When to Apply Fertilizers

When to Apply Fertilizers

Proper timing of fertilizer applications has a marked effect on the growth of landscape plant materials. In general, the best time to apply fertilizer is in the spring before growth begins. Soil type also affects the timing of fertilizer applications. For sandy or loam soils, apply fertilizer as soil temperatures begin to rise and before growth occurs. For heavy clay soils apply the fertilizer in late fall after leaves have fallen or the plant is completely dormant. The maximum growth response to the fertilizer is obtained if the fertilizer is available in the root zone at or slightly before the start of spring growth. In sandy soils fertilizer moves more rapidly into the root zone, whereas in heavy soils, it takes much longer for the fertilizer to reach the root system. Generally speaking, don’t apply fertilizers from August 1 until late fall (about the time of the average date of the first killing frost). Late summer fertilizing can stimulate an excessive amount of new growth and this tender vegetation can be more susceptible to winter injury.

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Soil Preparation

Soil Preparation

Nearly every soil can be improved to increase plant health and conserve water.

Both sandy soils and heavier clay soils benefit from the addition of large quantities of organic matter, such as shredded pine bark, peat, rice hulls, and compost. This will increase the soil’s ability to absorb and store both water and nutrients in a form available to the plants. A 4-inch layer of organic matter, mixed in with the soil at planting time, will aid in the establishment of shrubs and trees. Flower beds and gardens can be amended every time they are replanted. In sandy soil, strategic planting areas can be modified by incorporating top soil or loam. Make a gradual transition from sand to loam by mixing the first layer of top soil with the sand.

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Planting Around Water

Planting Around Water

7 Tips for Planting Water:

  1. Create Interest with Variety. Random placement of plants with varying textures and colors will create more interest than using plants that have all the same growth habit or leaf shape.
  2. Play with Colors. Choose colors you like best and consider the type of lighting your pond receives. Yellow, orange, and white help brighten shady areas, while cool blue and violet tone down the intensity of the sun’s rays.
  3. Go Green. A soft, calming space is created by using different textures and shades of green foliage. The combination is effective on its own, but also looks great when accented only by white flowers. You can also play with color based on leaf selection alone, since you’ll find aquatic foliage in a range of colors such as red, purple, yellow, and several variegated combinations.
  4. Know Your Plant Size. One of the biggest mistakes novice water gardeners make is failing to realize how big their pond plants might grow. Be sure to take height and width of the mature plant into consideration and allow enough space for future growth.
  5. Short in Front, Tall in Back. This might seem like a no-brainer, but always put shorter plants in front of taller ones. Most likely, you’ll spend most of your time viewing your water garden from a deck or patio, so keep that sight line in mind when planting your pond.
  6. Group Plants Together. Interior decorators tell you to group like objects together when decorating your home, to create visual impact. Use this same principle when planting your pond. Plant a row of marsh marigolds along a stretch of the ponds edge, as opposed to dotting them all around the pond in single locations.
  7. Consider Each Plant’s Needs. Be mindful of how much sun your aquatic plants require, along with their planting depth. If a plant requires full sun, that’s a minimum of 6 hours of unobstructed (ie not dappled shade) sun per day. If you’re not sure what your plant needs, ask the pro at your local garden center or search online for information.

 

 

 

 

*Source: http://www.aquascapeinc.com

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Flower Beds around Trees

Flower Beds around Trees

Building a flower bed around a tree can add a beautiful and neat appearance to your landscape. This process is relatively simple and is well worth the effort. Adding bright colored flowers or plants around trees for your commercial landscape design helps bring attention to trees that may not get noticed before. Create something different around the trees in front of your office building rather than the normal style.

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Commercial Snow Removal Precautions

Commercial Snow Removal Precautions

Office buildings, hospitals, universities, and other facilities with heavy foot traffic can be hazardous places during inclement weather. Keeping visitors to your organization safe from weather-related mishaps requires careful planning and attention to detail. Here are a few precautions and best practices to follow during the winter season.

  1. Alert Your Visitors to Snowplow Trucks
  2. Check the Pavement for Dips
  3. Check All Lights and Outlets
  4. Check the Lobby and Interior Walkways

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Tidy Edges

Tidy Edges

A clean and tidy edge will define your landscape and give it a unique look and feel, it will also save unnecessary efforts in the future as it will it tidy. Both concrete and brick pavers make a simple, attractive border and work well as edging material too. They’re ideal a wide border in wanted that keeps grass out of the garden, yet allows flowers and other plants to spill over without intruding onto the grass. Beach stones and wood edging can be used as well to create a different landscape edging design. Edging keeps your landscape neat and plants in their places.

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How To Prune

How To Prune

Targeting a Pruning Cut Large trees aside, there are many pruning jobs that you can do on your own. In all cases, the key is to prune the unwanted branch while protecting the stem or trunk wood of the tree. Tree branches grow from stems at nodes and pruning always takes place on the branch side of a stem-branch node. Branches and stems are separated by a lip of tissue called a stem collar which grows out from the stem at the base of the branch. All pruning cuts should be made on the branch side of this stem collar. This protects the stem and the other branches that might be growing from it. It also allows the tree to heal more effectively after the prune. To prevent tearing of the bark and stem wood, particularly in the case of larger branches, use the following procedure:

Three steps to pruning large branches.

  1. Make a small wedge shaped cut on the underside of the branch just on the branch side of the stem collar. This will break the bark at that point and prevent a tear from running along the bark and stem tissue.
  2. Somewhat farther along the branch, starting at the top of the branch, cut all the way through the branch leaving a stub end.
  3. Finally, make a third cut parallel to and just on the branch side of the of the stem collar to reduce the length of the stub as much as possible.

A similar procedure is used in pruning one of two branches (or one large branch and a stem) joined together in a ‘u’ or ‘v’ crotch. This is known as a drop crotch cut. Make the first notch cut on the underside of the branch you’re pruning well up from the crotch. For the second cut, cut completely through the branch from inside the crotch well up from the ridge of bark joining the two branches. Finally, to shorten the remaining stub, make the third cut just to one side of the branch bark ridge and roughly parallel to it.

*Source: http://tree-pruning.com/how-to-prune.html

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5 Pre-Season Snow Season Tips

Five Pre-Season Snow Season Tips

  1. Develop a comprehensive pre-season snow and ice removal plan
  • Identify existing conditions and trouble spots
  • Establish a plan for how you will remove snow and ice and who will do so.
  1. Identify when removal will take place in correspondence with when the snow falls
  2. Weather Mats: place weather mats at all entrances to the building for a distance of 40 feet. These mats should be placed in both directions to catch snow and water when entering and exiting.
  3. Machinery & Equipment: inspect all equipment from the last snowfall and develop a full maintenance makeover.
  4. Salt: cannot stress the importance of purchasing sufficient salt well ahead of time and of managing its distribution wisely.
  5. Consider hiring a snow removal contractor.

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