Any size or shape hill in a landscape has always been an issue. Anyone who has mowed grass on a hill understands it’s no joy and can be hazardous. Also, there are steep banks where nothing appears to grow naturally. They can be unattractive and a threat to erosion control. Plants for hillsides can be the answer to myriad issues. There are many appropriate ground cover plants for hills. Steep hill ground cover for a steep hill can be dense shrubs for a timberland look or fast-growing ground covers for a sunny slope. When considering whether to plant ground cover on a hill, you need to use the same principles as you do for flat land: water, maintenance, and sun. The information below could aid you in picking a ground cover for a hill. If you need more advice, an arborist can make some helpful suggestions. Hillside Ground Cover Plants English Ivy – A well-liked steep hill ground cover, this wood-like vine will take hold wherever it touches. Variegated Goutweed – develops around 6 inches high and offer good coverage for vast areas. Vinca Minor – an evergreen trailing plant with purple/blue flowers, this is one of the top ground cover plants for gardening on a hill. Dense enough to squash weeds, it’s still slack sufficient to be scattered with crocus and daffodils for an incredible spring display. Dead Nettle – a quick-growing ground cover for a shady bank or sunny hill. Once this green and white beauty are formed, it will flourish under any unfavorable conditions. Steep Hill Ground Cover Shrubs Bearberry – a northwest native, this one can be seen in many garden centers all over the country. It’s a low-spreading evergreen with pink-white flowers, and the colors range from golden to deep green. Cotoneaster – a quick-growing evergreen that lives for a long time and needs very little care. Planted closely, they’ll develop into a dense mat in a few years. Roses – many low-spreading assortments as well as always-blooming shrub roses. Virtually pest free and low maintenance, these beauties can make a serious color statement when grouped. Roses should be considered the fastest growing ground cover for sunny hills. If you want your lawn to be in top condition, be sure that it is attractive, well-ordered, and neat so that it looks well-maintained. If there’s one thing that can messes up a beautiful lawn, it’s lopsided, sloppy edges. After mowing your lawn, make sure that the edges look crisp. Edging for your landscape is not only valuable for aesthetic appeal, but it helps in parting areas of your grass from intrusive plants and aids in having the grass stay away from flowers and tree beds. Read on to find out why edging your lawn is so important. Edging And Your Trees Edging around trees help keep the vines, grass, and ground covers from occupying the space necessary for your trees. All these plants can rob water from your trees. Water is crucial for healthy, strong, growing trees. Mulch helps in shielding your trees from any damage brought on by the cold weather or from drying out in the summer. Edging And Your Yard Edging around the border of your grass helps in making your lawn classier and more attractive. Another advantage of lawn edging around your yard is the grass can’t easily invade and occupy your walkways. Edging And Your Flowerbeds Edging can be a smart way of separating areas of your yard for specific plants and flowers. For example, if you want vibrant annual flowers down your walkways, try put ornamental edgings on the exterior to dress up your outdoor space. If you already have flowerbeds in front of your house, you can still put a stylish lawn edging around to make it look refined. If you want your yard to look gorgeous and completed fast, or if you don’t want trees or bushes in your yard, putting spherical edging in the center of your garden can be a great choice. Also, you can plant colorful, pretty flowers that bloom all year long. Regardless of where you put your lawn edging, what is unique and fascinating are the many creative shapes that you can put in your garden. If you need help on edging choices, contact a tree care company and an expert can assist you. Mulch is any organic material put on top of the soil for landscaping or gardening. Mulch can make or break an outdoor space based on things like longevity and drainage. When it comes to visual appeal, certain mulch types are better than others. The most common mulch type is bark mulch, but there are several different kinds of mulch. Bark Mulch Bark is usually used where breakdown into the soil is not wanted, and there isn’t any typical digging during the growing season. It is frequently put around perennial bushes, shrubs, trees, front walkways, and foundations. Hardwood Mulch Hardwood bark mulch is the most well-known variety of mulch and is best used as an all-purpose choice. Hardwood mulch is available in numerous different sizes and colors. It breaks down rapidly and provides excellent drainage when put over plantings. It also aids in stopping weed growth. Oak Mulch Oak usually breaks down slower than other bark types, so it’s perfect for putting around trees. The slimmer the mulch, the better it is at keeping moisture. You