gardening Archives - RI Landscaper 855RILAWNS

Winter Prep: Fall To Do List

October 19, 2018 by service@rilawncare.com Leave a Comment

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Remember feeling overwhelmed this past spring because it felt like there was so much to do? Clean out garden beds, bring in fresh soil, weed, plant, water, prune, edge, the list goes on and on. We have some great news for you: it doesn’t have to be that hard! We have compiled a to do list so that when spring comes next year, you’re not in the weeds (literally and figuratively). There are steps you can take now that will have your lawn and garden perfectly prepared to sustain and thrive over the winter so that in the spring your lawn looks great and the beds are all prepped and awaiting beautification.

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Test your soil

Testing your soil now and adding any necessary amendments will ensure that once spring arrives the grass will have the nutrients it needs to grow thick and full. Give your grass a head start next spring by improving the soil now.

2. Aerate

To encourage root development in the spring, aerate your lawn now so that it is able to absorb water and nutrients all winter creating healthy soil for spring growth.

3. Remove fallen leaves

We’ve said it before but we’ll say it again, leaves left on your lawn invite disease, mold, and suffocate the lawn. Make sure they’re cleared before the snow arrives.

4. Clean up rotting plants from gardens

Like leaves, letting old plants rot in your garden beds not only looks bad but also invites disease, fungus, and pests. If you wait until spring to clean out the garden, then any pests that overwintered or laid eggs on those old plants will already have had the chance to infest your garden.

5. Weed

Removing weeds now will position you for much less work in the spring. Again, waiting until spring to weed will give the weeds a chance to thrive and will make your spring and summer job much harder. Especially important is to remove the invasive weeds that root deep… the ones that you can’t dig up without damaging surrounding plants in the summer.

6. Plant cover crops

This tip applies more to vegetable gardens and beds…Planting cover crops will not only help keep unwanted weeds down but it will also improve the soil. Cover crops add nitrogen, increase organic material in your soil, and help prevent erosion.

7. Mulch

Mulching in the fall or early winter is a huge time saver and benefit to your garden. Mulch helps to retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, improve the soil as it breaks down, will give new growth in early spring a buffer against the cold, and inhibits new weed growth. Your plants will thank you for the warm blanket in the spring.

8. Clean and sharpen tools, service small engines

To prevent spreading any diseases to your plants next season, clean all your tools now before putting them away. Have your lawn mower winterized and get your snow blower ready for the winter.

Proper Fall Planting

July 23, 2018 by service@rilawncare.com Leave a Comment

Although it may seem counterintuitive, late summer and early fall are the best times to plant most shrubs and trees. The ground is warm, the air is cooler, and the plants are entering their dormant period and so commit more energy to root development (opposed to foliage/new growth). Planting in the fall will allow your new additions to fully establish themselves before the stress of next summer. Of course, there are still certain steps you must take to ensure best results. If you follow the steps below, then next season you’ll have healthy, established plants.

1. Choosing your plants

Choosing native species is not only environmentally conscious but also more sensible. Native plants are adapted to our climate and will require less watering and time than exotic species. The Audubon Society warns that “landscaping choices have meaningful effects on the populations of birds and the insects they need to survive.” Plants are an important part of our ecosystem and we all benefit when it is healthy. For a helpful list of species native to Rhode Island, check out the Rhode Island Wild Plant Societies website for local resources or the Audubon’s database.

2. Choosing a location

We can’t stress enough the importance of choosing plants appropriate for their location and vice versa. If there is a bush or shrub you absolutely must have, then you will need to find a place in your yard suited to it’s needs. Conversely, if there is an area of your yard that you want to add plantings to, then you must consider the conditions of that area and choose the plant accordingly. We know it is tempting to want a particular plant you love to be in a place you find most appealing, but if that plant isn’t suited for the space (poor drainage, too much sun, too little sun, etc) then it will not thrive and you’ll have wasted precious time and money.

3. Digging the proper hole

Hole depth and size is of utmost importance when planting. Most people dig a hole barely big enough for the root ball which is, unfortunately, a big mistake. A proper hole should be 2-3 times wider than the root ball but not deeper. We recommend planting high, as that is much safer than planting too deep. It is ok to plant the root ball as much as 25% above the surrounding soil level. The soil will settle which will lead to the base of the plant sinking lower than initial positioning. Thus, if you plant it level with surrounding soil, when it settles it will be below grade and will be more likely to succumb to root rot.

4. Inspect the Root Ball

It is extremely important to disturb the root ball before planting. If the roots have been restricted by the pot that it has been in, then it will forever be stunted (or worse) if you do not disturb that pattern of growth. Joe the Gardener says, “Dont worry about hurting the roots or losing soil as you break the roots apart or even cut some away. Better to give them a fresh start than let the constrictive pattern get worse underground.”

5. Don’t fertilize right away!

Do not fertilize you’re new planting until it is well established!! We can not stress this enough. It is important to ensure your soil is healthy, and we do recommend amending with compost, but fertilizing your plant before it’s root system is fully established will put undue stress on it. Give your new plant time to focus its energy on root development rather than new growth.

6. Water, water, water

Lastly, your new planting will require daily watering for at least 1 week, then every other day for a few weeks, gradually reducing how much you provide until winter. It will likely need daily watering again next season until it is thoroughly established. Eventually it will require less, fear not, but to ensure you get to that point, you will need to water frequently for the first year or even two! Your time and effort will pay off. If you can, investing in soaker hoses and timers can make all the difference in assuring your plants get the water they need, even if you’re too busy to do it. Remember, landscaping is a long term investment and the money/time/effort you put in now, pays off for years to come.

