Have you ever wondered why your hedges seem to be leaning over? Why your bushes seem to have slowly doubled in size over the past couple years? Maybe why your lawn continues to die after extensive watering? No matter your problem, there’s one question we all ask: Why do our landscapes fail?

           It isn’t uncommon that homeowners, property managers, and others are asking these same questions. The problem is that inexperience and a lack of knowledge can lead to these problems whether or not someone is maintaining their landscape. Often times rather it boils down to the fact that people overlook the complexity of a landscape. We can’t always just install what looks good or what seems like a good fit. Thorough inspection is needed to figure out if the plants in your landscape are problematic, diseased, or pests.

           A big problem that is often seen is that people will install plants that look great when they’re first installed. The problem about this is that plants that are freshly installed typically have a lot of room for growth. For example, some ficus trees are planted when they’re only 10 feet tall - giving the illusion that they’re great for hedging and providing privacy. They’re wildly popular in many areas due to being evergreen and being resilient to changes in weather. The maintenance problem that arises from these however, is that most ficus trees grow fast and very tall, some up to 80 feet. If not regularly trimmed and pruned, these trees can quickly become a financial disaster and require a lot of time to maintain. As well, they can begin to interfere with walkways and planters, and trimming them when they’re too tall for the average gardener can lead them to have that “leaning” look. All of this can be avoided by picking a proper alternative that has a lower growth potential.



           Another popular problem in landscapes is lawns. Most people believe that watering and mowing is all you need for a fresh, healthy lawn. The truth is, most people have never even done aeration or the use of a vertical mower or thought about fertilizer, and therefore the ground cannot absorb nutrients and becomes uninhabitable for grass. A vertical mower should be used on a lawn at least one to two times a year along with aeration. Utilizing a vertical mower  removes thatch and aerates the soil and when adding fertilizer allows the nutrients to be introduced back into the soil and retain moisture better, giving you your seemingly long lost lawn another chance at being its best again. It’s also a good practice at this time to reseed your lawns. Understanding the cultural requirements of grass lawns will give you better results. For a free estimate please call 1-(661) 298-0888.