need the soil to stay moist around the thirsty shrubs and perennial trees. However, it is harder to get into the soil. Therefore, you shouldn’t use it where there is regular digging. Cedar Mulch Cedar has the advantage of being quite aromatic, creating an actual landscape or garden experience. It takes a long time to break down, making it ideal as a decorative mulch. The color of cedar mulch is also very appealing, and it is bug-resistant to keep insect away from your veggies or flowers. Pine Mulch Shredded pine combines the benefits of hardwood and oak mulch, in that it is an excellent moisture retention choice while also breaking down more swiftly. Due to the decomposition procedure, pine must be replaced relatively often, but it also aids in improving the soil quality over time. With the right prep work, gardening can be a fun hobby that doesn’t need too much upkeep. Whichever mulch type you believe is best for your outdoor space, using mulch is a critical part of maintaining a garden. Ask a tree specialist if you aren’t sure about your mulch needs. He’ll guide you on the numerous types available for your landscape and garden. Mulching your yard is useful. It aids in preventing water loss and reducing erosion. Also, mulching helps enhance soil nutrition and offer an even soil temperature. While most folks like to use bark or wood chips for mulch, there is another mulch type that numerous individuals don’t think about. Stone mulch is an excellent alternative to standard wood varieties of mulch. It has benefits that make it exceptional in some scenarios. Below is all you need to know about using stone for mulching. Benefits of Landscaping with Stone There are several good reasons that tree specialists use stone as their landscaping choice. One of the most significant advantages is permanence. For example, when you have stone mulch, you don’t frequently have to reapply it as you do with wood varieties of mulch. Moreover, stone is the greater choice when it comes to erosion prevention. Not to mention, stone is better than wood when it comes to retaining moist soil. Picking a Type of Stone If the advantages of using stone as your mulching choice sound useful to you, the first thing you should decide is what type of stone you want to use. There are some main choices that folks go with when they desire stone mulch. The first is crushed stone, aka pebble mulch or gravel. Crushed stone is the most affordable choice of stone mulches. Though, the tiny pebbles can quickly move out of the predetermined area. This can look sloppy and lead to dents in your mower blade. Another popular stone mulching choice is pumice rock. Pumice is a sort of rock that is crafted in volcanic eruptions. It is quite lightweight. It also can hold moisture, which is something none of the other types can do. Pumice is an excellent choice for perennial garden beds and flowerbeds. Using Stone to Mulch It’s smart to use stone as your mulching choice. It is up to you to determine what type will work best in your landscape. Though there are sensible reasons to use stone, many folks love the way it looks. If you feel stone mulch is the right choice for you, give it a shot to see how it benefits your outdoor space. With fall here and the wintertime quickly approaching, you're perhaps not spending much time concerned about your lawn. But autumn, with its occasional rainfall and cold temps, is the perfect time to get your yard ready for next spring.
Numerous homeowners believe lawns require less care in the fall since the grass sprouts quite slowly. In reality, it’s just the contrary. This time of year, the grass is actively absorbing nutrients, moisture, and energy in preparation for a dormant, long winter. Pay it some attention now, and you'll be repaid with a healthy, lush spring lawn. Just follow these suggestions to prepare your yard for the fall. Mow On Continue to mow your lawn, water as needed, during the fall. Then as the season comes to a close, put the mower's blade on its lowest setting for the last mowing job of the year. This will let more sunlight get to the crown of the grass, meaning fewer leaves will be turning brown in the wintertime. Aerate the Soil Fall is when you should aerate your lawn so that fertilizer, water, and oxygen can get to the roots. You can rent a lawn aerator. This machinery rapidly puts holes into the soil, removing plugs of dirt. If you've got a huge outdoor space and didn't want to aerate it yourself, ask a York tree service company to do it for you. Rake the Leaves Raking leaves isn’t a fun job. However, it crucial to get fallen leaves out of your lawn as fast as possible. Don't wait until every leaf has fallen from your trees to begin raking. If you do, the leaves will be wet from morning dew and rain, sticking together, and creating a thick mat that if left unmoved will smother the grass and develop fungus. Fertilize to Grow Most tree specialists agree: If you fertilize your grass just once a year, do it in the fall. Why? Your lawn grows way slower as the weather gets colder. Though, the roots continue to grow rapidly. An application of fertilizer in the fall brings vital nutrients, so