Landscaping and Gardening Services in Pismo Beach and SLO County
(805) 773-5395
Mon-Sat: 7:00AM - 5:00PM
Evergreen Landscaping

Blog

Evergreen LandscapingBlog
01 Apr 2014
2 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive

Three Ways to Keep a Weed-Free Lawn

 

Keeping a weed-free lawn requires some planning. Before you get started, evaluate the weed problem. A few weeds here and there will require a different strategy than a lawn that has more weeds than grass. Use the following guide to determine the right way to get your lawn in shape.

Guide for a Weed-Free Lawn

Minor Weed Problems

Even the most, well-maintained yards will have a few new weeds each year. When you spot emerging weeds, take care of them quickly to prevent larger problems. The easiest way to do this is to use a spot-killer. Choose an all-purpose herbicide and a good sprayer to get the job done. Target each weed, taking care to spray only the weeds so you don’t end up killing larger areas than necessary. Weeds like dandelions will put all of their energy into blooming and spreading seeds once you have applied the killer, so make sure to remove any flowers and buds.

Larger Weed Problems

When using a spot-killer that will result in dozens of ugly dead patches all over the yard, you will want to take a different approach. The first thing to do is mow the yard at the proper height to promote healthy, strong growth that crowds out existing weeds. Bent grass likes to be cut to 3/4-inch or shorter, while tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass are best if clipped between 1 ½ to 3 inches.

You should also take care to make sure that your weed-free lawn has the right amount of water, and consider adding regular fertilizing to your lawn care regimen. There are many great weed-and-feed systems that you can use in the spring and fall of the year. These products will give your grass the nutrition it needs, while applying a pre-emergent pesticide to prevent new weeds from sprouting.

Turf Wars: What to Do When Nothing Else Works

When it comes to major weed infestations, there are two ways to deal with it. The first is to kill the entire yard and start over with either new seed or new sod. If you don’t want to go through the hassle and expense, you can opt for the second approach. This strategy involves using a broad-leaf herbicide to kill all weeds. You can find these products at most home improvement stores. Many even offer crabgrass control. Alternatively, you can hire a landscaping service to treat your lawn. Continue using a weed-and-feed system along with regular watering to promote new growth, and your lawn will be the envy of the neighborhood in a season or two.

To learn more on how to have a weed-free lawn, call 805-773-5395 or 

click-for-consultation

18 Mar 2014
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive , , , , ,

Lawn: Monitor Moisture Levels in Your Lawn


Gardening can be very useful, rewarding and fun. Whether you choose to grow flowers, vegetables or ornamental plants, many find that nurturing and tending to a garden brings such a rewarding feeling and sense of accomplishment. The ideas here can provide some gardening guidance, and give you a little hand as you get started growing your own special garden.

You don’t require specialized tools or years of expert knowledge to keep your lawn well watered throughout the year. By learning how to spot the signs of an unhappy lawn, as well as a couple of tricks to help keep the moisture levels just right, you can enjoy a lush green lawn throughout the season.

Monitor Moisture Levels in Your Lawn

Know Your Soil Type

There are three different components that make up soil: silt, sand and clay. If you have soil that is mostly clay, it will hold moisture for a very long time. Sandy soil drains water from your yard or garden very quickly. The best soil is loam, which is an even blend of all three components. To determine your soil type, pick up a handful of soil, squeeze it into a ball, and let it dry for a day. Soil that dries into a hard lump is mostly clay. If the ball doesn’t hold its shape at all, you have sandy soil. Loam will make a ball that crumbles slightly, but stays mostly intact when you pick it up.

Learning the Signs of a Dry Lawn

The first sign of a dry lawn is a change in color. Depending on the variety of your grass, it can take on a bluish, purple or gray cast. As the moisture problem gets worse, you will start to notice that your footprints are still visible hours after walking on the lawn – dried grass doesn’t have the resilience of properly hydrated grass. When dehydration is severe, blades of grass will start to curl up lengthwise.

Monitoring Your Sprinkler System

Does it sometimes seem like parts of your lawn aren’t getting enough water while other areas get too much? It could be a problem with the way your sprinkler system delivers water. An easy way to test this is to place plastic cups at evenly spaced intervals within the range of your sprinkler. Turn your sprinkler on and let it run for 30 minutes. After that, compare the water levels in each cup. You might be surprised to find that areas near to the sprayer head are getting very little water, while areas along the edge of your sprinkler’s range are getting too much. Now that you know where most of the water is going, you will be able to adjust your watering system accordingly.

