Protect Your Landscape

A well maintained landscape takes time, effort, and money so you surely want to protect your investment! If cared for properly, your landscaping will appreciate with each passing year. A shrub that you paid $100 to install a few years ago may be worth 10 times that amount today. Your investment is literally growing in your yard, so make sure that you take steps to protect and even enhance it.

It’s no secret that the Houston area endured a very serious drought over the past year. These conditions killed many plants and endangered lawns and trees. The stress of this severe weather means that you need to pay extra attention to your landscaping to help it regain its health.

First, the most obvious step is to water your landscaping properly. Set up a schedule of adequate, consistent watering. It is best to water your plants deeply and less often at a slow trickle, allowing the water to thoroughly soak into the ground. When you dump a large amount of water on hard, dry soil in a short amount of time, the water will run horizontally across the surface instead of penetrating the ground to get to the roots. However, when you water at a slow trickle (such as placing a hose at the base of a tree for an hour where the water is barely running out), the moisture is absorbed deeper. You should strive to give your plants this treatment weekly. If you have a sprinkler system, be careful not to overwater.

Next, manage infectious diseases and destructive insects that can attack your landscaping. By performing careful, regular observation of your plants and lawn, you can spot most problems. Scheduled treatments and preventative programs will also help avoid problems before they occur.

Another important step is to get rid of weeds, which not only look bad but they compete with your plants and decrease their health and value. Make sure you keep your flower beds mulched and your grass thick and not mowed too short. Also, using pre-emergent weed controls for your lawns and beds will keep seeds from germinating.

Finally, give your landscape a regular diet of balanced food. Fertilization timed for the most effective results is best, and will help keep your entire landscape lush and healthy.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.