Starting and Maintaining your Landscape

 

• I am planning to renovate my landscape. What things should I keep in mind to have a successful end product?

• Mulch: The benefits of mulch in the landscape include moisture conservation, weed management, temperature moderation, and nutrient release through decomposition. Mulch rings around trees planted in turf also provide the added benefits of reducing competition from surrounding grass for water and nutrients and protecting trunks from weed trimmers and lawn mowers. Recommendations call for 3 inches of mulch evenly applied across the planting area without allowing it to be in contact with the trunk.

• Watering: The best start to ensuring adequate moisture at planting is to start with adequate soil or media moisture going into the hole. Newly installed plants rely on soil ball and container moisture to supply their needs. Concentrate watering on the root mass whether it is soil or media and provide some moisture to the backfill/root mass interface. Target future watering to the base of the plant and regulate the timing based on stock type, available irrigation systems, and weather conditions. Remember, an automatic irrigation system does not necessarily ensure that water is penetrating into root masses during establishment.

• Pruning: Pruning at planting is recommended to minimize the demand for water by the emerging shoots and expanding leaves. Pruning on newly planted plants should be limited to shoots that do not contribute to overall crown shape or appearance. This will lighten the density of the crown without having a substantial impact on overall shoot development and leaf expansion.

• Fertilization: Nutrient uptake is important for plant growth and development. Fertilization at planting can promote root growth, enhance establishment and minimize the transplant shock period resulting in achieving both aesthetic and environmental benefits sooner. Fertilizer at planting should be based on soil tests of the backfill or existing site soils.

 

• When do I prune my flowering trees and shrubs?

Plants will benefit from periodic thinning and opening the interior canopies to light penetration and air circulation. Thinning of the canopy will reduce humidity, speed evaporation, and decrease the incidence of disease during susceptible periods. Thinning of plant crowns also reduces wind resistance and the potential for damage during storms. Pruning aids flowering by maintaining conditions, which promote flower bud formation such as adequate light, stimulation of new wood, and a control of vegetative growth. Excessive pruning can promote vegetative growth at the expense of flowering.

 

• How do I maintain a formal hedge?

It is important to begin shaping a hedge at an early age. Hedges require regular and often repeated pruning in a season to control growth and maintain the desired shape. In general, hedges are pruned so that the base is wider than the top, like an inverted “V”. The resultant angle of exterior foliage allows better light interception. Hedges that are wider at the top eventually lose lower foliage and branches due to shading.

 

• What tools should I use for pruning?

Choosing the right pruning tool can be as important as understanding the basic principles. It is important to select the appropriate tool for the branch or stem size. Inappropriate use of pruning tools can result in unnecessary damage to the plant and tools, along with wasted effort and frustration by the operator. Common pruning tools are hand shears, lopping shears, hedge shears, knives, saws, pole saws, and pole pruners.

 

There are two basic types of hand and lopping shears, hook and blade (bypass) and anvil. The hook and blade cuts by the curved blade passing close to the curved/hooked anvil. The anvil type cuts by the flat blade pressing against a flat anvil. The anvil type is best used with small stems and branches. Hand shears are usually recommended for use on stems up to 3/4” in diameter. Lopping shears can cut branches up to 1 1/2” in diameter. Ratchet models of both hand and lopping shears are available, making cutting easier and/or extending the range of stem diameter efficiently cut.

 

Pruning tools should be clean, in good working order, and by all means sharp. Keep tools out of the soil, remove sap or other materials from the blade, lubricate the blade and moving parts with the appropriate lubricant, and sharpen blades according to manufacturer’s recommendations. When pruning plants with diseases known to spread, disinfect tools with an alcohol or bleach solution between cuts.

 

The following are a few safety tips when pruning:

• Always wear appropriate safety gear including gloves, eye protection, and safety shoes.

• Avoid baggy clothing.

• Keep both feet on the ground; if you must climb or use a ladder, use approved equipment, take the necessary safety precautions, and use a ground assistant.

• Work close to your body, at bent arm’s length. Do not force a cut or use power equipment with your arms fully extended.

• Do not cut over your head.

• Avoid work near power lines.

• Be familiar with the safe handling, storage, and transport of all equipment.

When using electric powered equipment:

• Secure the cord away from the operation to avoid cutting it with the blades.

• Disconnect the power before cleaning and making adjustments.

• Never use during or immediately after rain.

• Follow necessary safety precautions when using gas operated equipment.

• Know your limitations. Do not overestimate your stamina.

 

• How do you control weeds in the landscape?

Landscape weed control can take many forms. There are more options in soil than in containers or patio plantings. In landscape beds, possible control methods include cultural, mechanical, biological, chemical and combinations of the previous four.

• Cultural Control: Keeping the area weed free is very important for maintaining weed control. Keeping the area around the landscape weed free keeps weed seed levels to a minimum.

• Mechanical Control: Cultivation is a common method of mechanical control in landscape. Although it is time consuming, cultivation does work well for annual weeds.

• Biological Control: Biological control involves the use of naturally occurring pests to control weeds.

• Chemical Control: The backbone of a landscape herbicide weed control program is based on pre-emergent herbicides because, in general, post-emergence herbicides are phytotoxic (harmful to crop) to ornamental species. They can also be granular in form, rather than liquid, which reduce the phytotoxicity of the herbicide.