Fall Lawn Care Tips
Many people have this false belief that as fall and winter approach, they need to spend less time on their lawn because grass grows more slowly in these months. The truth is, this is the time of year grass is busily absorbing energy, moisture, and nutrients in preparation for a long, dormant winter. Give your lawn the attention it deserves now, and you’ll be rewarded with a lush, healthy lawn in the springtime. DK Landscaping provides you with these simple tips:
1. Aerate: Aeration is important because it gives your lawn a chance to breath in autumn and provides room for new grass to spread. Aeration pulls up plugs of grass which help to loosen compacted soil. This improves water, nutrient and oxygen infiltration to reach your grass roots and gives seeds room to sprout.
2. Fertilize: Fertilizing in the fall, before the first frost, helps your grass survive a harsh winter. It provides nutrients to reach roots for your grass to grow a stronger root system over the winter. This will result in a healthier and stronger lawn next spring. We recommend choosing a product high (10% to 15%) in phosphorous, which is critical for root growth.
3. Weed Control: If broadleaf weeds like dandelions have taken over your lawn, now’s the time to fight back. Weeds are germinating like crazy in the fall, so make sure you apply a pre-emergent as soon as possible. The best time to apply a pre-emergent to combat winter weeds is in August or September.
4. Rake: While those leaves can look pretty on the lawn, the leaves decay which negatively affects the grass. When there is a blanket of leaves on the lawn, sunlight cannot get through to the grass. Rake up the leaves at least once a week.
5. Mowing: Mowing your law is the single most important thing you can do to manage the vigor of your grass and its ability to compete against weeds. In the fall, the best results are obtained by mowing at the highest setting on your mower. In no case should the mowing leave the grass less than 1.5 inches (3.75 cm) tall. This will help insulate the grass during the winter.
Lastly, if you are not certain how to proceed or do not want to deal with the hassle, contact a professional lawn company in Sonoma County that provides year-round lawn care.
Why Choose a Professional Landscaper
Now that summer is in full swing, you might be thinking about hiring a professional landscaper to maintain your lawn. Everyone loves having a manicured lawn and weed-free garden full of blooming plants and pretty flowers, but let’s face it! Achieving that look often means spending hours into your yard and garden maintenance. And others, may just lack that green thumb needed to make their gardens thrive. That’s where the professionals of a landscape maintenance company come in. A landscape maintenance service takes care of the lawn, the gardens, the trees, the fountains and patios. If it’s in your yard, there’s a good chance a maintenance service company can build it, mow it, rake it and help it grow.
DK Landscaping provides you some of the few benefits of hiring a landscape maintenance service:
- A landscape maintenance service can save you time! By using commercial-grade equipment, it can dramatically reduce the time it takes to mow and perform other maintenance tasks. Most landscape companies will have multiple employees working on your yard at the same time, allowing them to tackle several projects at once and complete them in a fraction of the time.
- A landscape maintenance service employs professionals who know not only how to mow your lawn and weed your garden, but to also make sure your plants are healthy. They can create sustainable landscapes that not only enhance the beauty of your home but are friendly to the surrounding environment.
- A landscape maintenance service will ensure that your yard will be maintained regularly whether you are home or not. Homeowners tend to overlook their lawn and garden especially in the summer months, in favor of recreation and leisure activities.
- Many landscapers go beyond mowing grass and taking care of gardens. Some of these services include pool cleaning, building decks, installing pavers, patios, mulching, tree pruning/removal and building home irrigation systems.
- A landscape maintenance service will save a homeowner the expense of purchasing the various tools and equipment necessary for lawn and garden maintenance, tools and equipment that include lawnmowers, weeders, edgers, fertilizer, grass seed, leaf blowers, and shovels.
- And last, but not least, if you are a new homeowner and you’re just getting started, a landscape maintenance company will help you design the yard of your dreams.
Choosing the right Landscape Maintenance Service
Get references! Don’t waste time looking through the yellow pages, radio/TV ads, or mailer discounts when your best source is your neighbors and/or friends. Ask them how much they pay, what kind of jobs the service handles and if they’re satisfied with the results. If you don’t have neighbors that use professionals, you can check with local nurseries and garden supply stores. These businesses often keep lists of professional landscape maintenance service contractors.
