Posts Tagged Landscape Maintenance
Backyard Ideas: Follow these Steps for Excellent Xeriscaping
Landscaping is great for the air quality around your home, and the curb appeal. However, many people complain that sometimes, it comes at an extremely high cost. One of the costs which are part of landscaping is water expenditure. Xeriscaping is an alternative to landscaping where the least possible amount of water is used. The beautiful thing about the process is that the quality of the resulting landscape will not be compromised, but a lot of water will be saved. Here, are some of the best backyard ideas on Xeriscaping which you need to try out.
Take note of problem areas
The start of any watering process should be to have a look at all the parts of the yard, and notice the ones which are easy to water, and also those which are extremely difficult to maintain. Steep slopes are usually the most prone to drought. After mapping out these areas, decide whether you want to keep their vegetation cover or not. If you decide that you want the vegetation cover, convert into perennial crops which do not need a lot of watering to stay alive and healthy, especially in the hot season. You might also want to consider drip irrigation to maintain these parts of the lawn.
Manage the size of the backyard garden
Another reason a lot of water gets wasted in irrigation is when the garden has an irregular shape. To combat this, you have to reshape the garden to create shapes which are easy to irrigate. You also need to replace the plants with xeric alternatives such as blue grass and buffalo grass, both of which take wear and tear very well. Buffalo grass can survive on less water; however, it has a low tolerance to interferences such as foot traffic, which makes it best suited for parts of the lawn that will not have a lot of traffic. Section off parts of the garden that are used less often, and turn them into shrub borders and flower gardens, that need less water to thrive.
You can also section off parts of the garden and make them into paths. You can line these paths with stepping stones of flagstones, which is good because it reduces the total surface area which has to be covered with lawn grass. Another tip which will be successful is transforming the rocky parts of the garden into a rock garden. You can use a variety of colorful rocks for the garden and use appropriate rock garden designs. There is a variety of crops which you can add to the rock garden.
Picking the right plants
The best plants for backyard ideas in xeriscaping are native and drought tolerant plants. Remember that xeriscape gardens are created in such a way that they fit Mediterranean and Southwest styles in gardening. You can consult with a landscaping expert to figure out the plants which will be most appropriate for your climate and locality.
When Xeriscaping is planned for and done properly, it produces some of the best gardens. It capitalizes on preserving native plants while at the same time reducing the amount of water used in gardening, and giving the regular landscape of your backyard a special touch. When you involve a competent landscaping expert in the process, the outcome will be amazing.
Lawn Treatment Tips
Proper maintenance of your lawn is crucial for a perfect residential landscape. If the right upkeep practices are not upheld, the lawn will deteriorate. Invasive weeds will grow on the land, the plants will lose their lushness and the grass might begin to wither. On the other hand, if you make time for lawn care, you will preserve the natural appeal of your yard. Here are simple lawn treatment tips to help you keep your residential landscape beautiful and healthy.
Aerate the Lawn Soil
Compacted soil does not support the efficient growth of grass. If the ground is too compact, the roots of the grass will not grow deep. Moreover, water, air and nutrients will not be mobile and readily available in the soil. Fortunately, you can relieve compaction and aerate the lawn soil by creating holes in the ground at intervals. There are specialized tools for aeration, but a simple garden fork will also be effective. You will only need to push the prongs into the ground at short intervals.
Apply Suitable Fertilizer
Feeding the lawn with fertilizer can improve the appearance and health of the grass. The treatment will provide the nutrients which might be absent from the soil. If your landscape is large, it is advisable to acquire specialized equipment for nutrients feeding. However, if the lawn is relatively small, you can manually apply the fertilizer to the grass. Ideally, the material should be used during the rainy season. Fertilizer will burn the grass if it stays on the blades. If it does not rain, you should irrigate the yard thoroughly to allow the nutrients to sink to the soil.
Plan on Over-seeding
Over-seeding is a beneficial practice for old and tired lawns. It is advisable to consider this process if your lawn is showing signs of thinning out, or there are bare patches on the land. In general, over-seeding involves covering the entire loan with a mixture of grass seeds and fertilizer. When these seeds grow, they will fill in the gaps between the thinning areas of the lawn, creating a lush and uniform landscape. If you decide to carry out this process, remember to keep the lawn moist to facilitate germination.