Pruning Techniques For Winter And Beyond

November 19, 2015 by service@rilawncare.com Leave a Comment

We recommend leaving faded varieties such as Coneflower up for the winter to feed the birds.

It may not be the most fun job in the garden, but pruning in the late season is an important step to make sure your perennials, shrubs and trees are ready for the winter and come back stronger than ever next spring.

Where To Start?

The best place to start when pruning is to remove and damaged, diseased or dead stems from your plants. This helps prevent nasty insects from damaging your plant and keeps it from getting any further disease.

After you’ve done this, prune any branches that are growing across the plant (entangling with other branches), branches that are growing straight up from the trunk, and branches that have shot up near or from below the ground.

This is important maintenance necessary for all of your plants to make sure they come back healthy and strong next season.

Perennial Flowers

Although it may look better to deadhead perennial flowers with faded blooms, we recommend leaving varieties such as black eyed susans and coneflower until the early spring. Birds and other wildlife will enjoy snacking on the seeds and these flowers act as nature’s birdfeeder. Other varieties can be cut back to a few inches from the ground in the late fall, which helps them to branch and become stronger for next season.

Annual Flowers

Throughout the season, deadheading annual flowers every week helps keep them blooming longer in the garden. At the end of the season, you can dig these annuals up and discard them, or pot them and bring them indoors to enjoy throughout the winter months.

Roses

Roses that bloom once per season should be pruned as soon as they are finished blooming. Roses that bloom more than once can be pruned at the end of the season to shape the plant, or in the early spring to remove branches that have been damaged by the winter.

Spring-Blooming Trees & Shrubs

Spring-blooming varieties such as Rhododendron, Lilac and Forsythia produce flowers directly from the wood that was formed in the last season. This means the best time to prune these varieties is in the late spring, after they’ve finished blooming. Do not prune in the winter as you could remove flower buds.

Summer-Flowering Trees & Shrubs

Summer-blooming plants, such as Butterfly Bushe and Potentilla produce flowers from new growth in the season. These varieties should be pruned in the late fall or winter while they are dormant. We recommend cutting them all the way down to the ground in the late winter for stronger, vigorous growth come summer.

Why Fall Is The Best Time For Planting

August 31, 2015 by service@rilawncare.com Leave a Comment

Whether you’re spreading grass seed on your lawn, adding wildflowers to a meadow or creating a perennial garden, fall is the best time to plant. It mimics nature’s way of dropping seed heads at the end of the season, offering a head start on growth in the spring.

Instead of waiting to plant until the ground thaws in the spring and you can work the soil (which for us can sometimes mean April or May), adding plants and bulbs in the fall gives them a jump-start on growth. Once the ground thaws, these varieties will start to pop up, resulting in larger plants and earlier blooms than if planted in the spring.

Water conservation is a hot topic in recent years and we try to do everything we can to limit the amount of water needed. Fall planting does just this – by planting in colder weather, it helps to eliminate evaporation on the plants and the shorter days slows the process of photosynthesis down, meaning your new plants need less water.

The colder planting weather in fall also causes less stress on your plants, allowing the root systems to comfortably establish themselves in your garden, giving them the best chance for success.

If you love spring-bloomers such as daffodils and tulips, these varieties actually require a wintering-over period in order to bloom. So this fall, spend an afternoon planting bulbs (it’s really easy – we promise) and you’ll be rewarded with weeks of blooms in the spring.

Why Mulch Is Beneficial To Any Landscape

March 29, 2015 by service@rilawncare.com Leave a Comment

Mulch not only adds a finishing touch to your gardening beds and is aesthetically pleasing, but also benefits your landscape in a big way. Although it’s not a mandatory addition to your garden beds, the benefits of a properly mulched garden are definitely worth the effort and cost.

Mulch helps to slow down weed germination and growth by blocking the unwanted plants from the sun. Weeds aren’t just ugly; they actually steal nutrients from your precious plants and can inhibit growth. Mulch helps keep weeds at bay in the garden without hindering the growth of your plants, bulbs or wildflowers.

A nice, thick layer of mulch helps to regulate the growing conditions in your garden. It keeps the soil temperature from becoming too hot or cold, leveling the temperature underneath the mulch. It also helps to hold in soil moisture, keeping your plants from drying out and making you able to water the garden less. Mulch is known to cut water use by 25 to 50 percent in some studies, which makes a big difference – especially if you are trying to conserve water. A nice layer of mulch also helps deter soil erosion, which can be a big problem.

In Rhode Island, mulch is especially helpful because it helps protect your plants from winter cold and keeps them nice and safe underneath the ground. Even young plants will stay healthy and dormant in the winter with a nice layer of mulch. Our organic mulch can also help add nutrition to the garden as it breaks down throughout the season.

Aesthetically, mulch helps add a cohesive look to any landscape and really turns a garden into a formalized landscape. Whether you like red, black or brown mulch, it helps to make your garden look finished throughout the season.

Have trees in your landscape that you’d like to keep healthy? Replace the grass underneath the trees with mulch to help trap in moisture and minimize competition for nutrients. This actually mimics the way trees grow in nature, which will keep your tree healthy and growing strong. When adding mulch underneath trees or shrubs, make sure to leave 6-12” around the base before the mulch starts.

Before applying mulch, we recommend removing all existing weeds and watering your garden thoroughly. This will help give your garden a nice, fresh start before the layer of much is added. We recommend applying mulch 2-4 inches deep in the garden. This allows for enough protection to keep moisture trapped in, soil temperatures steady and weed suppression, but doesn’t take away from your plants’ need for sunlight.

Have questions about mulching or want us to come over and mulch for you? We’re happy to help! Simply send us an email or fill out our contact form on our website.