Maintaining Your Landscape

My yard looks beautiful! Now what do I have to do to keep it that way? We hear this a lot, so here are some simple guidelines to follow in maintaining your new or existing organic landscape.

Fertilizing

Pest Control

Weed Control

Mulching

Pruning

Mowing and Aeration

Watering Schedules

Fertilizing:

Forget what you know already know about about synthetic fertilizers. We are feeding the soil and not the plant. Most often people are dissatisfied with the results of organic fertilizers because they use them like synthetic fertilizers. They're not dissolved in water and immediately taken into the plant. Instead they are consumed by bacteria and other micro-organisms in the soil and processed into a form that eventually will become available to the plant. It may sound like a slow process, but remember it is a cycle that once started is continuous (Please refer to article "The Soil Food Web").

What to feed your soil:
There are numerous products available for you to use. Anything from blood, bone, kelp, fish, alfalfa meal to blends of these. Be aware of names that imply that the product is organic, read the ingredients. If you're finding things like ammonium sulfate or phosphate, forget it. Feel free to experiment down the road, but for now stick to blends of more than one type. This will provide a broader range of nutrients to your soil.

When to feed your soil:
When your plant was installed organic matter was mixed with the soil to start this process around the root zone. Applying organic fertilizers to the soil surface can be done any time after planting. The first season apply them immediately and then once a year thereafter in early spring (March).

How Much to Use:
Follow the instructions on the product your using for application rates. Be generous though, you're not going to "burn" your plants if you go slightly over the recommended amounts. Please contact us if you have questions about the product your using.

How to apply:
Organic fertilizers need to be in contact with moist soil to become active. Lawns are easy, just use a spreader of your choice and follow the manufacturers recommendations. For trees, shrubs and perennials you need to determine if you a have weed barrier fabric around the base of the plant. If so it will need to be pulled back temporarily. Apply the fertilizer to the soil surface around the entire drip zone of the plant. If you have coarse gravel or mulch and no weed barrier fabric it is okay to apply it directly on top. With decomposed granite  you will need to scratch it into the surface to a depth of at least 3 inches. After application water immediately to ensure the process is activated.

Pest Control:

As your organic landscape matures you will find that pest problems will decrease dramatically. In the meantime let us help you to solve pest problems without reaching for those nasty chemicals. Whether it be aphids, grasshoppers, or mildew, there is an alternative to using something that is dangerous to your health or the environment. We're just a phone call away. Also see our links to find current articles on organic pest control.

Weed Control:

Weeds can be a nuisance and also the biggest motivator for people to use chemicals. They become so frustrated that sterilizing the soil seems like a pretty good idea. They feel they've tried everything and nothing works. The truth is the only thing that works is diligence and persistence. If weeds are given time to recuperate you are basically starting over each time. Here are few ideas to add to your organic arsenal:

Remember that weeds fall into two categories:   Annuals and Perennials

The annual weeds start new from seed every year, and the perennials come back from the same root system every year. With annuals it is relatively easy to control them by applying corn-gluten meal, and repeated killing of the top-growth. This can be done by burning them with a weed torch, line trimming, pulling by hand or spraying with vinegar. 

Weed Torches
 Great for large areas, where the threat of wildfire is non-existent (gravel covered yards, driveways). It it not necessary to char the plant, you only need to heat it until its cells burst. This is indicated by a change of color, usually to a bright green. After an hour or so you will find that the plant has shriveled to the ground.

Hand Pulling
For smaller areas this is still the best method. In addition to controlling weeds it forces you to get outside and pay attention to what's going on in your yard. A lot of pest  problems can be nipped in the bud if they are noticed soon enough.

Line Trimming
Great for large areas where burning is not practical. In areas where the weeds are large, numerous and established it may take several seasons to control them. The key is to continually remove the top-growth ensuring that no seed heads develop.

Vinegar and Corn-Gluten Meal
Corn gluten meal is a natural herbicide that also has value as an organic fertilizer. Use it as part of your total weed control program. Household Vinegar is another solution you can use as a post-emergent spray. There are several solutions on the market that are more concentrated. See our links page for sources for both products.