Mow the Lawn Correctly
Mowing is an important part of keeping your lawn in good condition. However, if you do not perform this maintenance process correctly, you could cause more harm to your landscape. Where possible, it is prudent to have your grass mowed by a skilled professional. If you must handle the work, you must remember to only cut about a third of the total grass length. Cutting more will compromise the growth of the grass. You must also avoid mowing wet grass because moisture causes clumping. Mowing the lawn in this condition increases the risk of patching.
Going Beyond Lawn Treatment Tips
Maintaining a beautiful landscape is not only as simple as upholding simple lawn treatment tips. The best upkeep and care practices require effort, time, skill and experience. Therefore, if you are interested in improving your residential lawn for long-term health and aesthetics, consider consulting our experts at DK Landscaping Inc. Whether you need mowing and edging or fertilization and weed management, you will receive the best services for a beautiful home.
Finally…Here are the Elements of Amazing Garden Design!
Garden design is about getting the most out of your outdoor space and creating an inviting backdrop for family, friends, and neighbors.
You obviously want to get to the point of enjoying your outdoor landscape as soon as possible, but a lot of work goes in to getting things just right.
Garden design revolves around having the right location, soil conditions, boundaries, and surfaces to work around. That said, the elements of garden design can’t be overstated.
The Elements and Location of Your Garden
There are two basic elements of great garden design – something known as hard elements (i.e., relatively immovable design details like paths, walls, lounge chairs, and decks) and the actual plants and flowers that adorn your garden.
Hard landscape elements can include beautiful additions to your outdoor landscape like a koi pond stocked with fish or a stone path that gradually opens up to a breathtaking garden rich with flowers and color.
These two basic elements of garden design – the hard elements and the actual plants you use – dynamically work together to bring out the best in your garden.
Creating a Powerful Effect
The kind of paving that you use leading up to your garden can have a dramatic effect on the overall impact of your garden. Grey stone with purple lilac, for instance, can create a captivating French country look that really inspires.
On the other hand, working with a professional landscaping company to curate a manicured lawn and lush garden around black paving can create a modern look that’s both classy and inviting.
A professional landscaper can cut through all of the guesswork and help you determine what the best garden design for your home would be.
The best garden design for you is determined by your design preferences, of course, but also strongly suggested by your climate zone and any microclimates in your area.
Your particular climate can affect whether you’re able to plant annuals or whether hardier perennials would be a better choice. Your climate also impacts things like seeding, blooming, aeration, irrigation, and the soil foundation that fundamentally make a great garden.
The Soil, Boundaries, and Surfaces of Garden Design
A lot of homeowners want to fast forward ahead to enjoying a garden lush with roses, lilacs, tulips, and dahlias…and those are all beautiful. The foundation for all of those, though, is your garden’s soil.
There’s a process that a professional landscaping company can help you with known as amendment, which is where nutrients are added to your subsoil and topsoil to ensure that it provides a foundation for healthy plant and flower growth.
A landscaping company can use the right soil structure – whether that’s loam, silt, or some amount of clay – for your garden’s flowers, acidity levels, and your particular climate.
Boundaries and Surfaces for Framing
Having the right boundaries (e.g., a line of hedges and nice, white fence) and surfaces directly bordering your garden (e.g., woodchips, straw, or pebbles) can open up the possibilities with your garden design.
Using structural plants to frame the sides of your garden is a staple of good garden design as well. Boxwood and bay laurel can be planted year round and are relatively easy to maintain.
Evergreen shrubs are another popular border. The most popular border for most gardens is your lawn.
Having your lawn maintained or shaped and maintained around your new garden (lawns can be square, circle, or oblong-shaped) gets everything off on the right foot.
Professional landscapers can walk you through your options when it comes to garden design and picking the best aesthetic and practical features for your new garden. Contact us for more information.
There’s More to Landscape Maintenance Than You Might Think
Landscape maintenance is all about keeping your yard and garden attractive, safe, and healthy. That means keeping the bugs, insects, and other pests away and making sure that everything is cut and trimmed to keep your home or business landscape looking wonderful.
Getting on a regular landscape maintenance schedule might even be a good idea since it means less time spent pruning and weeding and more time spent with your family.
Professional landscapers can also handle the hard stuff like topsoil enrichment and making sure your lawn is on the right irrigation schedule.
Landscape Maintenance: Where Art and Science Meet
Professional landscaping is as much an art as a science. There’s a real science to, for instance, getting the pH balance of your lawn just right for growing plants, shrubs and flowers.
