Now that your landscape has been installed, the following guidelines will ensure success to keep your landscaping looking its best! Happy growing :)

• Equivalent of 1.5” of water or rainfall per week.
• Always check the soil surface in several places prior to watering.
• Some areas will dry out more quickly than others, especially sloped areas due to quick run-off.
• Water by hand for the first three (3) weeks, then use sprinkler or drip hose. Water plants slowly and deeply.

• Annuals and perennials: Fertilize every two weeks with an organic water soluble fertilizer or use compost to naturally fertilize; do not fertilize in mid to late fall
• Trees and shrubs: Fertilize with a organic granular fertilizer during spring and early fall per recommended rates. Slow-release fertilizer tablets may also be reapplied.
• Azaleas and Rhododendrons: Fertilize after blooming with a fertilizer formulated specifically for these plants. Also use a soil acidifier.

• Evergreen trees and shrubs: These may be pruned from March-September. Dead, damaged, or diseased branches should always be removed promptly. Call a certified arborist for large jobs.
• Deciduous shrubs: Prune in late fall or early spring. Flowering shrubs that bloom on the previous season’s growth should be pruned after flowers are gone. Shrubs that bloom on this season’s growth should be pruned in early spring before new growth begins.
• Azaleas and Rhododendrons: Prune after spring blooming has ended.
• Deciduous trees: Prune during November to March while they are dormant, with the exception of Maples which require pruning during the summer.
• Ornamental grasses: Cut grasses back to ground level in very early spring, usually around March 1.
• Annuals and perennials: Remove spent blooms and trim as needed. Cut plants back after a hard frost.
• Spring bulbs: Cut foliage back after it has completely turned yellow. Mulch.

• Use weed mat for natural weed control; weeds or grass may penetrate the cloth at times.
• Use a 2-3” layer of mulch to help prevent weeds.
• Corn gluten or granular weed preventer should be applied over the entire mulched bed every 60-90 days.
• Pull them!

• Weed eat along the edge of the bed for routine clean up.
• Edge the bed once a year by hand with a shovel or with an bed edger.

• If you suspect an insect or disease problem, bring a sample in a sealed storage bag to your local extension office or garden center for diagnosis and treatment.

• Flip your mulch once in spring and once in fall; add mulch as necessary. The level should be 2-2-1/2”.

• If you have trees that have been staked, all stakes and guy-wires must be removed in 8-12 months. Failure to do so will result in permanent damage to the tree.
• These are very general guidelines; you will need to adjust according to soil temperatures, season of the year, humidity, exposure.