Cultivating one’s yard is a delicate balance that can be easily thrown into chaos and devastated. There are five common ways the yard is threatened by devastation ignoring harmful tree and plant varieties, neglecting pest control, poor planing, excess mulch or gravel, and overcommitting.
Ignoring Harmful Tree and Plants: Some weeds can overtake the yard and kill grass, so keep an eye out for crabgrass, dandelions, nutsedge and chickweed. Weeds are easily controlled if caught early enough, and most ready to use weed killers are available at home and garden stores. There are also lawn care professionals that are trained and licensed to apply the right products in the appropriate amounts.
Neglecting Pest Control: Ignoring signs of pest-related issues will devastate the yard, and could even damage the home. Chinch bugs, sod webworms, and armyworms are the usual suspects, and if not treated these pests could devastate the lawn in a short period of time. Pest-control products should take care of any issues, but be sure to read about the products to ensure the product is appropriate for the yard.
Poor Planning: Arrangement of plants according to their sunlight and watering needs is a critical part to a healthy yard. Factors like soil type, sunlight, irrigation and drainage influence which type of seed or sod should be used in order to ensure the most beautiful and healthy lawn possible. Make sure to choose plants and flowers according to preferred weather conditions that determine the areas you want to plant and then select plants that will thrive in these environments. Next, plant placement is vital because placing plants to close together causes problems like starved plants and an unhealthy looking decor.
Too Much Mulch, Too Much Gravel: A common problem is laying too much mulch. Too much can smother the plants and prevent moisture from reaching the soil. The problem with gravel in the soil is that it will cause the lawn to dry out quicker and requires more water. The alternative to mulch or gravel is topsoil which will improve the moisture retention of the soil and cultivate a healthy lawn with less water.
Overcommitting: Do not over complicate the landscaping by adding exotic or elaborate plants that look great at first, but have very demanding upkeep. Instead, select plants that thrive in the specific environment to reduce the amount of time that is spent about caring for plants in the yard. It is always a good idea to research plants and flowers that are compatible with specific environment the yard provides.
Source: Dave Newman