(Most grass likes a pH of about 7, though some warm-season grasses like more acidic soil with a pH of around 5. Don’t worry: The pros can tell you what’s right for your lawn!).
Now, one of the more scientific aspects of lawn maintenance is lawn aeration where your soil is perforated to allow in more water and the kinds of nutrients that your soil needs to perform at its best.
These tiny holes that are made when you have your lawn aerated also help get more air into the soil and help you avoid soil compaction. (That’s something you don’t want at all since soil compaction can negatively affect nutrient absorption and root growth.)
There’s as much art to landscape maintenance, though, since landscapers have to balance the layout, lighting, walkway access, and fencing of your yard with choosing and maintaining just the right bushes and mulch for your particular landscape.
Choosing the right kind of mulch – whether that’s straw, chips, stone, or bark – is important for making your garden and overall landscape look fantastic.
Mulching can also help prevent your garden from being ensnared by a bunch of weeds and ensure that soil compaction doesn’t become an issue for your lawn and garden.
The right kind of mulch can frame your landscape beautifully, promote nutrient absorption, and limit water use since more moisture gets to the roots.
Who Can Benefit from Regular Landscape Maintenance?
Because landscape maintenance covers so much ground almost any homeowner or business can reap the benefits. Condos, gated communities, shopping centers, community centers, banks, universities. You name it.
Any business that has a landscape that they want to protect and any homeowner that wants to improve their curb appeal should seriously consider getting on a regular landscape schedule.
So, do you currently need to be experiencing lawn issues to hire a landscaper? Not necessarily, but landscape maintenance includes things like fertilizing and spot treatments to address those pesky bald spots on your lawn.
Uprooting weeds is another thing that most homeowners don’t exactly look forward to doing but that can have a big payoff when it comes to keeping your lawn healthy and beautiful.
When you get on a regular landscape maintenance schedule you can have weeding, aeration, mowing and mulching taken care of.
Knowing that you’re doing the most to improve the curb appeal of your home or the attractiveness of your business property lends a huge amount of confidence that’s sure to spill over.
A professional landscaping company will even provide monthly irrigation inspections to ensure your yard, garden, shrubs, and bushes are getting the nourishment they need. You can also have your lawn pH tested to take the guesswork out of it.
Contact us to discover all of the amazing benefits of getting on a regular landscape maintenance schedule.
Ways To Master Your Summer Lawn Care
Here are the Top 5 tips For Summer Lawn Care that can help you to achieve the best lawn.
- Starting Over – Cleaning Up –
The first thing you should start by doing is walking over your lawn and gather branches, twigs, leaves and any other debris that has accumulated and dispose of. (Or it can be thrown in the compost bin to later be used as mulch)
Cleaning up your lawn area should also include raking up any matted areas of the lawn which can encourage snow mold. Not only does this help to prevent any disease or insect infestation but at the same time it promotes better air flow throughout the turf and allows new grass blades to grow without difficulty.
- Protect Your Interest – Weed Control –
Weeds can definitely be a gardener’s worst nightmare and no matter how you try to get rid of them they keep coming back. Though you may not be able to stop them completely there are things you can do to keep them at bay. Weed control.
As part of your lawn care, it is very important to carry out weed control – applying an effective weed killer whether it be organic or inorganic before temperatures hit 55-60 degrees. If you wait until temperatures reach this point, conducting weed control will be pointless as weed seeds would have already begun to germinate.
- Kick Start Growth – Fertilizing –
Winter really signifies a dormant period for gardens and landscapes as your lawn and other areas tend to go into a slumber, however, fertilizing your lawn and other garden areas in the spring gives it a much-needed jumpstart.
This provides an intensified nutrient build up that will give your lawn and other areas the strength they require to withstand the heat and drought that follow in the summer months.
- Let It Breathe – Core Aeration
Just like weed control, it is important to core aerate lawns in the spring as part of your lawn care, before soil temperatures reach 55-60 degrees since this encourages aggressive weeds to populate void spaces in a lawn. Allowing water and air to reach root zones easily, core aeration is great for lawns and helps gardeners to quickly achieve new growth when they apply this useful tip.
- Repair And Rejuvenate Lawns – Re-Seeding Turf
Nine times out of ten winter will wreck havoc on your lawn and come spring the damage is done. Now what? Well, as long as the weather permits it how about doing some re-seeding?
This is a great technique gardeners can use to restore damaged areas of their lawns, however, it may be a bit tricky if you’re applying a pre-emergent weed control so it must be carefully done.