Mulching:

Mulch serves many purposes in the organic cycle. Weed control and the  insulating factor being the most obvious. Gravels are more permanent and only need to be refreshed occasionally. Organic mulches have an added benefit of providing additional food to the soil as they decompose. If you read the article "The Soil Food Web" then you already have an understanding of how mulches help (feeding the fungi). This can be done any time of the year, but fall is ideal. Simply apply the new material over the old in 2" layers. Adding mulch in excess of 2-3" can disrupt the oxygen exchange between the soil and the air so don't get carried away.

Pruning simplified:

Pruning is an art within itself so we will not go into a whole lot of detail here. Call us for a consultation and we'll gladly come spend as much time as you need to understand it. For the most part you will do very little pruning. You will find that using the organic approach results in steady controlled growth rather than the leggy growth spurts obtained from synthetic fertilizers. Yes, there will be only an occasional need for trimming to remove stray branches, or unwanted suckers from the base of the plant but it won't become a chore.

Removing old flower stalks will be the only regular pruning you will be doing so here are some simple guidelines:

If it blooms in the spring (lilacs, forsythia)- Prune it when it finishes flowering. Pruning these prior to the blooming period only results in removal of future blossoms.

If it blooms in the summer or fall (almost all of the rest)- They can be pruned just prior to winter, however we recommend waiting until late February. Dried blossoms not only add  aesthetic value to the winter garden but they also provide quite a bit of frost protection to the dormant plant. This is especially true with perennials. But if you find the spent flowers unsightly, remove them.

Mowing:

Mow high (at least 3") in the summer and gradually reduce it as winter approaches (1.5 - 2"). Always mulch your clippings as opposed to bagging them. It is essential to the whole cycle that the clippings be returned to the soil. If the clippings seem to be excessive and are left in piles on top of your lawn you may be cutting too much at one time or need to mow more frequently. This is normal with new lawns that have been fertilized with synthetic fertilizers at the sod farm. This rapid unhealthy growth will subside with time.

Aeration:

You simply don't need to do it on a regular basis.

Aeration is a practice that has stemmed from the use of synthetic fertilizers. It is rarely necessary in organic landscapes. As long as there is a healthy population of organisms in your soil it will be aerated naturally. So if you feel that your soil suffers from compaction call us for a site evaluation so we can steer you in the right direction. Roto-tilling is not necessarily the right approach.

Irrigation:

Here we will discuss watering schedules, see our Irrigation System Maintenance section  for info on winterizing your system and programming your timer.

When designing your irrigation system we created individual zones dividing your plants into groups with similar watering needs. "Similar" not "Identical". Every plant has it's own ideal water requirements that may vary widely with soil type, exposure, or elevation. Here are the categories we normally use and the respective watering times at the time of installation:

Trees and large-growing shrubs:     

 .5hr            Every day (1st  week)
1 hr            Every Other Day (For the next 3 Weeks)
1.5hrs        Every 3rd Day (For the rest of the first and second growing season)
3-4 hrs      Once a week (Third season and beyond)
3-4 hrs      Once every 3 weeks (For very drought tolerant plants) 

Shrubs (Medium to small):    

 .5hr            Every day (1st  week)
1 hr            Every Other Day (For the next 3 Weeks)
1.5hrs        Every 3rd Day (For the rest of the first and second growing season)
2 hrs          Every 5th Day (Third year and beyond)

Perennials:    

 .5hr            Every day (1st 3 weeks)
1 hr            Every Other Day (3 weeks and beyond)

Lawns:

Duration varies with different types of sprinkler heads. As a rule leave the duration that we programmed in for you as is. Adjust the frequency as follows:

Three times daily (1st week)
Twice daily (second week)
Once daily (For the rest of the season)
Every other day (Second Season)
Every 3rd day (Third season and beyond)

Please remember these are only guidelines. Always pay attention to how your plants are responding to changes in watering schedules. And changes should be made gradually, keep plants thirsty to encourage deeper root growth but watch for stress signs such as wilting or burnt leaves.

Back To Top