Once your trees, shrubs and flowering plants are in place, a healthy landscape requires a certain level of attention to truly flourish. By making Denver landscape maintenance a part of your weekly, monthly and seasonal routine, your yard will look amazing all year long. Plus, you’ll be spared the heartache of sick and dying plants, or a yard that is so overgrown it requires entire weekends of labor to get it back into shape.
Here are some helpful tips on how to maintain your landscape year-round.
Nutritious soil. Make sure you start out with healthy soil. Nutrient-rich and aerated soil is the key to growing vibrant, drought-tolerant plants in our dry climate.
Mulch, mulch, mulch. Mulch is a gardener’s friend. It protects soil from erosion, mitigates weed growth and retains soil moisture. Spread it over the soil each spring, about 2-inches deep, and replenish as necessary in the fall.
Fertilizer. In most cases, your lawns and ornamental plants will need a little fertilizer when new growth appears. Lawns may need fertilizing every couple of months through summer and early fall.
Hydration. Water is essential to keep plants alive, but you can do your part to conserve this precious resource by creating a landscape with drought-resistant plants. Even better, grow native shrubs and plants that are already adapted to our Denver climate. These plants will only need to be watered about once a week. Make sure water penetrates the soil at least 6- to 8-inches deep, which encourages deeper, stronger root systems.
Pruning and grooming. Most plants and shrubs require a little pruning to keep them healthy. During the spring, when buds first begin to form, clear out all of the broken and damaged branches. Once the flowering season ends, you can prune flowering shrubs. In midsummer, you can pinch off dead blooms and trim plants back by a third to encourage new growth.
Good housekeeping. Fall is the season to clean up the yard, clearing it of dead plant debris and overgrowth. You can move them into a pile to be turned into mulch for next spring.
Contact Lifescape for assistance with your Denver landscape maintenance.