From selecting the right plants to taming the bushes, landscaping is anything but easy. There are all kinds of mistakes one can make when trying to make the front lawn look immaculate. Even if you have a green thumb, there is still a chance you could make one of these top 5 landscaping mistakes to avoid.
1) Neglecting to Trim Hedges:
A growing hedge can be a great way to set your property apart from your neighbor’s if done properly. You need to maintain your hedges to ensure they do not grow out of control. Use a power hedger to keep all of your hedges nicely groomed. Also, be sure to check in between hedges for weeds and ensure that no baby trees become established in your hedgerow.
2) Scalping Grass:
How tall or short you choose to cut your grass may seem arbitrary. A beginner may believe that as long as you mow your yard, you have done your job. Experts will point out that lawn mowing isn’t just about keeping up the appearance of the grass, it is also about the health of the grass too. Scalping is a huge no-no.
3) Not Doing Research on Plants:
A really common landscaping mistake is made when selecting the plants to put in the yard. First, you should always research the plant and find out how large the plant will be, what kind of maintenance it needs, etc. An ill-fated choice in plants may cause you a headache if it becomes overgrown and overtakes its space. You also want to make sure you are planting things in the correct environment. If you plant a certain flower in a shady area and it needs direct sunlight, you will end up with dead plants that are anything but appealing. Simply, do your research.
4) Pruning Shrubs at the Wrong Time:
Beginner landscapers often make the mistake of pruning their shrubs at the wrong time. Neglecting to prune a shrub like a flowering quince or forsythia at the right time could remove the buds that produce some of the most fabulous blooms in spring.
5) Girdling Trees:
“Girdling” is applied to tree care in two ways. An example is where you see an Oriental bittersweet tree has wrapped itself so tightly around a tree that it becomes embedded in the trunk. This can be harmful to trees because this strangles the trunk and casts a large amount of shade in their canopies. Makes sure to check for its presence when you walk your lawn so you can kill Oriental bittersweet before it becomes established.
Humans can also cause this kind of girdling commonly by leaving the label on a Crimson Queen maple for too long. The label’s string will eventually dig deep into the branch its tied to and will cut off the flow of nutrients.
Landscaping can be a tough job for a beginner and even someone who has a green thumb. Make sure to avoid these five landscaping mistakes to keep your lawn looking beautiful and inviting.
Please stay healthy and we hope to hear from you soon to discuss your property search and status.
Until Next Time!
Semper-Fi
Eric