If you’re someone who cares about having a landscape that you’re proud of, landscaping mistakes can be a major source of frustration. Landscaping mistakes in North Texas can detract from the beauty and appeal of your property.
Some of the biggest landscaping mistakes are simply accidents. Because there’s a great deal of science and horticultural knowledge that goes into landscape maintenance, it’s natural for homeowners to make mistakes.
Some of the worst landscaping mistakes we see include:
Let’s talk about each of these and also how to avoid landscaping mistakes.
Knowing what not to do is half the battle. So, here are the most common landscaping mistakes for North Texas properties and how to avoid them.
There’s a saying in our industry that goes “right plant, right place.” Plants should be right-sized for the space with room to mature, otherwise you’ll end up with an overgrown, messy landscape bed. Not to mention, when plants are positioned too closely together, they compete for resources (water, nutrients). This can negatively impact blooming, root development and the overall vitality of a plant.
You also want to consider the micro-climate of a landscape bed before choosing plants. What we mean is, how much sunlight, wind exposure and moisture does the landscape bed get? For example, some plants thrive in full sun, while others might require more shade.
The best way to avoid this landscaping mistake is simply to have a better understanding of what you’re installing and what its needs will be.
Applying the proper amount of water will be critical to the success of your landscape.
Consistent year-round watering helps maintain healthy plants. During the growing season (spring, summer, early fall), be sure to water landscape plants several times per week. Keep in mind, plants still need some water during the cooler months, and not watering in fall and winter is a common landscaping mistake. Plan on watering plants once a week during this time of year.
Of course, you also want to avoid overwatering. Applying too much water can drown your plants’ roots and contribute to problems with disease.
One of the ways to avoid watering mistakes is to install irrigation. An irrigation system can help ensure that the proper amount of water is always applied.
Mulching your landscape beds can be a major weekend project. It’s back-breaking work. We’ve never met a homeowner who said, “I can’t wait to mulch the landscape!” But a pro will tell you, there’s a great deal of satisfaction in a newly mulched landscape bed.
Mulch creates a fresh canvas—it helps prevent weeds, maintains a consistent soil temperature for plants, helps retain moisture and protects plant roots. So, there are many reasons why mulching is the right thing to do for your landscaping. The question is, are you mulching the right way?
The general rule of thumb is to apply 2 to 3 inches of mulch on landscape beds on an annual basis. Be sure to apply mulch evenly. Avoid creating mulch “volcanoes” around tree trunks, which can cause tree/shrub bark to decay, therefore attracting insects, fungi and bacteria.
Another one of the biggest landscaping mistakes has to do with how you handle weeds.
One weeding mistake is waiting too long to deal with them. Weeds can grow so fast in North Texas that as soon as you walk away from plucking them out of a landscape bed, it feels like they crop right back up!
But if you wait for weeds to get out of hand in the landscape, then managing them takes longer, requires even more weed control treatments, and can be less effective. The more proactive and persistent you can be with weed control, the better.
Improper weed identification is another landscaping mistake. It’s important to know what you’re dealing with so that the proper weed control product can be applied.
Some of the worst landscaping mistakes also have to do with pruning. Pruning errors can be detrimental to your ornamental trees and shrubs.
There is a right way to prune and trim plants, and it’s not as easy as you might think. First, timing is an issue. For example, if you accidentally prune flowering shrubs just before they bloom, you could compromise blooms that season.
Also, the way you cut a branch can literally make or break a plant’s health. Pruning cuts should be made at an angle where branches intersect. The same angled cut when trimming will prevent damage.
The health of your plants (including even your lawn) really does boil down to the health of your soil. Your plants are only going to be as healthy as the soil that they’re growing in.
However, people often fail to give any thought to their soil. The biggest issue is that nutrients can quickly get depleted and need to be restored with fertilization.
There can also be issues with compacted soil or drainage that might require correction before you’re able to grow healthy plants.
Keeping up with landscaping tasks can be a ton of work. These tasks can start to feel like a chore.
But overlooking or prolonging routine maintenance can leave your property unkempt and messy. Plus, the longer that you wait to start tackling landscaping tasks, the more that will need to be done to “catch up.” You might have to deal with a period of things looking subpar.
Honestly, we know that keeping up with landscaping can start to feel like a chore. But the best way to avoid this landscaping mistake is by hiring a pro. You can remove the burden from your shoulders and let a landscaping professional take care of your property for you.
Sometimes, homeowners really want to try DIY landscaping and they think they’ll get around to doing these tasks on their own. But the longer you wait, the messier your property will get.
In each of these sections, we’ve talked a little bit about how you can avoid these landscaping mistakes. But as we mentioned above, one of the best steps that you can take is to hand these tasks over to a pro.
A pro can help you avoid landscape maintenance errors that could set back the health and beauty of your property. They’ll ensure that these tasks (and more) are performed properly.
One of the benefits of hiring landscaping services in North Texas is that they will know what services are most important and when (and how) they should be done. There is only so much time in a day and chances are, you don’t want to spend it working in your yard. You can hand these services over to a professional and simply get back to enjoying your landscape.
You want to make a wise choice in landscape professionals. The truth is, not all landscaping companies are equally qualified to do the work. It’s important that you put in the time to research your options and feel confident that you are choosing the best North Texas landscaping company for your needs.
This means working with a landscaper who will listen to your “wants and needs” while also using their expertise to make suggestions. You want to make sure that you’re not just choosing the type of landscaper who follows a list of orders or is just “checking a box.” Rather, you want a company that thinks outside of the box!
At Grassperson, we’re here to help however you need us. Since every property is different, we can develop a customized plan that is right for you.
Ready to have a truly impressive Northern Texas landscape? Get in touch with us so we can talk about what landscape maintenance services are right for you.
