Spring and Fall Yard Checklists

The year at a glance

Weather moves these dates around every year. A warm March can have you raking by mid-month, and a cold May can push everything back two weeks. Use the table as a rough guide, and let the forecast and your own yard decide.

Early spring (March and April)

As the snow goes, the yard tells you what winter did to it. Most of these jobs are about looking, cleaning up and getting ready, not planting.

1. Walk the whole yard after the snow melts. Look for broken branches, heaved stepping stones, fence boards loosened by wind, and gnawed bark at the base of young trees and shrubs.
2. Rake out snow mould. Matted, greyish or pinkish patches of grass where snow sat longest are usually snow mould. A light rake once the lawn has dried out lifts the matted blades and lets air and sun in; most lawns grow out of it. See Lawn care through the year.
3. Check trees and shrubs for winter damage. Brown needles on the south and west sides of evergreens are usually winter burn. Wait until new growth starts before cutting anything off, because buds often survive. Cracked bark on the southwest side of young trees is sunscald.
4. Tune up the mower. Fresh oil, a clean or new air filter, a sharp blade and a check of the spark plug before the first cut. If you drained the fuel last fall, you’re ready to go. Details are on Mowers, trimmers and edgers.
5. Sharpen and repair tools. Spades, hoes, pruners and loppers all work better and more safely with a clean, sharp edge. See Hand tools and our sharpening page.
6. Turn outdoor water back on only after hard frosts are done. April can still bring nights well below freezing. Once they’ve passed, open the inside shut-off for each outdoor tap, then check for drips or a wet spot inside the wall. A split pipe often only shows up the first time you use the tap. More on Hoses, sprinklers and outdoor taps.
7. Clean the eavestroughs. Clear out last fall’s leaves and grit so spring rain and melt can drain. Use a ladder safely (see Yard work safety).
8. Point downspouts away from the house. Each one should end in an extension or splash pad that carries water a good distance from the foundation, not onto a neighbour’s yard or the sidewalk where it will freeze.
9. Check the grading. The soil right around your house should slope away from the foundation so water drains off. Low spots that hold water against the wall after a melt or a rain are worth fixing with a little topsoil before summer.

Late spring (May)

May is the busiest month in a Lethbridge yard. The grass wakes up, the soil warms, and late May and June usually bring the wettest weather of the year, which is a big help to new seed and new plantings.

1. Aerate. Core aeration (pulling small plugs of soil) helps compacted clay lawns take in water and air. Do it when the soil is moist but not soggy, and leave the plugs on the lawn to break down.
2. Overseed thin patches. Rake bare spots to loosen the surface, spread seed, press it in, and keep it lightly moist until it sprouts. Our wind dries out the top few millimetres fast, so new seed may need a light watering more than once a day in dry, windy weather.
3. Make the first mow. Once the grass is actively growing, mow with a sharp blade and take off no more than a third of the height at one time.
4. Set up sprinklers and check the irrigation system. Turn it on, run each zone, and look for broken heads, leaks and spray landing on the driveway or street. Adjust before the summer heat arrives.
5. Plant. Spring is a good time for trees, shrubs and perennials. Tender bedding plants and vegetables wait until around May 25 to June 1. See Trees and shrubs and the garden calendar.
6. Mulch beds. A layer of wood chips or shredded leaves holds moisture through summer and keeps weeds down. See Natural weed control.

Summer (June to August)

Lethbridge summers are hot, dry, windy and sunny, with a real chance of hail on stormy afternoons. Summer yard work is mostly about helping the lawn and plants get through dry spells, and looking after yourself while you do it.

• Mow high. Taller grass shades its own roots and the soil, so it holds moisture better. Leave clippings on the lawn; they return nutrients and moisture.
• Water deeply and less often. A good soaking once or twice a week trains roots to grow down, where the soil stays moist longer. Water early in the morning, when less is lost to wind and heat. See Soil, compost and watering.
• Get ready for hail. Keep an old sheet, a tarp on stakes or shade cloth handy for vegetable beds, and know where you’ll park the car. See Pests, hail and other problems.
• Watch for drought stress. A lawn that turns bluish-grey and keeps your footprints is short of water. Many lawns go dormant and brown in a long dry spell and green up again when rain returns; it’s your choice whether to water through or let it rest.
• Look after yourself on hot days. Do heavy jobs in the morning or evening, drink water, and wear a hat. Our sun is strong.
• Take it easy on smoke days. When wildfire smoke drifts in, check the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI). On high-risk days, put off strenuous yard work, especially if you have heart or lung problems. See Yard work safety.

Fall (September and October)

Fall here is short. The first frost often comes in early or mid-September, and freeze-up can arrive any time from late October on. Get the water jobs done early, before a cold snap catches you.

1. Deal with the leaves. Mulch-mow, rake, compost or use the City’s programs. The next section compares the options.
2. Keep mowing until the grass stops growing. Keep the mower at your normal height right to the end, so the grass doesn’t go into winter long and floppy, which invites snow mould. See Lawn care through the year.
3. Aerate in early fall if you didn’t in spring. Cooler weather and moist soil make September a good second chance.
4. Water evergreens and young trees before freeze-up. A deep soaking in October helps cedars, spruce, pines and junipers go into winter full of water, which reduces winter burn.
5. Wrap young trees. A light-coloured tree guard on thin-barked young trunks protects against sunscald and gnawing over winter. Take it off in spring so it doesn’t trap moisture or rub.
6. Disconnect hoses and drain outdoor taps. A hose left attached can trap water in a frost-free tap and split it. Shut off the inside valve for any standard tap and open the outside one to drain it. Step-by-step on Hoses, sprinklers and outdoor taps.
7. Blow out the irrigation system. Underground lines and the backflow preventer need to be cleared of water before a hard freeze. If you’ve never done it, hire someone the first time and watch how it’s done.
8. Winterize the mower. Run it dry or add fuel stabilizer, clean the deck, and change the oil. See Mowers, trimmers and edgers.
9. Clean and store tools. Brush off soil, dry them, oil metal parts and hang them up so they’re ready in spring. See Hand tools.
10. Get snow gear ready. Shovels, ice scraper, a pail of grit or ice melt by the door, and the snowblower checked and fuelled before the first storm. See Sidewalks, driveways and snow.

