Proper Watering Schedule for Your Lawn and Denver Landscaping
americanarbor August 30, 2017

Can you believe we are in the middle of summer? Have you taken a look at your lawn to see how it’s performing? Now is a great time to assess your lawn and any landscaping changes you need to make before fall hits. One of the most common issues homeowners have with their landscaping is issues with watering. This is why it is important to stick with a watering schedule and learn watering tips so you do not over or under water your lawn. Learn more about tips for watering your lawn, signs that you are using too much or too little water, and reasons to use a Denver landscaping company to enhance your lawn.

Tips for Watering Your Lawn

Watering your lawn is extremely important to keep it healthy and green.

The best time to water your lawn in the mornings is no later than 10 a.m. because the water has the most time to soak up in the grass. When done later in the day or in the evening, it does not soak up as well and can often create the growth of fungus.

When it comes to the amount of water, you do not want to use too much or too little. Typically, you can water your grass a couple times a week to give it about one to one and a half inches of water.

It is also necessary to factor in rainwater totals. You will want to monitor using the signs below to see if you are watering too much or too little and modify your amount accordingly. If your lawn is primarily in the shade, you can actually water it even less, which should also help you to save on your water bill. For more information learn tips for watering your lawn the right way.

Signs of Overwatering

When it comes to finding the right amount of water for your lawn, it is crucial that you know the signs of over and under watering. If you give your lawn too much water, you will notice the overall feel of the grass and soil under will be squishy.

In addition, you may notice fungus growing because of the excess moisture on the grass blades. Over watering also promotes the growth of weeds and will bring in additional unwanted insects.

Signs of Underwatering

Signs that you are not giving your lawn enough water is a little easier to see. You will notice brown and yellow patches within your yard with grass blades that are brown and dying. Learn more about signs your lawn is not getting enough water by reading more about dry patches in your mid-summer Denver landscaping.

Using a Landscaping Service

As you work to make your lawn and landscaping the best it can be, consider using a local arborist to help. When taking advantage of their services, you can be sure that your lawn is getting enough water, and has a boost of curb appeal. (This also increases the overall value of your home—bonus!) If your lawn is struggling, fall is another great time to lay down sod. This is something your arborist and landscaper can review with you.

To help you with all of your landscaping needs, American Arbor Care is here to help. With over 20 years of experience, we will ensure your lawn and trees are in their best shape. See the latest American Arbor Care special offers and call us today at 303-639-8584 to see how we can help you.

Best Tools to Buy for Your Landscaping in Denver and When to use Professionals
Dev Team August 23, 2017

As you work on your landscaping this summer, do you have all the tools you need? One of the best ways to ensure you are effectively and efficiently maintaining your yard, landscaping and plant beds is to have the right tools. This will make it easier to get the work done and is better for your lawn and plants. In addition, you will also be able to get a great return on your investment as these tools will help you maintain your landscaping in Denver for many years to come. From digging and transport items, to cutting, trimming and pruning, it is best to learn what you can do on your own and when to call the professionals. 

Digging and Transport

When digging into the ground, it is crucial to have the right tool for the job. For digging into untouched ground, make sure you have a shovel that is rounded with a point at the top. This allows for easy digging in the ground and lifting out of any dirt. If you have any trenches, you can invest in a trench shovel that is long and narrow. This unique shape is perfect for the task. There are also many instances where you will need to transport what you dig, such as dirt or mulch, so make sure you have invested in a reliable wheelbarrow.

Cutting, Trimming and Pruning

Trimming and pruning your landscape is important. This is why it is crucial to have a great pair of shears. While small, they can do great work for your plants and flowers. For pruning, you can also invest in pruners. These are more heavy duty than shears and can handle trimming off the larger part of plans. It is also important to have a lopper on-hand. While you may not need it every time you work in your landscape, it is helpful to have when you need something that will help to do major cutting in your landscape. For more tools, review Bob Vila’s 8 top tools for taming your landscape.

When to Call Professionals

When you work through your landscaping this summer and fall, it is important to know when to call in the professionals. When it comes to lawn care and fertilization services, if your lawn in struggling, July is too hot of a month to fertilize your grass. This is when a REVIVE application can help. Your local arborist and landscaping company can handle this to help with the breakdown of heavy clay soils and water penetration to the root system of grass plants. Next, if you have dying trees, it is important to call in experts. They can do trunk injections or provide disease management services to save your trees and extend their life. However, if you do need a tree or shrub removed, an arborist is the best option to use to safely remote it.

No matter what your landscaping needs are, American Arbor Care can help. As a team you can trust, we can help you with all of your questions and provide services to keep your landscaping in premier shape. Call us today at 303-639-8584 to see how we can help you.