the grass grows deep roots now and to have nutrients on standby for a fresh start come spring. Fallen leaves are crunching under your feet. They smell like autumn. The wind moves them, making them dance. Many York communities call a tree care company to take care of the fallen leaves in their yard. You don’t have to make yours anywhere! There are many things you can do when dealing with falling leaves. How to Utilize Fall Leaves The first thing is to rake up those leaves. Or, if you have a huge yard, a leaf blower is a simple solution. Today, these are low-noise and lightweight and can do the work quickly. Serve as mulch. Leaves make good insulation for root crops stored in the ground. Leaf cover let fall-planted garlic grow without sprouting. Also, mulch stops strawberries from moving during the fall or winter. A barrier for spring plantings. Whole or chopped, leaves make excellent mulch for blueberries, ornamental shrubs, and vegetation. They not only stop weeds and aid in retaining soil moisture but since they have no weed seeds, they won’t entice the spread of new weeds. Create compost to help with the soil. Mineral-rich leaves work great with mineral-rich grass clippings. Put old leaves near green leafy yard waste or fresh grass clippings. Leaf mold creation. Leaf mold is a specific type of all-leaf compost. It entails collecting and storing leaves in wire bins or plastic bags. Keep the leaves moist and let the fungus take over. After a few years, the leaves will become a soil conditioner high in essential minerals. Make organic nutrients and vital minerals. The simplest solution. The chopped leaves break down swiftly in spring and bring critical mineral nutrients and organic matter to your lawn. Or, use them as garden mulch. Help with root vegetables. If you have a humid, cool spot, you can store root vegetables between layers of freshly fallen, crisp leaves. Then put a little water on every layer of leaves. If you don’t grow your vegetables, visit a tree specialist who can sell you some root crops. The most important thing is not to let those fallen leaves go to waste. Recycle them in your outdoor space! The mystery to a good lawn cut depends on the sharpness of your lawnmower blade. No other lawn care machinery takes a hurting like the lawn mower. However, this modern lawn appliance is frequently neglected until it breaks or doesn’t start. The absence of preventive maintenance almost assures an early demise for your lawnmower. The good news is you don't need to be a professional tree specialist to keep it in shape. It all starts with maintaining your mower blades. Sharpen the blade Mower blades suffer a considerable deal of stress because of big branches, rocks, and other objects. A dull blade tears and rips grass instead of giving a clean cut. Some folks sharpen their blades with a metal and vice file. If you are inexperienced, you shouldn’t attempt this job yourself. A tree service company can sharpen your blade and will typically include a mower tune-up. One of the top ways to encourage a fuller, healthier, and greener lawn is by sharpening your lawnmower blade. A dull blade rips the grass blades, leaving broken pieces that weaken the plant and encourages grass diseases and fungal growth. Nonetheless, a sharp blade cuts cleanly, letting the plant recover fast and heal. Also, a sharp lawn mower blade let you finish your lawn-cutting chore quicker with little stress on the mower. If you’re having issues with your lawn mower, check your blade first. Lawnmower blade sharpening is an easy task, but you can mess up not only the blade but your mower if you don’t do it right. When to sharpen your mower blade You should plan to get your mower blade to sharpen twice each mowing season. Riding mowers need a different blade to sharpen technique which you should hire a York tree care expert to do. Play it safe when removing the blade We suggest always taking out the spark plug when you’re taking a look at your mower blade. If the piston is at the top of the compression stroke, just a minor touch to the blade might put the piston into the power stroke. If this occurs, the blade will wobble around and could break your hand. Is my soil compacted? You should know that soil compaction is the main reason for an unhealthy lawn. Aerating can aid in relieving soil compaction, and spring is a great time to do it. Aerating your lawn accomplishes a couple of things:
