New Landscape Maintenance Program
So, we've just completed a new installation. Weather its a few trees and shrubs, or a new walkway, your new landscape has many short term needs. Different from an established landscape, new landscape require a bit more patients and attention, and while every effort was put forth during installation, it is often the maintenance that determines the success or failure of a new landscape. We appreciate the opportunity of working with you and completing the installation of you new landscape. We're proud of our work and feel sure you are too. Please take a minuet to review it's required maintenance, as your attention and ours is necessary to insure it's survival.
New Tree and Shrub Plantings:
We water all plants at the time of installation, however, continued care is required to re- establish strong roots on all plantings. If any pruning was needed, it was completed at the time of installation, and the new trees and shrubs should not need any pruning for at least one growing season. So, watering becomes the main concern and should go as follows:
Deep water large shrubs and trees the first day. A slow running, or drip hose works best.
-Saturate the plant hole until thoroughly wet.
-Repeat this every 2 days for one week and then once a week for two months.
-Automatic irrigation systems should be set to mimic this watering schedule.
-Improper watering practices will void plant plant guarantees.
New Seed Lawns
Weather your newly seeded lawn was installed by Hydro seed, Brillion Seed, Slice Seed or installed by hand, all newly seeded lawns should be kept wet at all times. It's important to understand that a mixed variety of grass seed is commonly used during installation. Bluegrass, ryegrass and fescue varieties all have different germination rates, and while you should see a "peach fuzz" of grass within 7 days of seeding, it may take as long as 4-6 weeks for ALL the different varieties of grass seeds to germinate. During this time the lawn requires:
Frequent light watering, water so that no puddles or run off occurs until see germinates.
Once seed has germinated water less frequently and in larger quantities, so that the lawn received 1"-2" of water per week. See our Lawn Care Program for more information on watering and maintaining a mature landscape.
With good germination of the plant the first mowing should be 14-21 days after install.
Your newly seeded lawn will require two short term fertilizer applications. 10-14 days after install and again 25-30 days after install.
When following this program, after 4-6 weeks, your lawn is ready for longer term maintenance. See our Lawn Care Program for more information.
For many reasons a "thin" or "spotty" lawn may be present after seeding. The reality is that it takes 12 full months from the time of seeding to have an established stand of turf grass. Growing turf grasses from seed is not a one step process, and is the combination of many man made and environmental factors which require short term and long term maintenance. See our Lawn Care Program for more information.
New Sod lawns
Instant lawn is what you get from a newly sodded lawn. Installation and prep work is essentially the same as growing grass from seed. Sod lawns do require a little bit different short term maintenance. Long term maintenance would remain the same as shown in our Lawn Care Program.
Sod should not be allowed to sit "rolled up" for more than 48 hours and should be fresh cut from a local sod farm.
New sod requires heavy watering the day of installation.
Sod should then be heavily watered every day for 7-10 days.
After 10 days sod should be watered to allow 1"-2" of water per week as shown in our Lawn Care Program.
First mowing 10-14 days after installation.
One fertilizer application 14-21 days after installation.
After 21 days sod should be on long term, Lawn Care Program.
The first few lawn mowings may be difficult as sod has a tendency to put on a tremendous amount of initial growth, especially when properly maintained. As a result, bagging mowing clippings for the first few mowings may be necessary until roots are established. After 21 days sod should no longer "pull up" from the ground as the roots become more and more established.
