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Landscaping Maintenance Tips and Tricks

Remember, you landscape is not a pretty picture that, once painted, remains in place forever. It is a constantly growing and changing collection of living things. It is, in many ways, an organism unto itself. In order to nurture it effectively, you will need to revisit it frequently. That is what maintenance is really all about. Great landscaping does not stem exclusively from those days of planning and planting. Your property is a growing, living thing. You can set something beautiful into motion, but in order to get the most out of your landscaping plans, you will need to conduct regular maintenance. You will need to address the yard’s needs and to be proactive in order to prevent the development of problems that could completely derail your plans.

Our lawn is a critical part of our overall landscape, in most cases. Grass frequently forms the basis from which the rest of our landscaping efforts emerge. A good looking, healthy lawn is a necessity for those seeking landscaping success. The lawn in the canvas upon which landscapers paint.

Understanding the importance of great grass and the need for regular landscaping maintenance let us look at three things you can do to keep your property attractive and in line with your landscaping vision.

FALL FERTILIZATION

Fertilization is a perfect example of maintenance for landscapes. It is one of those regular things that you simply cannot afford to neglect. Every year, as the end of autumn approaches, you should apply a final dose of fertilizer to your grass. The lawn will absorb those nutrients and they will help to keep it strong, healthy throughout the winter, and ready to explode into growth when things warm up again.

WINTER CLEANING

If your lawn is smothered in any location, it can do a great deal of harm. Before the really cold weather sits in, walk your property and carefully remove any debris from the lawn. Things like tree branches, logs, your children’s toys or that shovel you have been meaning to put back into the garage can do serious damage if left in place through the winter. Smothered grass is less disease resilient and may even die completely. You certainly do not want to usher in spring with a brown ring in the middle of the yard!

AERATION (very Important )

Aerate the grassy area before the year’s first freeze. As winter comes, thatch will accumulate and your lawn can be “choked off.” A serious aeration and that aforementioned fall fertilization will prepare your lawn to last out the cold and will position in for maximum spring performance. You can rent an aerator at any hardware store, if you do not own your own. Some people claim to get more than satisfactory results from manual aeration strategies, including special slip-on shoe cleats. Give your lawn a chance to breathe through the winter and it will thank you in the spring.

 

• Maintaining Proper Root Zone Moisture (watering)
• Emphasize plants that can survive on natural precipitation.
• Site plants appropriately and take advantage of site opportunities.
• Group plants together by moisture needs.
• Mulch to conserve moisture.
• Probe and use indicator species to determine when to water.
• Remember landscape beds usually have different moisture requirements than turf.

Managing Landscape Plant Growth (mowing, trimming, pruning, etc.)
· Try to use plants that require less trimming and pruning.
· Minimize shearing, hedging and rounding. Try to retain natural shapes.
· Learn how to prune/trim properly.
· Don’t limb up evergreens except as last resort.
· Don’t top trees.
· Some perennials can be cut back to extend bloom time.
· Leave most grasses and perennials up over the winter.

Managing Soil Fertility
· Do soil tests before planting – understand pH level.
· Use plants that the existing soil will support.
· Do any major soil work before planting.
· Maintain a good soil organic level – mulching, composting, etc.
· When possible, return plant residues to the soil.
· Fertilizing is usually unnecessary for properly selected landscape plants.

Controlling Weeds
· Minimize areas of open ground where weeds can grow.
· Use mulch to cover open areas.
· Don’t let weeds go to seed.
· Pull, hoe or dig out weeds when possible.
· Visit the landscape often to keep weeds from getting out of control.
· Minimize use of weed fabrics – don’t use plastic sheeting.
· Know the weed and the best option for removal.
· Be diligent with woody weeds – remove as much of root as possible.
· A few of the most common weeds include henbit, dandelions, crabgrass, thistles, and bindweed.

Using Herbicides
· Pre-emergent herbicides can be used to help reduce weed germination. Use sparingly and only when a significant weed crop is anticipated. Don’t use every year since they can build up in the soil and inhibit growth of some landscape plants.
· Use post-emergent herbicides only as a last resort and follow all label instructions.
· Avoid general spraying of herbicides in the spring when trees are leafing out and have succulent new growth. Many trees are often damaged when dandelions are sprayed.
· Spot spray whenever possible.
· Glyphosate products such as Round-Up are the safest post-emergent herbicides to use around landscape plantings.
· Don’t use ground sterilants such as Tordon.

Mulching
· Mulch helps maintain soil moisture, reduces weed competition, improves soil fertility, and reduces mowing and weed trimmer damage.
· Organic mulches are best – wood chips, bark trimmings, pine needles, tree leaves, etc.
· Apply only 2-3” deep – avoid piling at base of trees.
· Establish five to six foot (minimum) mulch rings around trees. Consider mulching to the dripline and expanding as the tree grows. Area under tree canopy can be planted to groundcovers and other plants.
· Mulch shrubs and other plantings in larger beds. Incorporate nearby trees if possible.
· Mulching should be an ongoing effort – 2-3” every 2-3 years.
· Planting large, open areas in landscape beds with groundcovers will reduce the amount of remulching needed.
· Grass clippings are good – especially around herbaceous plantings. No more than 1-2” deep.
· Don’t use rock or ground rubber as mulch.

