Landscape Maintenance Checklist

Even with the assistance of a regular landscape service crew, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on things around your home’s gardens and lawn.  The following issues can be easily overlooked.  Check regularly for these and bring them to your landscape maintenance professional’s attention:

  1. Signs of critters. Moles and gophers can wreak havoc in beds and lawns as they tunnel around below the surface, weakening the stability of the ground above.  While there are DIY means of deterring these little diggers from the property, if the problem persists, a landscape contractor can install special wire cages as a barrier at the perimeter of your property.
  2. Trouble spots in the lawn. Bare spots or browning in turf indicates an issue.  Whether it’s insects, too much or not enough water, or competition for weeds, it’s good to monitor your lawn and address these issues before they have the potential to get worse or spread.
  3. Damp soils can invite moss which can in turn affect the health of your lawn and planting beds.  It’s tough to remove manually, too, so it’s a good idea to keep after it before it takes over. Apply liquid iron at the recommended rate to treat moss before it becomes even harder to remove.
  4. Insect infestations. Some stinging insects, termites, and carpenter bees, in particular, can undermine the stability of wood structures outdoors.  Check for holes or the presence of these insects at particular times of day and let your landscape professional know if they need to consider a plan to remove them.  Look at plants, too, checking for holes, larvae, or other signs that they have been infested and need attention.
LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE

LANDSCAPE DESIGN – SANTA BARBARA

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5. Aggressive climbers. Check vining plants to make sure they are staying away from structures that are off limits to them, particularly brick or wood siding.  The tendrils of these plants can assist in their spread and quickly climb to heights that are difficult to reach, even with a ladder.   If left unchecked, they can cause unsightly damage.

6. Weeds in paving joints. Look over paved surfaces to make sure there is no weed growth in between pavers or in cracked concrete or asphalt.  These plants should be pulled or sprayed immediately before their roots take hold and cause the plant to grow and widen the crack.

7. Eaten plants. If your plants don’t seem to be growing or looking as full as they should be, take a closer to look to see if the leaves look like they’ve been chewed by local grazers such as deer or rabbits.  There are a variety of treatments that can deter animals from treating your garden like an all-night buffet.

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Taking just a few moments each season to evaluate your lawn or garden—or even keeping an eye out for problems whenever you’re outside—can be a great way to monitor problems and take quick action.  Your local landscape professional can help set a course of action for remedying these common issues.

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Jorge CortezContractor and Owner
California Landscape Licensed Contractor. Having grown up right here in Santa Barbara, Jorge Cortez graduated from Dos Pueblos High School in 2007 and went on to join the United States Marine Corps. After completing a tour in Afghanistan and receiving an honorable discharge, Cortez continued his education at Santa Barbara City College. Today, with over fifteen years of experience in landscape maintenance, he combines his passion for the land with his business acumen as owner of SB Evolution Landscape.
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