Importance of Mulching Explained by The Arbor Experts
americanarbor August 16, 2017

When the warm season arrives, many homeowners know the drill: time to mulch! Mulching is an important aspect of landscaping. Not only does it look great, but it helps your trees, shrubs, flowers and more thrive. As you plan to handle some of your outdoor yard work, it’s important to understand the importance of mulch and the role it plays for your yard. Learn about the basics of mulching, ideal times each year to mulch, and dos and don’ts by Denver tree pros.

Basics of Mulching

Mulch is the first level of defense a plant, tree, shrub, etc. has against the elements.  It enhances everything that you do for your trees and shrubs. This is what it needs to get the proper amount of water and let it soak in. In addition, it also helps to keep weeds from sprouting. It allows for protection from compaction, weed eater/mower damage, moisture conservation and consistency, and temperature consistency.

Fewer weeds to pull is a win, right?

Mulch is also great to help your plants maintain the proper temperature. While you have a variety of types of mulch to use, organic ones are the best. This can be tree bark, shredded wood or compost manure. Compost manure should be hand tilled in to a depth of 4-6” and be sure that you are using well aged compost. Using organic mulch and not a synthetic mulch will help provide nutrients to your landscaping. There are also many benefits provided by mulch to the landscape and environment as the mulch breaks down.  Read more about mulches for home grounds.

Ideal Times per Year to Mulch

Late spring and early summer is an ideal time to mulch your landscaping. As you plan on purchasing mulch for the landscaping in your lawn, take into consideration how much you need. Know that you do not need to add a lot of mulch to your shrubs, trees, etc. While mulch plays an important role as a barrier and giver of nutrients, too much of it can suffocate your plants. You only want two to three inches of mulch. And keep in mind the amount of mulch or needle debris that currently exists under your trees.  Do not pack it down either. Three inches is the maximum you should do on your tree, shrub, and perennial beds, which you can discuss with a local arborist to see exactly how much you need. Prior to mulching, make sure you remove any existing mulch. It’s also important to remove any other debris or weeds. From there, you can add on the new layer.

Another reminder when mulching is to leave some room between the mulch and where the trunk or base of a tree of plant starts. Give it one to two inches around the base that’s mulch-free. Prior to mulching, do edge around the area you will be adding in the mulch. This will help reshape the area and will look great!
When it comes to handling mulch for your lawn this season, American Arbor Care has excellent lawn care and fertilization services to help your landscaping flourish. No matter what your needs are, we can help. Give us a call today at 303-639-8584 to get started on ways we can help!

Proper Pruning of Spring Blooming Shrubs from Your Tree Service Company
americanarbor August 9, 2017

Do you know the proper way to prune your blooming shrubs? What about the exact time of year? Improper care can lead to the downfall of your shrubs. To protect your investment, it is best to make sure you are caring for your plants properly. With just a little bit of work, you can ensure the care of your plants all season long. Learn more about the best times to prune after flowering, tips for pruning, and overall general care tips from your tree service company.

Tips for Pruning

Pruning is a crucial piece of maintaining the overall health of your plants. Pruning is the method of cutting of dead, dying or damaged branches and twigs. This helps to remove any infected parts of a plant. Pruning also helps to keep the overall health of the plant in good shape. Removing old branches also helps infected areas to stay away from healthy ones that could be further damaged. When pruning, you can cut of the tips off branches. Not much needs to be cut, just the edges. You can also thin out and trim them back to the branches.Pruning also stimulates growth and flowering. For an in depth look at the advantages of pruning, read what CSU has to say about pruning shrubs.

Best Times to Prune After Flowering

The late winter and early spring is the ideal time for you or a local arborist to handle your pruning. However, you should always monitor the health of your plants and shrubs and prune as you find dead or dying areas. When handling pruning in the summer, it is your primary key to monitor plants for damage and trim and remove them as needed. You will need to keep an eye on how much you are trimming as trimming too much can stunt re-growth for the remainder of the year. However, in most cases, it will re-grow the next season.Spring blooming shrubs are best pruned right after flowering has finished.  Summer blooming shrubs are best trimmed in the spring.  Green foliage shrubs are best trimmed in the late summer to early fall.

General Care Tips

Summer is one of the prime seasons to monitor and care for your plants. First, if you have not already mulched, make sure you remove old mulch and add new mulch. You only need one to three inches and refrain from adding mulch all the way up the bark or trunk of the plant. You should also monitor the amount of water that your shrubs are getting. When watering, aim to water before 10 a.m. once or twice a week.  

Are you looking for help with your pruning, tree removal and stump grinding? American Arbor Care can help. Whether you need assistance with your pruning or maintaining your landscaping, utilizing the help of an expert is a great way to maintain your investment. Not sure about pruning? Make sure to check out the Denver tree pros debunk the most common tree pruning and trimming myths. To see how we can help you with your landscaping and pruning needs, call us at 303-639-8584. 

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