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"Sure, you typically focus your spring cleaning on the inside of the house, but getting your yard ready for the new season should also be on your list. Here are several tips to streamline your outdoor spring cleaning. 1. Survey the damage, post-melt Once the last of the snow is gone, survey your lawn for any bare areas or dead spots of grass. Heavy traffic and pet messes can keep the grass from growing back. You can help by sprinkling some soil over the area and adding grass and fertilizer. Be sure to keep the dirt moist until the seeds sprout into grass. 2. Tidy up any debris As you scan your yard, remove any fallen branches and twigs. If your lawn is covered with leaves, there&amp;#039;s no way around pulling out the rake. Before collecting the leaves, be sure the ground is completely dry\u2014raking over wet grass can tear it from the roots, leaving you with even more bare patches. Don&amp;#039;t send the leaves, branches, and twigs to the garbage, though. Use them to create a compost pile. 3. Clean up your lawn mower You may not be mowing the grass for a while, but when the time comes, you&amp;#039;ll want your lawn mower in good condition. If you didn&amp;#039;t remove the dirty oil or replace the spark plugs during the fall, now&amp;#039;s the time to swap out the used oil for new oil and replace old spark plugs. Also, lightly lubricate the wheel bearing, height adjuster, and any other moving parts, following the manual&amp;#039;s instructions. Make sure to have the lawn mower blades sharpened by a professional, so they&amp;#039;ll cut the grass evenly. 4. Prepare a plan for pruning Once your lawn in in order, pruning shrubbery, trees, and plants should be next on your list. Here&amp;#039;s a simple guide to knowing when to prune your plants to create a healthy-looking garden. Tell us: What&amp;#039;s your least favorite outdoor chore? This article originally appeared on Good Housekeeping. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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