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Taking Care of Your
Landscape
  Landscaping
is an investment that adds value to your home. We would like to help you
take care of this investment with some helpful instructions.
Watering: Please Don't Tease Your Plants!
DO NOT depend on rainfall to provide an adequate amount of moisture to
your newly planted tree or shrub. With quick summer showers, the
moisture may evaporate from the soil surface and not penetrate the root
zone.
Before the ground freezes in the late fall, give the plants a thorough
soaking, especially those that retain their leaves during the winter
months.
Watering: New Trees and Shrubs
Water deeper and less frequently. For most soils, you should be able
to apply 10 to 30 gallons of water once a week, depending on plant/root
ball size. It is always good to apply the water slowly enough that the
soil will absorb it and have as little run off as possible. For this
reason soil basins and mulch are an important part of the irrigation
procedure.
Once established (after a full growing season), trees and shrubs should
require only supplemental watering during extended periods of hot, dry
weather. Droughty summer conditions adversely affect flowerbuds for the
following year as much as extremely cold winter weather.
Watering Your Ground Cover
Water ground covers thoroughly immediately after planting, and
continue frequent watering until the plants are established. Water the
beds deeply. Shallow watering encourages shallow root growth that is
easily damaged during dry periods. After the plants are established,
water them as necessary. Wilting is usually an early signal that plants
need watering.
Be alert for wilting if your soil is well-drained, or during dry
periods. Water ground covers in the morning or early afternoon. If they
are watered late in the day, the foliage is likely to remain wet into
the evening, when temperatures usually drop. Cool temperatures and wet
foliage provide ideal growth conditions for certain diseases. Newly
planted beds can be watered by drip irrigation or by "soaker" hoses laid
near the individual plant rows. Be sure to allow adequate time for deep
watering. After the beds are covered with foliage, use either portable
or permanent sprinklers. Water all parts of the bed slowly and
uniformly.
Watering New Perennials
Few perennials prefer a soggy or dry location. Perennials generally
need an inch of water per week during the growing season. More may be
required during bloom or during the hot summer months. Supplemental
watering should occur during the morning hours.
Avoid watering of foliage or flowers; diseases are more likely to infect
plants. Careful observation of the plant can provide clues to water
needs. Thick, succulent perennials such as sedums and stonecrops need
less moisture than big leafed plants. Hairy plants or waxy leafed plants
require less water than smooth leafed ones.
Mulching
Most plants will benefit from an organic mulch covering the soil surface
around them. A good organic mulch, such as hardwood bark mulch, will
conserve moisture, help maintain a more even soil temperature, inhibit
weed growth, and prevent soil compaction and erosion from rain and
irrigation. Applying mulch 2 to 3 inches deep surrounding, but not
resting against, the trunk will give you a more vigorous plant. Last,
but not least, mulch will help prevent damage by a mower or other lawn
equipment.
Mulch, being a natural product, does decompose over time. You will
probably find it necessary to add to your mulch, especially the first
few years.
Weed Control
Frequent, shallow cultivation and the use of mulch is the first line
of defense against annual weeds. As beds start to fill in and shade the
soil, annual weeds become less of a problem.
There are, however, times when the use of herbicides may be suggested,
such as if the planting bed has a perennial weed problem. If chemical
control is used, always read and follow label directions.
After Planting Care and Manicuring
Many perennials and annuals need little additional care. Their
flowers fall cleanly off the plant and don't have to be manually
removed. Others will need to have faded flowers removed. This process is
known as deadheading and is done to keep the plants attractive, from
going to seed, and to prevent disease. It also helps to increase flower
production. Deadheading can be done with pruning shears or by simply
pinching off the old flowers.
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