Landscaping Care Basics

Your landscaping consists of more than just your lawn. Know the basics for properly maintaining your entire landscaping to ensure a healthy and beautiful yard.

Lawn

One of the main components in most landscapes is the lawn. For a green, healthy lawn, plan to provide a few inches of water per week, depending on natural precipitation, and fertilize every few weeks during the growing season with a balanced lawn fertilizer. Mow the lawn only when it is a fair amount longer than the desired height, which which will depend on the type of grass used, to ensure it looks green and lush. Finally, consider edging between the lawn and sidewalks and garden beds to help maintain a crisp, weed-free edge.

Trees and Shrubs

Most trees and shrubs should be pruned in late winter, before flowering or leafing out, except for a few late-flowering varieties that are trimmed after they stop blooming in early summer. At the very least, prune out dead, damaged, and crossed branches. Shaping of the canopy is also done at this time. Established trees may need to be watered once every two weeks during extended dry seasons, but many do fine with natural precipitation and lawn irrigation. Mulching over the root zone can further lower water needs and keep the tree healthy.

Hardscaping

Hardscaping includes your patio, sidewalk, retaining walls, or any other non-living landscaping item. Mortar and paving damage should be repaired promptly if noticed so it doesn't worsen. Otherwise, annual pressure washing or scrubbing of the surfaces with a deck brush and water should keep these components looking their best. Moss remover can be used if moss or algae staining is a problem.

Beds and Gardens

Flower beds and gardens look their best when they are mulched against weeds. Use a combination of landscaping fabric covered in mulch for perennial beds and just mulch in annual plantings. Provide most garden plants with water every few days. Trim off old flowers as soon as they begin to fade to prevent the plants from going to seed -- this will typically encourage more flower production. Cut back perennial plants once the leaves begin to yellow and die. As for weeding, hand-pulling the weeds typically works best in flower beds, particularly if you spend a few minutes every week pulling the baby weeds as they first emerge.

For more help or if you have a pest or disease issues in the yard, contact a landscaping service near you.