Spring has finally arrived!
And with it, spring installs are in full bloom. We're going to keep this update brief as it is finally warm(ish) enough for us to be out in the field getting our hands dirty.
Prepping and Mulching
New life is just around the corner when spring begins to thaw out what winter froze. Seeds are germinated, and blooms are not far behind. Unfortunately, this applies to weeds as well. This is why it's necessary to use pre-emergent herbicides on your grass at the very beginning of the season. This type of herbicide targets weed seeds to keep them from germinating long before you ever see them on your lawn.
Fresh mulch may seem as straightforward as selecting a color, opening a bag, and dumping it out in the garden, but a few steps need to be taken to ensure the health of your plants and soil. Any weeds need to be killed or removed to prepare a bed for mulch. Mulch protects the health of your soil. So any weeds left growing in that soil will also benefit. We don't want to protect weeds as they use up nutrients from the soil that should be feeding your plants, so it is essential to ensure all weeds are eliminated first. Nearby trees will then need to be trimmed to keep unwanted plant materials like leaves and sticks from contaminating your soil. The soil should also be raked through to find and remove any existing debris. Once this is done, the soil is ready to be tilled to absorb air and water more efficiently. Now that the earth is prepped, the beds need to be smoothed out to eliminate uneven clumps. Then they can be edged to clean up the boundaries. The bed is almost ready for mulch now, just after we add a pre-emergent herbicide. Finally, it's time to add some color.
A dark brown mulch is a tried and true choice for tidy beds that allow the greenery to take center stage. Mulch comes in a variety of additional colors as well. We are always happy to help you select a premium color that works best for your landscape.
Spring Installs
Spring is ideal for installing sod as temperatures are cooler at night but warm up during the day. Cool-weather grass seeds find this to be the perfect time to root. Sod installed in the spring requires less water than if it were installed in the summer. The temperatures are low enough that water isn't evaporating too quickly. This is important because new sod requires abundant water to keep it from drying out before taking root. With that being said, it's never too late to plan a turf installation so long as the temperatures stay above freezing.
We began custom installs for spring flower containers. This has been an inspiring planting season as we've been so fortunate to receive the highest quality annuals from our vendors. Everything arrived boasting large, myriad blooms with spectacular colors. It's always a treat getting to work with such a naturally beautiful medium, which is only amplified when our plant materials are top-shelf. We will continue working on this and are on schedule to conclude the season by the beginning of April.
Finally, last month we posted a blog about tackling veggie gardens with our customers. We're happy to announce that we've already begun moving forward with a few new projects!
That's all for this month. See you in April!