You see, pre-emergent weed control isn’t selective, meaning it will prevent ANY seed from germinating including those used to reseed your turf.
Usually, it’s recommended to hold off weed control to the latest point possible an to perform the turf repairs needed as early as possible so that the seeds have enough time to germinate and become established before weed killer is applied. If this is not possible, don’t skip your weed control instead wait until fall to perform any turf repairs necessary.
Bonus Tips For Lawn Care
- Mow Turf On A High Setting – You should adjust your mower to cut your lawn grass at the highest possible setting. Most turf types usually thrive better when blade heights are about 3 to 4 inches tall.
- When mowing Zoysia grass and Centipede grass, use the lowest setting. For Bermuda grass and creeping bentgrass, it’s best to remove only a third of the total grass blade length at a time.
- Applying mulch – Mulches help to provide essential nutrients and help with weed prevention and soil stability all season long be sure to apply some where necessary.
Contact the experts here at DK Landscaping – our expert team is on call to come in and assist you with any lawn care or gardening task that you have.
Give us a call at (707) 280-3632 or you can visit our website at dklandscaping.com for more information or book your appointment.
Top 5 Sizzling Summer Landscape Design Ideas For 2018
“ I Go To Nature To Be Soothed, And Healed And To Have My Senses Put In Order.”
-John Burroughs
Ready to try something new this summer in your garden? Well, if you’re looking for hot, exciting, ideas you can use to spice up your landscape and make it stand out then you’ve definitely tuned into the right station. Whether you want to transform your outdoor space into a head-turning, masterpiece of nature or you simply want to spend your time outdoors among beautiful trees and flowers, we’ve got the ideas that can help you achieve it. Without further delay, let’s get straight down to business and have a look at 5 Top Summer Landscape Design Trends that have been taking the outdoors by storm.
- Revamping Lawn Areas
Have you ever noticed how a well-trimmed and maintained lawn has become a popular attribute that represents everything about the quiet suburban life?
Despite this, droughts, water shortages and rising environmental challenges in recent years have seemed to take their toll on many landscape designs including lawn areas. Nevertheless, instead of going with a traditional type lawn this summer people could consider planting grass mixes that don’t require mowing.
- Go Bold This Summer With A Colored Fence
This is probably one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways to enhance your landscape design and it not only sets the tone but really adds a certain highlight to the outdoor space.
A little color always makes things a bit more interesting – Add a slice of drama to your garden since the landscape design trends for this summer, dictate that using dark and bold colors for outdoor structures can give your landscape that extra boost and more for the eyes to feast on.
This should be a welcomed change from the traditional ‘white picket fence’ that has somehow gotten old.
- Natural Materials Add Texture Where Needed
In previous years when a more contemporary, landscape design concept reigned unopposed, it was one thing, but in more recent times, landscape designers have been getting more requests for the addition of natural elements and non-geometric styles, in order to exude a more natural and original landscape design.
Decks, swing seats, garden furniture, bird baths and small fountains all seem to be returning to the top of the list of trending ideas for summer landscape designs.
- Sustainable Watering Ideas To Match Environmental Conditions
With recent drought conditions showing no sign of letting up, keeping landscape designs in good shape has been proving to be a bit challenging for landscapers.
Since this is the case, this summer, why not jump onto the trend of low-water landscaping? Xeriscaping as it is more commonly referred to in landscaping circles is a landscape design that includes many drought-tolerant plant species that require little or no maintenance.
Not only does this form of landscape design help landscapers to promote water conservation in harsh times but they don’t have to spend so much time maintaining landscapes.
- Dog-Friendly Landscape Designs Are Great For Accommodating Your Pet
Most people who are dog owners are aware that dogs like to dig, so when planning your summer landscape design why not apply a few dog-friendly tips that you can not only have a beautiful landscape but a happy dog as well.
By making special areas throughout your outdoor space like sandboxes, for your dog to carry out its instinctual habit of digging, is a great way to avoid damage to your precious blooms while keeping your dog happy.
With Spring is reaching its zenith, landscapers everywhere are already into summer gardening mode. So, before you start pulling, raking and sowing, why not consider these summer trends to enhance and complement your landscape design.
If you need help with your landscape design or to start one from scratch, we’re here to help. The experts here at DK Landscaping have been helping gardeners all across California achieve the landscape design of their dreams.