Regular aeration also lessens the buildup of thatch, which is a layer of stems, leaves, and dead roots. Some thatch is good because it gives a cushion and some defense to the roots. Though, more massive thatch buildup decreases nutrient and water absorption and can overpower the roots. Soil compaction is a common reason for a stressed lawn. If your grass gets lots of traffic, it will best stay alive if it is aerated every six to 12 months. Also, heavy clay soil necessitates repeated aerating. Lawns grown on sandy soil or getting light traffic can be aerated every 12 months or every 24 months. Cool-season grasses like ryegrass, fescues, and bluegrass, grow most steadily in the fall. A single aerification is best done then. Though, if the soil is very compacted, aerating in the spring is okay. Moreover, if your lawn is thinned out because of disease or winter damage, aerating before fertilizing and the seedling will assist your lawn in thickening up very fast. Core Aerating Core aerating is using a machine to remove plugs of soil. This is the simplest way to perform aeration. Also, hand aerators are available. But in most instances, a machine is much simpler and will perform better. You can rent these aerators at some garden centers. The soil must be moist but not wet to aerate. A sandy soil must be lightly watered the day before you plan to aerate. It is recommended heavy clay soil be watered at least two days before. The plugs/cores left behind by the aerator can be removed, but don’t have to be. In a couple of weeks, they will decompose with traffic and weather. If you would like to speed up the process, pull a mat across the lawn to break down the cores. Don’t want to manage your aeration job? Reach out to a York tree service company instead. Cutting your grass at the correct mowing height is the one most important task you can do to keep your lawn good-looking. Mowing at the right height diminishes weed issues, creating a healthy root system, raising resistance to insects, diseases, and drought, helping the run-off of pollutants and chemicals. When deciding what is the correct height for your mower, the first thing you must take into account is what type of grass you’re growing. Mowing has a significant impact on a lawn’s health and appearance. It is usually overlooked regarding significance. People should follow some easy guidelines to make sure their lawn is mowed correctly. Choosing a Mower Choosing a mower entails numerous factors, lots of them based on a personal favorite. Rotary mowers are the ones most commonly used on home lawns. Side discharge or conventional rear mowers with bag attachments and mulching mowers are steadily available for property owners. Another crucial area ignored by homeowners is keeping a sharp mower blade. A mower blade that razor-sharp cuts grass quite cleanly. This gives your grass a smooth look and eliminates the disease from damage due to a dull mower blade. You want to mow in the direction that is securest. Mow at a steady pace so that you get all the grass blades and you don’t have to go over the same spot twice. Sporadically change directions if desired. Though, mowing the same direction every time shouldn’t be an issue on taller turf usual of home lawns. The first and last mow job of the year can be just shorter, not so short that you scalp your lawn. Scalping in spring and let your grass stay very high at the end of fall incites disease and weed issues. As for getting that perfect grass mowing height, primarily, you'll want to play around with the tire adjustment part on your mower. But when you've figured out what slot in the mowing height you want, mark that slot so that you'll forever know where it is. If you don’t want to deal with mowing your lawn, get in touch with a York tree service company. Regular, simple maintenance goes a long way in making a healthier, thicker lawn. But jobs done once a year play a huge role in sustaining tinier steps across the months. For many people, aerating lawns to alleviate soil compaction and enrich grass growth is a common yearly task. If you are wondering should you aerate your lawn, you should realize any lawn can profit from aeration when it's done right. Grass roots need water and air to grow healthy, deep, and thick. When soil becomes compacted, even a little, it stops the flow of the requirements that support healthier, thicker turf growth. Just a thin layer of compacted soil can make a huge difference in the beauty and health of your lawn. Aeration forms hole down into the soil to relieve compaction so water, nutrients, and air can reach grass roots. Robbed of their essential needs by compacted soil, grass struggles in demanding situations, like low rainfall and heat, losing its rich, healthy color. Grasses become thin and ultimately die out entirely due to no water, oxygen, and nutrients available. When grass become weak, it allows room for weeds to take root. Even a single aeration job can unlock these essentials to get to their mark and put your grass back on an upward move. When to Aerate Your Lawn As with plenty of bigger lawn jobs, like planting grass seeds, it's best to aerate right before or during the time your grasses get to its peak time. Aeration is great for lawns, but it can stress grass if done incorrectly. For cool-season grasses, early spring or fall are the best times to aerate your lawn. For warm-season grasses, the best time for aerating is very early summer or late spring. When aeration corresponds with active growth, grasses recover fast and fill in areas where aerator equipment reveals soil. Aerating is most natural on you and your lawn when your soil is wet from rainfall the day before or irrigation. Parched earth can be hard to aerate, so wetness helps the process. Never aerate very wet lawns. Instead, wait a couple of days. If you have any questions or help with your aeration job, call a York tree contractor. |