Well-watered your plants

A great tip to consider when gardening is to make sure that you are not over or under watering your plants. This is critical because you run the risk of either causing root rot and killing your garden, or drying your plants and soil out due to under watering. Always check the moisture of your soil, and keep it at an adequate moisture level.

You can use a mix of water and ammonia and spray them on snails. You will not damage your plants with the ammonia, and it will also produce nitrogen. To snails, though, ammonia is quite lethal. Spraying an ammonia solution around will deter them from doing any damage to your garden. This spray works best when used every day.

Protect you plants from damaging weather

As the weather turns colder, it is important to prepare your sensitive shrubs for the change. If you have them in pots, you need to guard them from cold weather that will damage or kill them. Tie together the tops. Once the canes are snugly together, put a sheet over the wigwam. When you do this you allow air to flow and circulate which can actually prevent rotting, this method is great and better than just wrapping your plant in some plastic.

As discussed at the beginning of this article, gardening has many rewards that come with it. There is just something about growing your own flowers and vegetables that is very fulfilling. By applying some of the advice you have learned, you can find a lot of joy from gardening.

If you are interested to learn more on how to take care of your lawn, call 805-773-5395

 

29 Jan 2014
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive , , , , , , ,

Best Mulch for your Garden


Gardening is an incredible method of relaxing. There are a variety of ways to find peace and relaxation on a personal level. Gardening is a great way to do so. You will not need to spend a lot of money to grow your garden, and it provides many benefits. The best return on your investment is the feeling of happiness and tranquility from growing your own greenery. Many people have enjoyed the hobby of gardening for many years. It can be done for sheer pleasure or it can be done to feed a family. This article brings more of the joy of gardening to your life, especially if you nurture your plants with the best mulch for your garden.

There are many different types of mulch to choose from these days, but you don’t need to narrow down the different options if you are just looking for something that will work for everything. There are some mulches made from compost, while others are made from hay, but you will usually get a combination of a few different options when you’re looking for an all-purpose solution. Let’s take a look at some of the main features that you should be looking to get the best mulch that you can use for any new project.

Best Mulch for you Garden

Organic Mulches

The first thing you should look at when it comes to mulch is whether or not the mulch comes from organic materials. Organic mulches tend to improve the soil in the surrounding area because they don’t come with all of the inorganic materials, such as stones and plastic, that are found in many of the mulches sold in stores today. By going with a natural option, you can make sure that you are improving the health of your yard rather than destroying it.

Bark

Bark is usually the materials that you will want to make up most of your mulch. It can be shredded, chipped, or put together in chunks, and you also have to make a decision between pine, hardwood, and other types of trees. The best thing about bark mulch is that it will last a long time and it looks very attractive in any setting.

Dark Mulches

One last thing to remember is that you will want to stick with dark mulches more often than not. Dark mulches tend to absorb heat much more efficiently than their lighter counterparts, and the good news is that dark mulch and bark-based mulch are usually one in the same. You may find that the plants in the surrounding area become overheated if you go with lighter mulch. The plants will have to pick up the slack for absorbing the heat during the hot summer months. You should definitely try to avoid over-decorative mulches, such as white stones.

More gardening tips

Make use of root cuttings to create many new plants. Wait until winter when the roots are dormant before cutting them. The roots that should be cut are the biggest and thickest ones, use some hedge clippers or a sharp knife. Each root should be cut into lengths of about two inches. Fill seed trays with grit and moist peat, and gently lay the cut roots on the surface. Cover up the roots with a thinner layer of the peat mixture. Place your seed tray in a cool location and new seedlings will appear in about a month’s time. Plant each seedling in its own small pot until they grow big enough for outdoor planting.

Certain houseplants need to be re-potted; while others hate it when you disturb their roots. You can easily find out which plants need to be re-potted by turning each plant upside down, then tapping the pot until the plant frees itself from the pot and drops out. If the root structure is pushing out against the edges of the soil, you should transfer the plant to a larger pot. On the other hand, if only a minuscule amount of roots are showing or none at all, then your plant will be all right in the pot it was already in.