What to do with the leaves

Leaves are free organic matter. Our dry, windy falls also blow them into every corner, so most yards need some kind of plan.

City of Lethbridge options (check before you go)

• Green cart: takes leaves, grass clippings, garden trimmings, and branches smaller than 5 cm across and 1 m long. No plastic bags, including ones labelled compostable or biodegradable; paper yard waste bags are fine. The City lists collection as weekly from May to October and every other week from November to April.
• Yard waste drop-off sites: the City lists three: West (296 Bridge Drive W), North (2200 Stafford Drive N) and South (2665 28 Avenue S), open from April to mid-November. Leaves and grass must be in paper bags, not plastic and not loose. Branches are accepted up to about 1.8 m (6 ft) long and 20 cm (8 in) across. Sod, soil, stumps and eavestrough debris are not accepted.
• Fall Leaf Collection: in recent years the City has offered free pickup of bagged leaves in October and November, booked through 311. Leaves must be in paper yard waste bags, each no heavier than 10 kg, set out where your carts are collected.

Winter (November to February)

Winter isn’t a total break. Snow is the big job, and the quiet months are the best time of year to plan.

• Clear the sidewalk. The City of Lethbridge requires residents to clear snow and ice from the sidewalk beside their property within 24 hours of a snowfall. The City asks that snow go onto yards and boulevards where possible, not into alleys and roads. Methods, ice melt choices and tips are on Sidewalks, driveways and snow.
• Water evergreens during long, dry chinooks. If a mild spell lasts long enough for the ground to thaw, give evergreens and young trees a drink. Use a watering can or a hose you drain and bring back inside afterwards, and don’t water frozen ground.
• Prune dormant trees. Late winter, before buds swell, is a good time to prune most deciduous trees: you can see the branch structure, and the cuts close quickly once growth starts. Winter is also the only time elms may be pruned in Alberta (October 1 to March 31). Elm wood has strict disposal rules; check lethbridge.ca or call 311 before you take any elm wood anywhere. See Pruning trees and shrubs.
• Keep heavy snow off shrubs. Gently brush heavy, wet snow off upright junipers and cedars so it doesn’t bend or split them. Don’t whack frozen branches; they snap.
• Plan. Sketch the yard, note what worked and what didn’t, and plan next year’s projects: a new bed, a windbreak, a rain barrel, a lawn area to replace with something water-wise.

New home in Lethbridge? Start here

Moving in is the best time to learn how your yard works, before something freezes or floods. Work through this list in your first few weeks.

1. Find the main water shut-off. It’s usually in the basement or utility room where the water line comes into the house, near the meter. Make sure it turns, and show everyone in the house where it is.
2. Find every outdoor tap and learn what type it is. A frost-free hose bib has its valve inside the warm wall and drains itself, as long as no hose is attached in winter. A standard tap needs its own inside shut-off closed and the line drained every fall. See Hoses, sprinklers and outdoor taps.
3. Check for a sprinkler system. Find the controller, the zone valves, the backflow preventer and the place where the system connects to the house water. Ask the previous owner or a neighbour when and how it was blown out.
4. Get to know your trees. Note which trees are on your property and which are on the boulevard. Learn which ones are elms, because of the pruning ban. Before pruning or removing a boulevard tree, check lethbridge.ca or call 311 about who is responsible for it.
5. Look at the grading and downspouts. Ground should slope away from the house on all sides, and every downspout should discharge well away from the foundation.
6. Know your snow and collection duties. Find out your cart collection day, and remember the sidewalk beside your property must be cleared within 24 hours of a snowfall.
7. Click Before You Dig, every time. Before planting a tree, setting fence posts, building a deck or any digging at all, request a free locate through Utility Safety Partners at utilitysafety.ca, at least three full working days ahead. Some utilities are buried only centimetres deep.

Jobs kids can help with

Kids learn a lot from working alongside an adult in the yard, and many seasonal jobs suit small hands well. Keep them well away from mowers, trimmers, blowers and any power tool, and give them child-sized gloves and tools.

Sources

• City of Lethbridge, Drop-off Depots (yard waste sites, accepted materials, season).
• City of Lethbridge, Composting and Green Carts (accepted yard waste, collection frequency).
• City of Lethbridge, news release “‘Leaf’ it to us! Fall Leaf Collection Program begins today” and “Biweekly green cart collection begins November 4”.
• City of Lethbridge, Sidewalk Snow Removal (24-hour clearing requirement); Snow Removal Bylaw 4865.
• Utility Safety Partners, Click Before You Dig: Homeowner Overview (three full working days, private lines, hand exposing).
• Government of Alberta, Dutch elm disease prevention: what you can do (pruning ban April 1 to September 30; elm wood disposal).
• Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals for Lethbridge (frost dates, precipitation pattern).