When interviewing landscape maintenance services, ask questions! Check out the company’s qualifications and references. Reputable landscape companies are proud of the work they perform and will be happy to show you.
Finally, know the work you want to have done and know what your budget is. This will allow the company to determine its best price quote. It’s also a good idea to get quotes from several companies if possible.
Hiring a landscape maintenance service will cost you money, but the convenience and curb appeal will enhance not only your yard but your quality of life and give you peace of mind that it will get done right!
Enjoy the Summer with These Summer Lawn Care Do’s and Don’ts
Ahhhh! Graduations, summer break, road trips, swimming, and backyard barbeques… these are all of the sign that summer is finally here! Summer is the perfect time to start planning to get your landscaping looking pristine. It not only helps to increase the value of your home but also something to be really proud of when you look out your kitchen window.
Whether you are looking to spruce up your landscaping, getting your lawn lush green again, showing it off at your next backyard barbeque or simply enjoying it barefoot, DK Landscaping provides you do’s and don’ts as a guide to your lawn looking it’s best this summer.
Tip #1 – Do Feed Your Lawn
Fertilizing is one of the best lawn maintenance choices you can make. But over-fertilizing or misapplying it can have some ugly effects on your lawn. The nitrogen in fertilizer can burn your lawn, and when temperatures soar, the likelihood of burning goes up. You’ll know you’ve done this when the grass turns brown To prevent damage, go for a slow-release fertilizer with a lower nitrogen content than usual and follow the directions carefully.
Tip # – Do Mow Regularly
Mow regularly. This could range from once a week to twice a week depending on the growth rate and desired height. Cut your grass using the highest setting, and reduce it as the summer progresses. This will result in the number of weeds decreasing, as well as cause more water retention.
Tip #2 – Do Keep Lawn Hydrated
The most common summer lawn care mistakes is not watering your lawn inadequately. The best time to water your lawn in the morning… before the sun rises. Watering your lawn between 10 AM and 6 PM, will evaporate your water due to the heat and sun! Watering your lawn right after the sun sets will leave your grass moist overnight and promotes fungal growth. DK Landscaping recommends setting your sprinklers so they automatically deliver water in the morning and check the location of each sprinkler and make sure it’s watering your grass, and not the sidewalk or driveway!
Tip #5 – Don’t Smother Your Lawn
Grass is a resilient plant but let’s face it, pets and kids are hard on grass and the pitter patter of tiny feet can really ruin a grass plant’s day. We recommend to mow tall. If you mow the grass at least a half inch to a full inch taller than is normally recommended for your variety, the grass will be healthier and resist the stress better. Also, as much as slip and slide is fun for your kids, it’s he worst thing for your lawn by smothering it with plastic.
Tip #6 – Don’t Forget to Enjoy
Even with the work you have to do, don’t forget to take a break and relax. Grab a refreshing drink and enjoy the beauty of your lawn!
Got Curb Appeal?
First impressions are everything! The same concept holds true when speaking about your landscape. From a real estate perspective, a good first impression, aka “curb appeal” is about using your landscape to enhance the appearance of your home. Whether you want to boost your curb appeal, market the value of your home or simply want to transform your space to make your lawn & garden look pristine, DK Landscaping helps you come up with the inspiration for the look you desire and making your property the talk of the neighborhood:
Here are a few simple ways to enhance and maintain your landscape:
General maintenance: Mowing your lawn, pruning back trees/shrubs weeding, fertilizing, mulching, leaf and debris-free to watering will keep your yard looking beautiful and eye-catching throughout the entire growing season.
Visually inviting entryway: There are a lot of little things you can do to spruce up your front entryway including keeping it debris free. If you have an old, dull concrete stoop with cracks? Update to a beautiful stone stoop or porch.
Providing a focal point: Plantings, landscape lighting like lamp posts, and decorative pieces like a small water fountain are good ideas.
Colorscape: Adding a splash of vibrant annuals and perennials flowers and plants will make a big statement.
Landscaping lighting: A small yet impactful solution, outdoor accent lighting can not only enhance your yard aesthetically but also eliminate any dark, shadowy areas at night and prevent any safety hazards.