As previously mentioned, gardening is something that has been enjoyed by many throughout the centuries. At one time, most people saw gardening as the sole means of providing food for their family. Today it could be used for profit, need or pleasure. Whatever reason pulls you in to gardening, the information you have read in this article should help you to enjoy the process just that much more. Appreciate the pleasures of your gardening habit.

Need to learn how to choose the best mulch for your garden? Call 805-773-5395 

 

31 Oct 2013
1 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive , ,

Simple Landscaping Ideas [Infographic]

Want to learn  simple landscaping ideas? You may be thinking that it will be difficult to impress anyone with your landscaping skills because you simply do not have enough time during the week to take care of the yard. The good news for anyone who never has time to take care of the lawn is that there are some simple landscaping ideas that you can use to your advantage.

Let’s take a look at a few different simple landscaping ideas that could work for your home.

Simple Landscaping Ideas

 

Embed This Image On Your Site (copy code below):

18 Oct 2013
1 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive

How do I prevent crabgrass from growing in my yard?

Many people are interested in the idea of getting rid of crabgrass because this is the kind of problem that can quickly spread to the rest of the yard. The best way to prevent crabgrass from becoming a problem in your own yard is to make sure that you take the steps to prevent it from popping up in the first place. If you plan ahead, you greatly increase the chances that you will never have to face crabgrass in the future. Let’s take a closer look at what crabgrass is and what you can do about it.

What is Crabgrass?

Crabgrass is an annual plant, although most people think it never dies since it always seems to pop up at the worst times. It actually dies off every winter, so that is when you should be planning your attack. If you are unsure if you have crabgrass in your yard right now, you should look for a low plant with very thin leaves that seems to be infecting your yard like a virus. Although there are only two species of crabgrass currently found in the United States, there are actually over 300 different types of crabgrass found in different parts around the world.

How to Prevent Crabgrass from Growing

The best way to prevent crabgrass from taking over your yard is to keep your yard generally healthy. A healthy lawn will takeover the crabgrass if your yard rather quickly if you give it the chance to succeed. If you already have a few crabgrass plants popping up, then it is beyond the right time to take action. The biggest tip to remember when it comes to preventing crabgrass growth is to let your grass grow a bit higher. Over four inches should work during the summer, and you should aim for a little over three inches during the winter and fall seasons.

09 Sep 2013
0 Comments By Evergreen Landscaping Archive , , ,

Putting Together a Sports Field Irrigation and Sprinkler System

Irrigation and Sprinkler SystemWhen you are looking at various irrigation and sprinkler system designs, it is important to realize that there are different designs available for different types of sports fields. Whether you are looking at a sprinkler system for a football field or a baseball field, it’s important to make sure that you are choosing the right design.

Setting up Irrigation and Sprinkler System

You cannot simply place your sprinklers in random spots across the field because you need to make sure that every aspect of the field gets an equal amount of water when it is time to turn on the sprinklers. By setting up everything correctly at first, you can avoid any issues when it comes to too much water raining down on one spot or another spot not getting any water at all.

Field Maintenance is Important

Whether you are coaching little league or leading a high school football team, you have to remember that field maintenance is sometimes part of the job. Without a proper field to play on, the players will not be able to excel and play the game like it should be played. In some situations, an improperly maintained field can lead to injuries to your players or players on the opposing team. Situations like these need to be avoided at all costs, and it really does not cost that much to properly maintain a field when you have a few people who will be able to do the regular maintenance.

There are In-Ground and Portable Options

If you are part of a team that travels across the country on a regular basis, then you may need to find a portable irrigation system. These are basically sprinkler systems that you will roll out on the field and setup whenever they are needed a few days before a game. On the other hand, teams that actually have a home field will be able to install a proper, in-ground irrigation system. You can control everything from the sprinklers to fertilization without much work after a proper system has been put into place.

Hire the Professionals

If properly maintaining your field is too much for you to handle right now, then you should think about calling in the professionals. This would be a much better option than just simply leaving the field to rot. It’s important for the team to have a proper field to play on if you want to be able to make sure the game goes smoothly.

Looking for more tips and suggestions for your sports field? Contact us For a Free Consultation or call 805-773-5395.