Because Leyland Cyprus trees are coniferous and not deciduous, they are resilient to most diseases and insect infestations that are devastating to other trees. However, because they are coniferous and not deciduous, some of the insects they do attract are among the most harmful when it comes to a tree’s health.

Leyland Cyprus trees still have a few environmental enemies that are capable of severely damaging, if not altogether killing the tree, including bagworms and spider mites. One of the ways to prevent these infestations, as well as the damage that occurs along with the presence of these tree pests, is to engage in helpful tree care practices. As with all plants, Grand Junction landscaping experts insist that correct pruning procedures must be engaged in order to keep the tree healthy. According to Grand Junction landscapers, if proper techniques are not followed, the tree can become severely and irreparably injured.

Landscaping specialists say Leyland Cyprus trees will greatly benefit from bi-annual shearing. Over-shearing, which means shearing more than twice a year, can actually weaken the tree and leave it vulnerable to fungal infections. Landscapers recommend spaying the Leyland Cyprus with fungicide immediately after it has been sheared. In addition to fungal infections, the Leyland Cyprus usually only suffers from four other diseases: Seiridium cankers, Botryospaeria, Cereosporidium and Phytopht, also known as root rot. The good news is that with the right preventative care, the Leyland Cyprus may remain unaffected by these diseases.

To find out more about proper Grand Junction landscaping techniques for the Leyland Cyprus, call your local Grand Junction landscaper and schedule a consultation.

Winter pruning allows landscaping experts to fully assess the health and structural integrity of the tree without the interference of foliage. It is important to have this process scheduled early in the winter in order to give landscaping specialists time to accurately diagnose any problems and devise solutions to keep your Grand Junction landscape looking beautiful.

Winter is the ideal time for pruning because the limbs can be fully assessed without the weight of foliage on them. Pruning is generally known to encourage growth, so when it occurs during the growing season, new tissue and bark are constantly being added to the branches. When the foliage is no longer on the tree, proper pruning can take place to establish how much dead or decaying material is on the tree.

Pruning during the growing season is encouraged, but can disrupt the tree’s energy. Landscaping authorities say that since leaves are the primary food source for trees, the pruning that goes on during the summer actually decreases the amount of energy the tree is getting. Obviously the tree is capable of getting through the winter on reserved energy sources, so pruning does not have as much of an impact.

Another reason why winter pruning is ideal and beneficial is because the tree is completely dormant, including disease and insect activity. Pruning sometimes makes trees vulnerable to insect infestations and diseases, especially if the pruning techniques aren’t performed correctly and the tree is wounded. If perchance the tree is wounded during winter pruning, it will be able to seal before or during the early spring before insects and diseases become active once again.

For more information on winter pruning, contact your local landscaping company and schedule a consultation!

Mowing might seem like the simplest of Grand Junction lawn care tasks, but it is actually quite important to know how to properly mow your Grand Junction lawn to ensure the best results. Over-mowing or mowing at the wrong times or height can have detrimental effects on your Grand Junction lawn. Here are some Grand Junction lawn care tips on proper mowing procedures.

Most Grand Junction lawns are dormant during the winter months, so once spring rolls around, it is time to drag the mower out and get back into the routine. But when you should begin mowing? Lawn care technicians recommend keeping the mower stored away until the ground is thoroughly thawed. Once the ground is soft, that means that grass is growing and mowing it will not cause any damage to the crowns or the shoots.

Most people know that allowing the excess clippings to remain on the Grand Junction lawn is beneficial because as the clippings deteriorate, they become natural fertilizer for the soil below. However, for the first few cuts, attach the bag and gather the clippings. Allow your Grand Junction lawn to grow and breathe without the weight of clippings on top of it.

Lawn care professionals recommend mowing your Grand Junction lawn at a slightly shorter height than you may typically have your mower set. If you normally mow at three inches, take it down to two. This will allow your Grand Junction lawn better stimulation to get the season started off right.

If you have any questions about spring mowing, contact your local Grand Junction lawn care professionals.

During the winter we prepare for harsh weather by piling on layers of clothing and wearing heavy coats, gloves, hats and scarves; unfortunately, not many people think about how the living things in their yards and gardens react to the cold.  Trees and shrubs are vulnerable to cold weather just like we are.  If new growth in the early  Fall doesn’t have enough time to harden off, experts say the sudden drop in temperatures can create ice crystals that can rupture cell walls, resulting in dead branch tips and branches.

Officials at a state cooperative extension service say one of the biggest problems for trees and shrubs is the sharp temperature change from day into night during the winter.  They say that dramatic change can actually freeze the water in the trunks of trees, causing them to explode or split open.  That reaction is called frost cracking.  Sometimes these cracks can close when warm weather returns, if the damage isn’t that severe.  Many shrubs can suffer from something similar, called bark split.  Extension service officials say those particularly susceptible are many cultivars of evergreen azaleas.  In most cases plants close over the cracks with no treatment necessary.