Updated driveway and/or walkway: If your driveway is old and outdated or starting to crack, updating it can have a big impact. There are pavers that imitate any stone for driveway landscaping—brick, travertine, limestone, etc. Same goes for any walkway in your yard. A new stone or paver walkway is a great front landscaping idea.
Stairways: Like retaining walls, stairs are ideal for hilly yards. Adding a staircase walkway to your sloped yard is a great way to add curb appeal—and give your visitors easier access to your door.
It is pretty easy to do many of these things yourself, but perhaps your front yard is devoid of plants and eye-catching features. You may consider planting a tree as a focal point, installing a trickling fountain, or even building a patio. In addition to these memorable details, it is important to use color to attract and focus attention on positive attributes of the landscape. This not only requires planning, but you may need a landscaping company to see some of these designs through.
Having good curb appeal makes selling your house easier, as potential buyers are looking for an aesthetically pleasing home. But don’t brush off having curb appeal even if you are not putting your house on the market. An attractive landscape design is always important!
What’s Growing On?
Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul. ~ Luther Burbank
Around this time of year I start to get spring fever, that urge to go outside and dig around and plant something. Even if you naturally don’t have a green thumb, flower gardening allows you to use your artistic playful side, being outside in nature soothes your soul, and a beautiful flower garden increases the curb appeal of your home. One of the first things a flower gardener learns is that there is not one date when it is best to plant all flowers.
This group of exotic and tropical summer bloomers can be planted right now and all through April in most of the country; planting times for colder regions of the North are typically from April to June, depending on the bulb.
Cannas are a personal favorite for their showy, tropical-like flowers and vibrantly-colored or variegated banana-like leaves. Dahlias offer numerous flower types from dazzling daisies, to showy pom poms, to show-stopping colorful blooms. Other note-worthy spring-planted bulbs include gladiolus, windflower (Anemone coronaria), pineapple lily (Eucomis), freesia, summer hyacinth (Galtonia), begonia, red hot poker (Kniphofia), Asiatic and Oriental lilies (Lilium), and Aztec lily (Sprekelia). 
So start by finding an empty spot in your yard that you see frequently that could use some color. If you don’t have an open bed, remove a patch of lawn in front of shrubs. Measure the size and note what time of day and how long the sun shines on that spot. Consider the following when designing your garden: hardiness, color, fragrance, height, time of bloom and size of plant. Do you want to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, or song birds? Or are you trying to create a work of beauty just for you? Next, visit your favorite full service nursery. They will help you pick out the right flowers for that spot. And be sure to ask about fertilizer, weed preventer and mulch.
Here are three easy ways to start planting your summer bulbs:
- Start with bulbs that are plump, firm and feel heavy for their size. Prep the soil by working a complete fertilizer into the entire bed or bottom of planting holes.
- Arrange the bulbs in groups or random clusters, then plant them at the depth recommended on the package with the pointed side or sprouting side facing up.
- Cover the bulbs with soil mixed with compost and keep the soil moist to slightly moist from planting until the foliage of the mature plant dies back.
One of the biggest things about gardening is the upkeep, depending on the plants and flowers you choose this can require little maintenance or high maintenance. Be realistic about your daily scheduled and how much effort you are willing to put in weekly to maintain your gardens.
Work all day? Busy with kids? Then opt for low maintenance plants that need very little maintenance or call DK Landscaping to keep your yard looking beautiful all year long! (707) 280-3632.
Springing Forward
Spring is an exciting and one of the most beautiful times of the year. The days are becoming longer, the weather is getting warmer, you awake to birds chirping in the morning, and spring blooms and lush green plants come alive in your landscape.
After a long winter, your lawn and gardens may be looking a big ragged and dreary. So before you pull out your lawn furniture from storage, get in the “spring spirit” by getting your yard looking spectacular. Help your lawn, trees and shrubs get off to a healthy growing season with these six luscious landscaping tips:
1. ASSESS YOUR TOOLS: Check, maintain, sharpen and repair your landscaping tools for a smooth spring and summer experience. This includes your lawnmower, weeding/pruning tools, rake and edger.
