A Maintenance Checklist
Happy March! So many of our blogs are focused on the how and what of landscaping that we thought this would be a good time to go over what will happen with your yard after your landscaping is completed.
Picture this: you finally have your dream backyard completed. The roses are the color you want, the irrigation will take care of the watering for you, and the rock water feature helps you relax as you watch the sunset. But how do you maintain your newly landscaped yard?
Let’s break down the upkeep of your beautiful new yard over the course for a year using a seasonal checklist to help simplify this task. Keep in mind that this is a general how-to; some yards may require more or less tasks depending on each yard. Additionally, if you have dogs, 99.9% of the time they will cause some extra work for you in your yard- if they don’t mess up the gravel and weed barrier by digging through it, the constant running around will shift the gravel and require bi-weekly/bi-monthly raking and leveling of the gravel, depending on how clean you want your yard to look. And as always, remember that while weed barrier blocks weeds from growing underneath it, weeds can still form above the weed barrier, which requires ongoing maintenance.
Spring
Turn on irrigation after last freeze
Pull weeds
Fertilize with a high nitrogen fertilizer
Rake gravel and level out as needed
Watch for rabbits eating the tender new growth of plants. If so, purchase or make metal cages to protect plants.
Periodically check the reservoir water level of the water feature and fill as needed
Summer
Fertilize with a high phosphorus/high potassium fertilizer
Pull weeds
Rake Gravel
Rake gravel and level out as needed
Periodically check the reservoir water level of the water feature and fill as needed
Fall
Fertilize with a high phosphorus/high potassium fertilizer
Pull weeds
Shut down irrigation before first freeze (once irrigation is turned off continue to water once a week until December)
Leaf and debris removal
Cut back plants that need to be cut back in the fall
Rake gravel and level out as needed
Periodically check the reservoir water level of the water feature and fill as needed if you plan on leaving it running through the winter.
***(DO NOT UNPLUG PUMP AND LEAVE WATER IN THE RESERVOIR. IF YOU PLAN ON TURNING OFF THE WATER FEATURE FOR THE WINTER; DRAIN THE RESERVOIR SO ICE WILL NOT FORM AND FREEZE PUMP, WHICH CAN BREAK THE PUMP)
Winter
Fertilize
Water plants minimum once every two weeks in the winter
Periodically check the water reservoir level if you leave it on during the winter
As we said above, different yards require different ongoing work, especially if you have pets. If this seasonal checklist seems too daunting, or you would rather hire someone to do it, Desert Rose would be happy to set you up on a maintenance contract that way you can enjoy a beautiful yard without all the hard work. We offer all of the above services, although some things like fertilizing are an additional charge. Spring is only a few weeks away, so we wish you a happy and green March!