Call us today at (707) 280-3632 to get started right away or you can visit our website at dklandscaping.com to learn more.
Learn How To Create The Perfect Xeriscape
When people say xeriscape they are referring to the practice of designing landscapes using slow-growing, drought-tolerant plants that aim to promote water conservation and reduce the need for regular maintenance.
Although recent drought conditions have created an urgency to adjust to different landscape practices like xeriscaping, many people still opt for xeriscape designs because they look amazing when finally complete.
Having said that, it’s important to remember that designing a xeriscape is not just throwing certain plants into some dirt and expecting them to look spectacular, it’s a process.
So, to help people to get a better grasp of things, we’d like to share some fundamental aspects on the best way to create the perfect xeriscape!
Accurate Designing Will Determine the Final Look
Now, to be as straightforward as possible, it’s important that people know that having plant material in the right place, is one of the most important aspects of xeriscaping.
Whether it be that you’re giving a facelift to an old landscape or designing a new one altogether, a proper design is vital – especially if you intend to conserve resources and achieve an amazing result.
Tips That Help With Xeriscape Design
- Assess the area for the presence of vegetation as this is an indication of whether plant material will grow well in that particular area.
- Arrange your xeriscape into of three different zones; a high water-use zone, a moderate water-use zone, and a low water-use zone. The high water-use zone should be very small, highly visible and watered as needed.The moderate water-use zone is usually a bit larger than the high water-use zone and is only watered when required. Now, the low water-use zone should be at least 60% of the area and only include plant types that are initially watered.
Using these straightforward tips you will be well on your way to creating a xeriscape design that’s efficient, practical, and easily maintained.
Soil Management And Soil Quality Is Important
Managing soil may probably be the part of xeriscaping that gardeners enjoy the least as it can involve a bit of hard work on their part but despite this, working with good, quality, soil while designing your xeriscape, is extremely important.
By knowing your soil’s strengths and weaknesses, you’ll know exactly what kind of amendments may be needed for healthy growth.
Nevertheless, always make sure to slope garden beds away from any buildings and plant drought-tolerant plants at the higher part of the slope.
Choosing The Right Plants
The best way to choose plants for your xeriscape would be to opt for more native plant species that may find it easier to adapt to your local environment.
It may be also smart to choose plants that have a slower growth rate that will mature with the rest of your landscape, add texture, and complement the surrounding area.
Here are a few plant choices you can use to make your xeriscape beautiful, functional and low maintenance:
- Southern Indian Azalea,
- Climbing Fig
- Creeping Juniper
- Sweet Alyssum
- Camellia
- Creeping Gardenia
- Jasmine
- Cleyera
- Indian Hawthorne
Why not let the professionals help you get started with creating the perfect xeriscape. Here at DK Landscaping, you can get the best xeriscaping services in California – Our professional team can come in and take care of all the hard work for you and all you have to do is sit back and watch you xeriscape mature and bloom.
Give us a call at (707) 280-3632 and our professional team will drop by to start the planning and preparation process. To learn more about our xeriscaping services you can also visit our website at dklandscaping.com.
How To Make Your Summer Landscape Design Stand Out
“The Poetry Of Earth Is Never Dead” – John Keats
Choosing plants for a Spring landscape can be pretty straightforward since many species thrive well this time of year, which is good, but if you’ve decided to switch things up and go for a summer landscape design instead, here’s how you do it.
When planning your summer landscape design you want to create the perfect mix of blooms that not only show resilience to heat but also make your landscape explode with life.
Well, here are a few insightful landscape design ideas that can help you to achieve the perfect landscape design this summer.
Use Heat-Tolerant Blooms in Landscape Designs to Beat the Heat
Various blooms can be damaged or destroyed in high temperatures so it is recommended that you use sun-loving plants that show exceptional resilience in heated conditions. Plants that can be planted in or before summer that thrive well in high temperatures can add a fresh and vibrant look to your landscape without compromise. Include heat-tolerant, summer-blooming plants like Zinnias, Verbenas, Latanas and Mealycup Sage in your garden.
Bring Your Landscape Design to Life with Lots of Color
Bring excitement and energy to your landscape design with bright and bold colors. Here are some great ideas you can use.
Opting to use species like Portulaca, a heavy blooming succulent, works well as a border in the landscape or “spiller” in your containers. Found in an array of colors such as white, orange and yellow while embraced by succulent foliage, this species is great for hot conditions and adds a bright, bold color combination to warm sun-kissed landscapes.