2. CLEAN UP: Clean out dead leaves, branches, trash or anything else that could impair your garden and lawn’s growth. Prune
3. WEED CONTROL: Uproot any existing weeds you find out of flower beds and check your lawn for any weed growth, whether they’re leftover stalks from last year or brand-new shoots. Once weeds are clear, DK Landscaping recommends spending between 10-15 minutes a few times per week to prevent new weed growth in your garden.
4. FERTILIZE: Make sure your early spring fertilizer has less nitrogen and more phosphorus to promote strong roots. Be sure to keep fertilizer on target to prevent run-off, and sweep fertilizer granules that may reach pavement back onto your lawn. Give your lawn a slow, steady watering about once a week, but adjust depending upon rainfall, grass and soil type in your area.
5. MULCH: A fresh layer of mulch can take any flower bed from drab and dreary to beautiful. DK Landscaping suggests applying four inches of mulch over the top soil, which will help retain moisture and prevent growth of those pesky weeds.
6. IRRIGATION: Check your in-ground sprinkler system and make sure all your sprinklers are working properly. Remove any overgrown grass that may have covered up any part of the pop-up heads. Check the sprinkler heads for cracking and breakage from last year and have them replaced if needed.
It’s the perfect time in Northern California to gather up tools, slide into your boots, pull on your garden gloves, and enjoy that first breath of spring.
DK Landscaping specializes in landscape maintenance, irrigation, clean-up and colorscape in Sonoma County. Contact Kathy or David Lee for more information and a consultation on your landscaping (707) 280-3632.
How to Create a Landscaping Design Plan
Another mild winter has come and gone. So when the sun starts shining and the weather begins to get warmer, it’s the perfect time to begin thinking about some spring landscaping projects. This gives you the opportunity to list all the current features you enjoy about your current landscaping, and any that you would like to improve upon. It could be as simple as enhancing a focal point, such as a pool area with a stone patio or water feature or it could be having the landscape that you always dreamed of having.
Even if you have a naturally green thumb, DK Landscaping suggests hiring a landscape designer. They are trained professionals that can save you from wasting money on wrongheaded ideas and open your eyes to possibilities you haven’t considered. Landscape designers can take all of your big picture ideas and create a realistic plan that works with your budget and time. It can also help you make decisions on prioritizing your needs with the landscape project.
- How long do you intend to live in your home? This helps with budgeting and prioritizing phases of the landscape project.
- How do you see yourself using your yard? hosting Sunday barbeques, working on a crossword puzzle in your hammock, swimming laps, growing vegetables, roasting marshmallows by fire pit, waterfalls/ponds, putting green? The ideas are endless.
- What is your Landscape Design Style (formal, informal, contemporary, Asian flare, Tuscan, Mediterranean, eclectic, tropical)? It’s important that you select a landscape design style that best matches the look and feel of your home and still reflects your unique personality.
With a bit of proper planning with our design consultant, Kathy Lee, you and your family will be able to enjoy a resort style space for years to come. To get started on your project contact your friends at DK Landscaping (707) 280-3632.
Make a Date With Your Roses
Have you pruned your Hybrid Tea Roses lately? Pruning your roses back by 80% while they are dormant is the optimal time. Not only will it produce tidier plants, but will stimulate new, stronger, better-flowering growth and eliminate the nasty old stuff that harbors pests and diseases.
DK Landscaping provides you a step-by-step guide to getting the best blooms out of these traditionally beloved plants:
1. Wait until your roses are dormant. If the climate where you live is moderate, roses may never go into full dormancy or lose their leaves completely.
Hybrid Tea Roses
3. Remove all deadwood by cutting out all unhealthy canes. This means dead, diseased or damaged growth. Roses are sensitive to winter frost and the rest of the year are attacked by dozens of fungi, insects, molds, and bacteria.
Remove Deadwood
3. Prune to ensure that the center of the bush is open for maximum air circulation. That is, cut out stems that fill up and cross through the center. Remove any branches that are less than the thickness of a pencil, and remove any branches that cross or rub together. Train the rose to grow outwards.
Create Air Space to Prevent Disease
4. Make all cuts above a leaf bud that points towards the outside of the plant. Make all cuts clean – not jagged cuts, as this will allow insects and disease into the plant and open it up to infection. Always prune to a healthy bud. Make sure your cut is at a 45 degree angle going away from the bud.