Controlling Insect Pests and Diseases
· Many pests and diseases are benign or are often secondary to other problems (poor plant selection, site issues, weather events, mower blight, etc).
· Wise plant selection can help eliminate most pest/disease problems.
· Diagnose properly and seek the least invasive treatment option.
· Hire professionals if needed.
· Minimize use of insecticides – remember the beneficial insects.
· Animal problems (deer, rabbits, ground squirrels, etc.)? Good luck!

Managing Turfgrass
· Try to resist the desire for perfectly green, weed free turf. Such turf is expensive and the efforts to achieve it can cause significant problems in the rest of the landscape.
· Use turf species that require the fewest inputs to maintain.
· Limit higher maintenance turf areas to where there is the most activity.
· Keep mowers and trimmers away from trees/shrubs.
· When possible, water lawn separately from trees and landscape plantings.
· Spray for perennial lawn weeds in fall (if need be).
· Mow high and carefully.

The best way to reduce maintenance requirements is through good design, wise plant selection and proper planting. A few things to consider:
1. Good design pays for itself.
2. Plant in mass and in groupings – avoid scattering of plants.
3. Separate trees, shrubs and other landscape plantings from high maintenance turfgrass.
4. Use plants adapted to the planting site.
5. Limit the use of cloned plants, fussy plants and over-planted types.

Random Thoughts
· Work with nature – not against it.
· Be willing to get the hands dirty. Pulling a few weeds is not demeaning.
· All landscape plantings require at least some maintenance.
· Visit the landscape regularly and often. A few minutes of regular maintenance can prevent much bigger and more frustrating problems.
· Let the landscape reflect a sense of place – the spirit of Nebraska!
· Don’t expect perfection – be willing to put up with some rough edges.

Great gardens start with great soil!

1- The most important component for successful gardening is proper soil preparation. Most of our soils are heavy clay, alkaline and low in organic matter. As a general rule, work into the top 12” of soil, up to 1 cubic yard of topsoil or compost for every 100 square feet. If we provide healthy soil then the result is usually healthy, pest-free plants.
2- Good, organic mulch is an essential component for gardening in the Great Plains. Blanketing the soil with 2-3” of mulch improves plant growth and flowering by conserving valuable moisture, suppressing weed growth and helping capture rainfall by preventing rapid run-off.
3- Prepare new planting beds in the fall rather than the spring to take advantage of cool, dry weather. The amended soil will have a chance to settle over the winter and you will have time to design your new space. When spring arrives you are ready for planting and can then take advantage of timely rains.
4- Weeds are best eradicated before planting by using the least toxic, shortest-lived herbicides, as sparingly as possible. Fight the perennial weeds prior to planting, before they can cause tremendous trouble later. You can keep annual weeds to a minimum by hand-weeding and prevent more weeds by simply keeping seed from maturing by mowing or a weed whip.
5- The best way to handle insects is to do nothing at all and let nature take its course. 1% of all garden insects are pests. Plant a diverse mix of plants in your landscape rather than large block plantings of a single species. If plants are insect or disease magnets then simply replace them with plants that are adapted to our climate. Usually pest problems are a result of plants not getting the site conditions they require to grow their best.
6- It is beneficial to water your garden infrequently after it is established, otherwise the plants that survive will be those that require extra water and the ones that can live on simply rainfall rotted because they got too wet. As a general rule supply up to 1” of water a week to your beds unless it receives a soaking rain of 1” or more. In a typical 5 month growing season your landscape will only need to be watered a half dozen times.
7- Prevention is the key component when maintaining your landscape. Plan on walking through your garden at least once a week to pull weeds, dead head spent flowers or to monitor plant condition. A single weed can mature in a few weeks, often scattering hundreds of seeds for next year’s crop.
8- You can avoid yearly pruning and many pest problems by proper plant selection and placement. Problems occur when plants are forced to grow in conditions they were not adapted to grow in.
9- When planting a prairie style garden or any perennial border include at least 50% grasses in the design. Grasses help support the forbs from flopping, they frame the flowers and provide competition for aggressive plants.
10- In eastern Nebraska if we don’t plant it then Mother Nature will. Newly planted shrubs and trees are often placed in large mulch beds where weeds can become a problem. Consider using ornamental ground

These are only a few of literally thousands of potential landscaping maintenance tasks you can perform. These three means of improving your lawn’s health, however, do reveal why maintenance activity is necessary. If you simply “let things go,” you run the risk of undoing all of your hard work and encountering disappointing results. Last year’s landscaping accomplishment can become next year’s embarrassment if maintenance is not taken seriously.