You can even go exotic by planting a little bit of every color or you can pair Portulaca with other sun-loving annuals or herbs such as pineapple sage, gomphrena or upright rosemary.
Add Variety and Contrasting Features with a Mixture of Color and Texture
You can pair plants together in order to create texture and to display color in any summer landscape design. You can even take things a step further by vamping up your foliage color with a bit of golden oregano mixed with varieties like ornamental peppers in yellow, orange or red.
Creating a kaleidoscope of colors contrasted by the velvety foliage of succulents adds an extraordinary texture and variety to your landscape and the best thing about them is they stay beautiful all summer long.
Make A Statement With Architectural & Modern Landscape Design Ideas
It’s not only the colorful, heat-loving blooms that make up the perfect summer landscape design but other important elements as well.
After planting your blooms and setting things in motion you want to put the finishing touches on your landscape design. Below are a few popular ideas that help you to put the icing on the cake by adding a contemporary flair to your surroundings while giving your landscape design that extra edge.
- Mulching – Provides additional color throughout the landscape and helps plants retain moisture.
- Fountains, bird-baths, garden furniture and stylish plant containers give a stylish effect that complements the entire landscape design.
- If none, adding certain hardscape features like, steps and walkways serves to accommodate traffic while adding extra appeal.
- Garden lights – Help to light walkways and give landscapes a certain ambiance at night.
Keep Landscape Designs and Regular Maintenance
Watering, pruning, deadheading and mulching are perfect ways to keep landscapes healthy and in superb shape. Supplementing landscapes with water up to twice per week or as needed is also very important – especially for containers and new color plantings. If you don’t have the time to water plants then perhaps installing an irrigation system can serve to supply water to landscapes in a timely manner without them being neglected or drying out.
Mowing, edging, raking and forking soil every now and then can also serve to keep landscapes clean and aerated while maintaining their appeal. If you need help establishing your summer landscape design, the experts here at DK Landscaping are here to help. Give us a call at (707) 280-3632 we install irrigation systems, design xeriscapes and hardscapes and offer landscape maintenance services.
For more information or to book an appointment you can visit our website at www.dklandscaping.com
Don’t sit there- Get started with your summer landscape today. Do you have a special design in mind?
A Closer Look at Irrigation Systems -Part 1
“Always Do Your Best. What You Plant Now You Will Harvest Later.” – OG Mandino
If you take a trip to your local garden center, in hopes of finding the right irrigation systems, you can become overwhelmed with what’s out there. Everything from automatic sprinklers to special hoses and spray nozzles can be found and if you don’t know what you’re looking for things are bound to get complicated. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way.
In scenarios such as this, the experts at DK Landscaping Inc. can help to simplify this entire process; We can come in and install a suitable and effective irrigation system so that watering is one less task you have to worry about.
As indicated in many historical records, irrigation has been around for centuries and dates all the way back to ancient times, however, over time, with advancing technology and more developed techniques, irrigation has become more of an applied science.
The Most Popular Irrigation Systems Being Used By Gardeners Today
LOW-DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Trickle irrigation or low-drip irrigation as it is more commonly referred, simply speaks about the type of irrigation method which allows controlled amounts of water, to drip slowly to the roots of plants through narrow tubes equipped with emitters.
With this method, water is delivered directly to the base of the plant and is mainly designed to promote water conservation, especially for gardeners who reside in drought-stricken regions.
Oh, and there’s more; gardeners can also efficiently irrigate non-turf areas such as flower-beds, vegetable and perennial gardens, ground cover and hanging baskets using this method.
It’s clear to see why this is one of the most popular types of irrigation systems used as it really takes care of a lot of areas that need a consistent supply of water on a daily basis.
Here’s How You Can Benefit From Drip Irrigation
- The efficiency of drip-irrigation saves time, money, labor and water.
- By minimizing water contact with the leaves, fruit, and stems of plants it prevents fungal disease.
- Discourages weed growth since water is delivered directly to plant roots.
- Increases effectiveness on uneven ground.
SPRINKLER IRRIGATION
Over time the methods and techniques used throughout gardens have not only grown to be more practical but creative as well. Having said that what better way to describe this next irrigation system but as a practical and creative one.
A sprinkler irrigation system uses a method that applies water to plants and soil in a manner that mimics natural rainfall. With this method, water is pumped through a system of pipes and is distributed in the form of a spray into the air, through sprinklers that break up the water into small drops and uniformly fall to the ground.
