Recently I’ve discussed the value of landscaping. This article pertains to the importance of proper  maintenance. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a maintenance-free landscape, even the  low-maintenance ones require a little work. With thousands of dollars invested in to your outdoor living space, it’s important to have a maintenance plan in mind. The life expectancy of a landscape changes drastically based on how it is maintained. With poor maintenance, the life expectancy is  less than 5 years; if well taken care of, landscapes will last 15-20 years or more. Professionally
maintained landscapes takes years of experience in horticulture and is often more complex than installing the original design.

THERE ARE MANY 3 LEVELS OF MAINTENANCE
PLANS TO THINK ABOUT:

1. Maintaining your own landscape
   • This is feasible with a little spare time and a lot of plant knowledge.
2. Hire professional care part time
   • You are paying for the key knowledge and tedious works and keeping up with
     the rest yourself.
3. Hire professional care full time
   • Outlined below are the basics of landscape maintenance and what they entail. A precaution to keep in mind: not everyone who does landscaping is a professional  horticulturist who knows how to maintain each plant variety. For example, every year  we get many complaints about someone unhappy with plants that won’t bloom. If you  don’t prune at the right time for the right plant, you’re pruning off all of the  buds/blooms for that year. Who wants to miss a Lilac bloom every year?

FERTILIZING

All plants benefit from some sort of fertilization every year. Keeping the soil healthy helps with growth and blooming and avoiding susceptibility to diseases and pests, leading a plant to  thrive, not just survive.

SPRAYING

Most common spraying practices include spraying to prevent and reduce weeds, spraying for pests
(such as Japanese Beetles), and spraying to prevent deer damage. Timing is everything, otherwise
spraying is a waste of money and simply results in putting chemicals unnecessarily into the  round.

PRUNING

Perhaps the most complicated component, knowing how and when to prune differs for each plant variety. Pruning helps plants produce new growth. Deadheading blooms encourage prolonged blooming and helps it bloom better next season. Many beautiful, expensive landscapes we’ve  installed look unmanaged very quickly and then it’s more expensive to correct or repair. In landscape maintenance, timing is key for pruning, fertilizing, spraying and more. Landscape maintenance plans are fully customizable for your individual yard’s needs. Whichever route you choose, ensure that you are staying on top of your landscape maintenance in order to have the best results in protecting your investment into your outdoor space.

JAKE FRINK
Jake Frink is a Columbia native who enjoys working and playing in outdoor spaces. He has a degree in plant science and landscape design from MU. With Rost Landscaping for nearly 18 years, Jake is the Design Manager. His natural talent for creating beautiful outdoor spaces gives him a huge sense of satisfaction. Jake considers himself to be a very lucky husband as well as a lucky dad of three great kids.
573-445-4465

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