunks.
7. Fix what winter broke
Check irrigation for split lines and blocked drippers before you need it. Reset any edging that has heaved. Re-stake anything the winter westerlies loosened. Clear ground-level gutters and drains of leaf litter so the first summer storm does not flood a bed.
8. Decide what needs replacing
Spring is also the best time to replace a lawn that has been beaten by shade, wear or grubs. Turf laid in September and October establishes fastest on the coast. If the lawn is more bare patch than grass, see turf installation rather than fighting it for another year.
Or book the lot
A full spring clean up on an average Central Coast block is a day's work with a trailer load of green waste at the end. We do it in a single visit, waste included, from Woy Woy to Wyong. September fills quickly, so get a free clean up quote early and lock in a date.
Frequently asked
When should I do a spring garden clean up on the Central Coast?
Late August to mid September is ideal on the Central Coast. Growth is starting but has not got away, soil is still soft for weeding and hedges are ready for their first shape. Leaving it until October means more cutting, more waste and weeds that have already seeded.
How long does a spring garden clean up take?
A DIY spring clean up on an average Central Coast block is usually a full weekend. A professional crew with the right equipment and a trailer does the same job in a single visit, including removing all the green waste, which is the part that eats most of the time.