Cut to a Leaf Bud
5. To ensure your plants remain healthy, we recommend painting all cuts with a sealing compound because the plant is not actively growing and can’t defend itself as well against diseases and pests.
Sealing Compound
6. Your Hybrid Tea Roses should look like this after it has been pruned (v shaped).
Hybrid Tea Rose Before and After Picture
For the best results, DK Landscaping recommends pruning your roses before Valentine’s Day! So put on a long-sleeved shirt and gloves and grab some sharp pruning shears and make a date with your rose or give DK Landscaping a call at (707) 280-3632 to get your hybrid tea roses bearing the champion flowers that it was meant to be by spring!
Rainscaping Your Landscape
With the rainy season still in store for us in Northern California, it is vital that your landscaping have proper water drainage built in to the design. Without proper drainage, your home and landscape can suffer greatly. Not only can it destroy your plants, yard and your neighbors’ properties, but can lead to serious structural problems for your home and hardscapes, such as cracked housing foundations, water leaks, and flooded sump pumps.
To avoid the nightmare of rather expensive structural problems and flooding, DK Landscaping provides some solutions to poor drainage:
- Proper Grading: Grading (if surface drainage is possible) is often the most inexpensive and most effective solution to correcting an area with poor drainage.
- French Drains: A French drain is basically a ditch lined with rocks or gravel that helps drain water away from an area. French drain works on the principle of gravity, being slightly sloped down from the area to be drained to the area where one wishes to redirect the water. Excess ground and surface water percolates into the French drain and is directed away.
- Catch Basins: Catch basins are simply a reservoir designed to trap debris so that it cannot enter the drainage pipes. Anytime your source of water is above ground, a catch basin can collect the water so that it can be piped away underground. Basins are used primarily when grading is either not possible or when it would create an undesired/unusable space.
- Sump Pumps: Commonly used back East where most homes have basements. Sump pumps are sometimes the only way to remove unwanted water from a location. Many homes have situations where there is no way to drain storm water from their property. If you don’t have a slope away from your property or there is a lower area or sunken area, a sump may be the solution to get the water out.
The primary goal of proper drainage is to remove the water and put it where it belongs: on the street! So whether you are doing it yourself or hiring a professional landscape company, you want to make sure the proper installation methods are being used. If you don’t know what the above bullet points mean, you probably want to hire professionals… this will not only save you a headache, but money in the long run!
For more information and a free consultation on your drainage system, please contact Kathy Lee at DK Landscaping. Kathy is our QWEL (Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper) Certified Irrigation Expert. We are also a certified WaterSense Partner. QWEL and WaterSense are certified by the EPA.
Protecting Your Landscape From Frost Bite
The temperatures in Northern California are beginning to drop which means winter will be before us, before we know it. Night time temperatures that get down to freezing and below will damage some trees and plants if you don’t take precautions against frost. These low temperatures can begin late November and continue through February and beyond.
DK Landscaping helps you prepare your landscape and provides tips to protect your delicate plants from frost bite.
WINTERIZE
Fall is prime time to clean up your landscaping and remove the dead landscaping before it gets too cold. Removing dead plants can also stop the growth and spread of fungi that could infect your plants’ new growth in the spring.
PLANT
Planting trees and shrubs in the fall is a an optimal time before the first frost arrives and best time to take advantage on some great end of the season deals. Planting in the fall gives roots plenty of time to become established before the next growing season begins. Not only will you get to enjoy the changing leaves for a brief time, you will also put less stress on your young trees because of the cooler weather and rain conditions fall offers.
MULCH
Mulching can be a great first step in preparing for winter’s frost. If you are unfamiliar with mulching, check out our previous blog post called Mulch About Fall. There are many benefits to mulching your lawn and plants, especially before winter. Mulching in the fall can help protect your plant’s roots as well as help them retain moisture during the cold, dry winter.
Just a few preparations for winter can guarantee that your landscaping will come back fresher than ever in the spring.
For more information on the care of your landscape, please contact David or Kathy Lee from DK Landscaping (707) 280-3632.
