Spring Property Checklist for Northern Colorado Homeowners

March Through May Is Setup Season

What you do in spring determines how your property performs for the rest of the year. A thorough spring inspection and early action on issues — irrigation startup, lawn prep, fence and structure inspection — prevents small problems from becoming expensive summer repairs.

Irrigation Startup (April–May)

Don't rush your spring irrigation startup. Freeze events continue into late April and even early May along the Front Range — a single hard freeze after startup can crack heads and fittings if lines are pressurized and the system wasn't properly drained.

Startup process:

• Pressurize the system slowly by cracking the main shutoff rather than opening it fully
• Walk each zone as it runs and check every head for proper pop-up, coverage, and rotation
• Check for broken heads (water shooting sideways), stuck rotors, and heads buried by winter settlement
• Inspect backflow preventer for cracks or damage from winter
• Verify controller programming is set for spring watering frequency

Lawn Assessment

Before fertilizing or treating, assess what came through winter:

• Winter kill — areas that didn't survive. Common on poorly drained slopes and areas where water pooled under snow.
• Snow mold — grayish matted areas, common after heavy snow cover. Usually grows out as temperatures warm; severe cases may need raking to break up the mat.
• Bare spots — from foot traffic, animal damage, or disease. Flag these for fall overseeding or spring spot repair.

Apply pre-emergent crabgrass control in March–April when soil temperatures reach 50°F consistently. Timing is critical — too early and it breaks down before crabgrass germinates; too late and it's ineffective.

Fence and Structure Inspection

• Push on every fence post. Movement means the post needs attention before summer wind loads it.
• Check gate hardware for sag and misalignment after winter settling
• Inspect deck ledger board connection to house for moisture damage
• Look for heaved or cracked concrete around post bases

Tree and Shrub Assessment

Colorado's late spring snowstorms (April–May) are heavy and wet — they break branches on trees that have already leafed out. Walk all trees after the last significant snowstorm and assess for:

• Broken or hanging branches (prune immediately — they fall unpredictably)
• Cracks in main branch unions
• Winter dieback on evergreens (dead brown needles that don't shed)

Pro Tip: Don't rush to prune spring-blooming shrubs (lilac, forsythia, viburnum) until after they bloom. You'll cut off this year's flowers if you prune in early spring before bloom.

Updated on: 29/04/2026