Yes, landscaping is simple as you visit your local garden store to pick plants and grab bags of mulch and garden tools. Then, you are ready to tackle your landscaping project, right! But, do not forget you need to mow the lawn a couple of times a month. Yes, if that was only true and as easy as mentioned above. However, when you talk to a Calgary landscaper, they say there are some landscaping mistakes you do not want to make.
1. No Plans in Place
Creating a healthy yet sustainable landscape does not happen overnight. It helps to do careful planning considering the climate, available space, pest threats, and wildlife. You need to think about color, watering needs, and functionality. With the right plan, you become familiar with your landscaping to choose the right plants and features. So, take your time to plan and make a few beds continuing with your plan over weeks and months.
2. Growing Plants In the Wrong Place
No, it is not all about growing a plant in a place as it looks nice. Yes, it is part of the equation, but you need to consider your plant’s needs. For example, you need to think about how much light it will need and water. Still, will your plant flourish in rocky beds, mulch, or dirt beds? What companion plants will work well grouped with the specific species. Your plant will lapse into premature death if you do not consider these things.
3. Mowing the Lawn too Low
Yes, it looks fabulous at the golf course, but when too short, it hurts the grass photosynthesis at home. Furthermore, it produces soft grass with unhealthy roots that cannot absorb nutrients. The best result is to give your lawn a rough texture about 2 ½ to three inches high.
4. Overwatering the Garden
All plants are not the same and have different needs, from the sun to watering. Luckily, you can rely on rain to handle most of your watering needs. Still, gardeners have the tendency to overwater their plants.
The rule of thumb is that when you notice yellow/brown, wilted leaves or slow growth, water ahead. Unfortunately, the problem with overwatering and ground that does not drain freely leads to root rot in most plants. Another helpful thing is to check the soil moisture before watering.
Water retention is not a concern if you have clay soil, but you need to water plants more in sandy soil.
5. Bad Pruning
When you prune trees and plants correctly, it helps encourage new growth. It is a necessity of any landscaping. Still, you need to do it the right way or end up damaging your plants, making your garden look unhealthy.
The rule of thumb is not to remove more than 15% of your plant at a time as it causes inhibited growth. The best time to prune is late winter, when your plants are dormant. Prune sparingly in spring and summer and never prune in fall. Also, do not remove the tops of trees as it weakens them resulting in irregular growth.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are new to landscaping or a veteran at it, you can benefit from avoiding these common landscaping mistakes. The important thing for long-term success is planning and managing your property regularly.
