Friday, November 28, 2008

Maintaining Your Lawn Garden

When it comes to making sure that the landscape around your home stays in top condition, one of the key items to take care of is the lawn garden area. It is important that proper maintenance is done to keep the back and front lawn, and the garden healthy and looking good because in most cases, the lawn is the largest and most visible aspect of a property.

Watering the lawn and garden is one of the most important parts of good lawn maintenance. In some parts of the country, there is enough rainfall so that the roots are properly supplied with moisture. But even in what would be considered soggy areas, such as the Pacific Northwest, there are periods or dry weather and no rain. When this happens, it is vital to the survival of the lawns that they be properly watered.

The first sign of an impending drought condition of the lawn garden area of your landscaping is a change in color. The grass in lawns that are suffering from insufficient moisture will start to lose their intense greenness and will soon turn to a straw color, or even brown if the lack of moisture persists.

The best time of day to water a lawn or garden is during the coolest part of the day. This means that turning on the lawn sprinkler early in the morning or in the evening after the sun has set is best. Garden lawn experts also say that the rotary sprinklers provide the best coverage if you don't have a built in sprinkler system for your lawn maintenance.

In most cases, it is best to water your lawn just once a week, unless the weather is extremely hot or dry. When doing your weekly watering, you can place an empty tuna can on the grass and let the water run until it is filled up. This will help you know when you have watered enough to give the deep roots enough moisture without over watering. Watering in this way will also help your lawns develop a deep root system which will also help them survive periods of drought.

Another aspect of lawn and garden maintenance is proper fertilization and weed control. Good basic maintenance techniques will go a long way in keeping the lawns of your home and garden healthy, thriving and with few weeds. Spring is the best time to fertilize lawns as this is when the grass is "waking up" and will need the extra nutrients from the fertilizer to assure healthy growth. The best garden lawn fertilizers will have a combination of nitrogen, phosphates and potash.

Often, it is very beneficial to do another round of fertilization of your lawn garden in the summer months to give your lawns a better chance of gaining the nutrients that will make them hearty. Using a fertilizer that also contains some weed killer can also reduce your work by keeping the weeds in check. This combination of a well-fed lawn and a light herbicide will control most of the weed problems so that you can enjoy your home, gardens and lawns with your friends and family.

No realestate is finished without some type of grass, as well as some forms of shruberry to help enhance the overall quality of the building. The enhanced curb appeal as well as the added value can make the final difference when selling a home or adding to the over all value of the house. Any small amounts help and you don't have to always use a professional to complete the landscaping for you. It never hurts to have some professional advice or a little bit of knowledge before you start ripping up your front yard, though. Some trees, some pleasant green grass, and you will get it down pat before you know it Who knows? Possibly you will decide it as a career that you may be interested in following. Below there are some basic frequently asked questions of landscaping so that you can get some idea of how landscaping is completed and how it might be simpler than you may think.

 


At what point should I hire a landscaper?

You should employ a landscaper if you do not have a "green thumb" and you are not going to have the time to devote to getting rid of the old planting as well as landscaping the new. There are specific steps that must be put into place to prevent the erosion of soil so it will require at a minimum a weekend of challenging work. Landscaper's are not low cost but you can find one at a reasonable cost depending on how extensive the area is and how much labor you intend to do yourself. If you are going to upkeep the area, you will spend less money as well.

Perennials and annuals - What makes them different?

Both are, of course, plants although the variation is in how long they last and how often you are required to replant them. Annuals must be replanted eash year. Some examples of annuals are any type of vegetable, sunflowers as well as flowers such as violets. Perennials are plants that will regenerate themselves. They include trees, bulb plants such as lilies, tulips and include roses as well as other hardy plants that go dormant during the winter months. The majority of grasses which are ornamental are considered to be perennials.

How do I decide which type to plant?

The kind of plant you choose will be dependent on your environmental condition and the amount of water you want to use. It will also depend on the amount of sun your yard receives throughout the day. Some plants thrive in the shade when others will wilt. For those people who live in areas that are prone to drought, they should think about planting plants that are hardy that require little water and actually help to conserve the soil from process of erosion. Many people choose to have rock gardens and cactus if they happen to live in desert environments.

At what time is the ideal season for planting?

The ideal planting season depends on what variation of plant you wish to grow. The best time to plany bulbs is in the fall so that they have time to root. Other types of plants are more suitable to planting in the months of the spring. Some plants will not produce flowers or fruits until one or two seasons later so you need to prepare for this. Trees will need to work through several years before they become substantial enough to furnish enough shade or create fruit.

What will be the cost be to have my home landscaped?

 

Without knowing how large your yard is, what condition the ground is and what type of plants you want to place in your yard it is impossible to estimate how much it will cost. You can take a general guess that it will be at least five hundred dollars and can quickly go upwards of several thousand dollars for exotic plants and intricate features. A landscaper can give you an estimate for the cost.

For further educational knowledge click here: Landscape Drawings also City Landscape also click here How To Choose The Right Landscaping Trees

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