As the last snowflakes melt and the sun lingers just a bit longer, Minnesota homeowners start dreaming of lush green lawns, vibrant garden beds, and patios primed for outdoor lounging. But before you start planting and basking in the glory of spring, there’s work to be done. Prepping your yard properly now ensures a healthier, more resilient landscape all season long.

We sat down with Natalie, the Director of Fine Gardening at Mom’s Design Build, to create the ultimate Minnesota spring landscaping checklist—packed with expert tips and organic solutions to keep your yard thriving. Let’s dig in!

Spring Yard Prep 101: Where to Begin

Minnesota’s Spring Timing: When to Get Started

The golden rule? Wait until temperatures consistently hit 50°F for at least five consecutive days before diving into major yard work. This gives pollinators and beneficial insects a chance to emerge and prevents unnecessary stress on your plants.

1. Clear Out the Winter Clutter

Before new growth can thrive, your yard needs a clean slate. Rake up dead plant matter, matted grass, and any lingering debris. “Dead plant material can harbor pests and disease—clearing it out makes room for healthy new sprouts,” says Natalie. A fresh spring foundation is vital to a healthy yard and landscape all year long!

What to Cut Back in Spring

It depends on your preferences, but there are pros and cons to cutting back plants in fall versus spring. Trimming in the fall reduces spring maintenance and keeps your landscape looking tidy through winter. However, waiting to cut plants back in the spring adds winter interest and provides shelter for birds and beneficial insects that support your garden later in the season.

• To cut back: Most perennials benefit from a spring trim to encourage fresh growth every year. This allows for healthy new plant material to emerge.
• To leave alone: Ground covers—these act as nature’s own mulch, breaking down dead and fallen plant material over time. This natural process enriches the soil, retains moisture, and helps suppress weeds—making ground covers a low-maintenance, eco-friendly choice for your landscape!

Snow Mold Solutions

If you notice patchy, grayish spots in your lawn, you may be dealing with snow mold—a common issue in Minnesota caused by fungal pathogens that thrive under snow cover when the ground is unfrozen, leading to lawn damage in early spring. Lightly rake affected areas to remove matted grass, promote airflow and allow new growth to take over.

Snow mold can also be better managed by maintaining a healthy lawn and mowing shorter in the fall. You can apply fungicide to your yard before the first snow falls if mold is a serious problem in your yard. This works by preventing fungal spores from establishing and spreading under the snow cover. This proactive treatment helps protect your lawn during winter and reduces the severity of snow mold outbreaks in the spring.

2. Prune for Healthier Growth

Prune dead or damaged branches from trees and shrubs to encourage healthy development. Hydrangeas benefit from having old flower heads removed, while lilacs should only be pruned after they’ve finished blooming to ensure next year’s flowers aren’t compromised…

Checking for Winter Damage

Inspect trees and shrubs for signs of animal damage (chewed bark, missing branches) or snow damage (broken limbs, bare spots).

Spring Pruning Best Practices

Pruning is recommended to promote healthy regrowth and minimize stress on trees. Late winter to early spring is often the best time for pruning, as it allows trees to heal before the growing season kicks in.

However, some trees and shrubs—like lilacs—require a different approach. Lilacs should be pruned right after they finish flowering to avoid accidentally cutting off next year’s blooms. Why? Because lilac buds are set for the following year just three weeks after they finish flowering. If you prune too late, you’ll be sacrificing next season’s floral display.

When in doubt, our Fine Gardening team is here to help!

Caring for Evergreens

If winter has left unsightly gaps in your evergreens, whether from heavy snow, ice, or wind damage—don’t worry, they can often be reshaped rather than replaced. Use flexible, long-lasting plant tape to gently guide wayward branches back into place, encouraging the tree to regain its full, lush shape over time.

Secure the branches loosely to avoid restricting growth and check periodically to ensure they’re adjusting properly. For more stubborn gaps, strategic pruning can help redirect growth, while deep watering and a slow-release fertilizer will encourage new, healthy foliage to fill in naturally. With a little patience and care, your evergreens will bounce back beautifully.

3. Aerate and Overseed as Needed

If your lawn feels compacted or has bare patches, aeration can help loosen the soil, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to reach the roots. Overseed these areas and apply a slow-release organic fertilizer to jumpstart growth.

“Aerating before overseeding is recommended,” Natalie adds. “If seeds don’t have soil contact, they are likely to blow away or dry out.” Aeration creates the perfect environment for germination by allowing seeds to settle into the soil, where they can take root and thrive. A slow release, organic fertilizer will also encourage strong, steady growth.

