There’s one common sight when going through popular home magazines and websites. Most homes have immaculate gardens. It can be small or big; size is immaterial. What matters most is creating an outdoor space with landscaping that compliments your home. When you’ve poured time and resources into your home’s landscaping, it’s only right to take good care of it. landscape maintenance best practices revolve around taking a proactive approach to keeping your outdoor spaces in great shape.
If you hope to improve your landscape maintenance skills, keep reading to discover practices that can help you in your venture.
1. Hire a Professional Landscape Maintenance Company
There’s no better maintenance than what can be done by experts from companies like American Grounds Service. They’re not just trained with the necessary skills and experience, but they also have tools and equipment that you don’t. Although you may not have to call them in frequently to do some work in your home, it is best to let the experts do their magic on your yard at least once in a while. This ascertains that issues are easily detected and resolved, which ultimately allows you to save effort, time, and money in the long run.
The ideal timeframe for a maintenance check rests on factors like your budget and garden size. The bigger your garden is, the more landscaping maintenance work is needed. Whichever the size, your garden could use a quarterly run-through by professionals.
2. Get to Know Your Yard
As mentioned above, calling in professionals to do the maintenance work isn’t something any homeowner can do too frequently. Hence, you may have to get your hands dirty with a few maintenance jobs here and there on your own. To start, it’s important to get to know your site entirely.
This means studying your soil and climate, among other factors. When the plants you choose are paired with your area’s common weather conditions, you can give them a higher chance to thrive. Moreover, you’ll also be able to assess how often trimming, and pruning is needed to keep your plants alive.
Don’t forget that there may also be other nuances, depending on your locality. For example, if you own farmland or live in an area where trees need to be protected from grazing deer, consider getting deer-proof tree guards.
3. Don’t Neglect Mulch
Plants can only thrive on healthy soil. Keeping well-maintained landscaping means keeping an eye on your mulch. Pay attention to it, as mulching is one of the best ways to protect plants, keep soil quality good, and even add aesthetic value to your landscaping.
Different plants require varying conditions, so it also pays to learn the type of mulch that suits your plants’ needs. Here’s a quick guide to help you get started.
- Organic mulch includes grass clippings, hardwood chips, pine needles, straws, and leaves. When those organic matters start to decompose, they deposit nutrients into the soil. In effect, the soil’s condition improves.
- Inorganic mulch can be gravel, rocks, or pebbles. These are useful for eliminating weeds. However, they should also be avoided in a sunny area, as they can promote water loss thus dehydrating the plants.
Whatever the type of mulch you choose to use, keep it to a depth of three to four inches. Anything more can already be harmful to the plant’s growth.
4. Lawn Mowing
Mowing your lawn is the easiest of all the tasks homeowners can and should do. If you have a big yard, it’s also worth investing in a good lawn mower. Mowing your lawn shouldn’t be hard work if you have a high-powered lawn mowing machine at home.
How often you’ll have to mow your lawn depends on the current weather conditions. In the summer, you can space it out longer before mowing again. During the rainy season, grass grows faster, so you’ll also have to mow your lawn more frequently.
5. Outdoor Lighting
Guests and passers-by can easily appreciate your landscaped yard’s beauty in all its glory during the day. At night, however, it won’t have any value if it’s left in the dark. You’ll need lights to illuminate and draw attention to your plants.
A good landscape artist can also give valuable insights into where and how to position your garden lights, so the best features are highlighted. Therefore, landscape maintenance includes seeing to it that all the lights are in good condition.
Your landscape maintenance company could help you out with this, but if such services aren’t included, this is when electricians come into the picture.
Landscape Maintenance Best Practices Summary
Having dead and unruly plants are a visual nuisance, and they do nothing to contribute to preserving your home’s desirability. A well-landscaped yard is undeniably one of the best ways to increase your home’s value; hence, it is necessary to give it proper attention through regular maintenance.
Follow the five steps outlined in these best practices and your entire property will be grateful. By following these tips, you can rest assured your home will be the envy of the neighborhood.