Take A Look At The Benefits That Sprinkler Irrigation Offers
- Can be used for both large and small plots of land.
- Conserves water by directing water flow to specific areas of gardens.
- Has the ability to administer fertilizers and chemical treatments through the system.
This type of irrigation system works well for people who have lawns, large gardens and practice farming. If you are thinking about having an irrigation system installed please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information. Look out for part 2 on this topic.
The Ultimate Guide to Landscape Maintenance -v2
No landscaper wants to see beetles, aphids, slugs or any other troublesome pests anywhere in their garden. Many of these pests are known to leave a path of destruction, destroying lawns, trees and plants wherever they go. Therefore when pursuing landscape maintenance, pest control is another important element that you may not want to forget. Even if it may look like just a few innocent bugs, infestations could rapidly spread, killing plants and trees along with your time and energy that you invested.
This is why it’s important that you visit your local garden center and speak to the staff there about the best pest control products to use to help you to keep pest at bay. It’s also important that landscapers make this a regular practice when conducting landscape maintenance to guarantee protection for your entire landscape.
Fertilizing
Fertilizing landscapes despite popular belief, is more than just throwing products into the soil and expecting something to happen instantly. Fertilizing takes time and should be done carefully and precisely if you are to get the best possible results. So when conducting landscape maintenance, so that you know what you’re doing, here’s a simple guide people can follow when fertilizing their landscape.
- Choosing A Fertilizer – Fertilizers can be purchased in a liquid, a granule, or a spike form and are mainly used to provide nutrients to soil and plants. Fertilizers when manufactured provide product information that includes an analysis such as 10-6-4, 5-10-5, or 30-7-7.
Here the first number represents the percentage of the nitrogen content in the fertilizer, the second number refers to the phosphorus content, and the third the potassium content in the fertilizer. This information is provided as an indicator to notify people of what exactly they’re purchasing and where it can best be used.
If you come across a fertilizer with these three major plant nutrients based on the NPK analysis, it is called a complete fertilizer and can be used to provide landscapes with a complete set of nutrients in one application.
- Fertilizing Trees – Depending on the landscape goals and what the current nutrient status of the soil is, landscapers can best determine how much and how often to fertilize trees, however, with small trees, these should only be fertilized once a year.
- Fertilizing Plants – Plants absorb fertilizer at any time during the growing season so long as it’s not too dry or the soil is frozen. Fertilizer is usually absorbed by plant roots during the dormant period, once soil temperatures stay above 40 degrees F.
Mulching
As part of landscape maintenance, mulching is also another important element that ought to be considered. Mulching is a great way to further promote health, vigor and beauty throughout your landscape and enables landscapers to benefit in numerous ways. This practice is known to support plant stability and provide nutrients to the soil while preventing weeds and maintaining consistent moisture levels throughout landscapes.
Think of how much time could be saved to do other things just by mulching, since you hardly have to weed or water landscapes. Apart from this mulching can also bring an extra sense of appeal while improving the aesthetics of landscapes, adding color and uniformity to the area.
Just like fertilizing, mulching should be done a particular way, wherein most landscapes mulch can be applied so it covers up to 3 inches above the soil and about 1 inch away from plant stems; As for trees, these can be mulched up to 8 inches off the ground.
People can also visit their local garden center to purchase mulch which can come in the form of wood chippings, bark nuggets, compost and much more. Grass clippings from your regular turf mowing can also be kept and used as mulch.
Don’t Have the Time to Conduct Landscape Maintenance? – Our Team Can Make it Happen for You!
Altogether, landscaping and landscaping maintenance can test the best of gardeners and is not for the faint of heart. Time money and lots of energy have to be put into creating and maintaining a gorgeous landscape.
If you’re retired, you work from home or landscaping is your profession then you may have more time on your hands to keep things with your landscape in order and even then there can still be numerous challenges as you may need help with several tasks. However, if you just don’t have the time or may meet certain challenges in different aspects of landscape maintenance, then we are here to help.
With top-rated landscape maintenance services, here at DK Landscaping we would be happy to come and give you a hand or conduct your landscape maintenance for you.With a knowledgeable, friendly staff, affordable rates and convenient services we can work to keep your landscape looking beautiful any time of year.
Operating efficiently and in any landscape environment, give us a call at to book your appointment or visit us online at dklandscaping.com for more information. Get your landscape maintenance done today, it’s just a call or click away.