Dethatching vs. Aeration

Optimize lawn health by adding a spring dethatching service and a fall aeration service to your annual lawn care program. Dethatching removes excess dead blades of grass at the soil surface allowing better airflow, improved water absorption, and healthier new growth. Aeration involves loosening compacted soil, creating pockets of air to bring oxygen, water and nutrients closer to roots, creating optimal growing conditions.

Pro-tip! Healthy, well-established grasses naturally suppress weed growth by outcompeting them for space and resources. If you desire a lush, golf-course- quality lawn with fewer weeds, aeration is a game-changer!

4. Apply Organic-Based Products

Skip synthetic fertilizers that solely aim to bulk up plants without focusing on what truly matters: soil health. Mom’s Design Build uses organic-based nutrition to feed both plants and enrich the soil, ensuring long-term health and sustainability. Organic methods are safer for the environment, non-toxic to humans, and pet-friendly, making them a healthier choice for your landscape. Got pests? Neem oil is a great natural solution for pest and disease control!

5. Test and Amend Your Soil

A quick soil pH test will reveal if soil amendments such as compost, manure, lime, or sulfur are needed to balance nutrient levels. Healthy soil is the foundation of a thriving yard! At Mom’s Design Build, our Mom’s Fine Gardening team specializes in soil amendments, a perfect solution for those who are unsure where to start or who would rather leave it to the pros. Let’s chat!

6. Stay Ahead of Weeds

Skipping pre-emergent weed control is a common mistake. Pre-emergent granules (like Preen) prevent weed seeds from sprouting but won’t work on existing weeds. Once weeds emerge, you’ll need a post-emergent herbicide. For best results, apply pre-emergent multiple times throughout spring and summer to stay ahead of new weed growth.

Weed Control

Want to keep weeds at bay without harming your plants?

• Pre-emergent weed control (Preen) stops weeds before they sprout.
• Mulch topdressing suppresses weeds.
• Manual pulling – hire our team of knowledgeable gardeners to take care of this no-so-fun, yet most-loved and appreciated task!

Mulching Done Right

Mulch does more than make your yard look polished. “This isn’t just about aesthetics,” says Natalie. It’s a powerful tool for weed suppression, moisture retention, and soil enrichment. But applying it correctly is crucial to getting the best results.

• First-time mulching? Go for a 4-inch layer. This ensures a solid barrier against weeds and helps retain even soil temperature and moisture.
• For ongoing maintenance, a 2-inch layer is the bare minimum, but 3 inches is better for keeping weeds at bay and maintaining soil health.
• Topdressing every two years is a must. As mulch naturally breaks down over time, thankfully enriching the soil, its coverage thins out leading to gaps where weeds can sneak in.

For even better results, consider adding compost before mulching—it improves soil structure and boosts nutrients.

Pro Tip! Always place compost under mulch, never on top, to prevent a muddy look and avoid degrading the mulch too quickly.

At Mom’s Design Build, we stick to the best mulch standards: Our signature color is “Mink”, a deep, dark brown dyed mulch for those looking for rich color, and “Western Red Cedar”, for those looking for a natural option that not only looks fantastic but naturally repels pests and promotes soil health. Want perfectly applied mulch without the heavy lifting? Let’s talk!

7. Start Planting

Fall is one of the best times to plant perennials, trees, and shrubs— Many assume Minnesota’s harsh winters will kill new plants, but the truth is, they establish strong roots before the freeze and come back thriving—ready to “pop,” as Natalie says, in the spring!

Minnesota’s Best Native Plants

Pollinator-friendly natives such as coneflowers, milkweed, and wild bergamot support local bees and butterflies while thriving in our climate.

Pest & Disease Prevention

Early spring means early pest problems! Watch for:

• Powdery mildew (on Lilac, Peony, Ninebark) – Treat with organic fungicide.
• Apple Scab (on Crabapple) – When there’s a wet spring, these trees are prone to apple scab. Preventative annual spring fungicide treatments keep trees healthy.
• Voles and moles – A professional pest management plan can help keep them at bay.

Watering Wisely

Spring watering should be minimal—snowmelt provides ample moisture in Minnesota. As temperatures rise, keep an eye on dry soil and start supplemental watering as needed. The warmer the weather, the more moisture that is evaporating! Sprinkle and irrigate as needed.

Let the Experts Handle It

Let’s be honest—yard maintenance is a full-time job. If you would rather spend your weekends enjoying your outdoor space (instead of fighting weeds, pests, and unruly shrubs), Mom’s Fine Gardening team is here to help!

We specialize in organic-based garden maintenance, pest and disease management, pond and spa treatments, tick and mosquito control, seasonal container plantings, and much more.

Don’t let spring yard prep overwhelm you—let the experts handle it! Contact Mom’s Design Build today to schedule a consultation and get your landscape in top shape for the season.