During this winter there are some things you can do to protect your trees and shrubs.  You can wrap the trunks with burlap strips or commercial tree wrap.  Experts also recommend painting the trunks white or shading them with a board to prevent bark splitting.  These methods reflect sunlight and reduce temperature fluctuations, like the buildup of heat during the day, that cause splitting.  All wraps should be removed after one season to stop insect or moisture damage.

Superior landscaping involves many steps, but perhaps none is as important as proper hydration. After all, a Grand Junction landscape cannot succeed without water. Adequately hydrating your Grand Junction landscape is not an exact science, but it is close. The best plan is to install a sprinkler system that ensures your Grand Junction landscape is watered every day at the same time. Sprinkler systems with a timer are even more ideal, but you still have several options there. Landscaping specialists highly recommend pulsating sprinklers for the best results.

Pulsating sprinkler systems spray water into the air and allow the water to fall back down to the ground in a fine mist. There are five different types of pulsating sprinklers: impulse, traveling, stationary, oscillating and rotary. Impulse sprinklers are the top choice of landscaping professionals because they cover larger areas.

It is important to know if you have high or low water pressure, as that also factors in to which type of pulsating sprinkler you choose for your landscaping needs. If you have low water pressure, an H-base is a better choice than a spike-based sprinkler which is better suited for high pressure.

Pulsating sprinklers have the benefit of being designed with gusty winds in mind, as well as low-hanging trees or tall shrubs. The height of the water spray can be adjusted accordingly and since the water is typically sprayed close to the ground, its spray is unaffected by the wind.

If you think a pulsating sprinkler may be beneficial to your Grand Junction lawn, contact your local landscaping company. Many landscaping companies also install irrigation systems, especially since proper hydration makes their job that much easier!

As the cooler temperatures arrive and you’ll soon be exchanging your leaf rake for snow shovel, consider a few simple leaf raking tips that will help winterize your Grand Junction lawn while increasing your chances for a better spring green-up.

How well you maintain the leaves in your Grand Junction lawn is a large indicator for how healthy and prepared your Grand Junction lawn will be for next season. When neglected, leaves can suffocate and rob turf of sunlight, water and other essential nutrients. For every leaf that lies on top of your turf, multiple blades of grass beneath it run the risk of browning or even worse, developing patches of mold or fungus depending on how low temperatures drop in your area.

Depending on your yard, raking once a week should be sufficient in at least warding off fungus and disease from developing in your Grand Junction lawn. If you do step up to twice a week, try to keep it to a light raking as it will be gentler on your Grand Junction lawn. Raking is a natural form of dethatching but a little layer of thatch build up is actually healthy for your turf. Just be sure the second raking doesn’t over do it.

If you want to save time and utilize leaves for compost, a mulching mower is a smart investment. A mulching mower can be very beneficial to your Grand Junction lawn as it will chop up and shred leaves to easily decompose in the soil. This granulizes leaves into a natural fertilizer to be absorbed into your Grand Junction lawn.

Check back next week for more information about the absorbing of nutrients in your Grand Junction lawn.

As we get out our heavier sweaters and winter coats to protect ourselves from the cold, it’s also time to think about our trees, shrubs and plants.  Just like many of us don’t like a dip in temperatures and unpredictable temperature swings, neither do most plants.  But there are some things you can do to help make sure your precious ornamentals will survive what Mother Nature has to dish out this winter.

One of the biggest problems is that trees and shrubs lose a lot of moisture during the winter and tend to dry out.  To help prevent that from happening, it’s important to continue to water all your trees and plants throughout the entire fall, as long as possible.  Mulch is also important.  It’s recommended that a layer of mulch two-to-four inches thick is placed around the base of your Grand Junction landscape plants and trees to help them retain moisture.  Anti-desiccant sprays can also help.  They leave a waxy coating on evergreen needles preventing moisture loss.  You can also wrap your trees in canvas or burlap.  That will help them retain moisture during windy days and help prevent breakage from heavy snow.

Fertilization is also a key to keeping your trees and shrubs healthy, but you have to make sure you do it at the right time.  You must fertilize after they’ve gone dormant so the nutrients can help the plants overwinter and recover in the spring.  If they’re not dormant, the fertilizer may spur growth making the plant vulnerable to damage.  Now is also the time to protect against hungry critters.  Place a metal guard or liquid repellent around the base of trees and shrubs to keep small animals from eating them for dinner when the food supply diminishes.  It’s also a good time to put up windbreakers and tie branches together with twine or netting to prevent breakage from the weight of snow.

Also beware of salt or ice-melting products.  Just like they’re hazardous for animals, they’re also hazardous for your plants and trees.  Use sand instead and make sure you protect your ornamentals from salt thrown by road crews, with plastic sheeting.  And when the white stuff sticks, be sure to remove all accumulating snow on your Grand Junction landscape plants and trees with a broom so they’re not damaged.

Gazebos are a fairly traditional addition to most Grand Junction landscapes, but a wrought iron gazebo will add class, charm, luxury and style, not to mention an element of uniqueness.

One of the most advantageous qualities of having a wrought iron gazebo on your Grand Junction landscape is that the iron does not wear out. Typical Grand Junction landscape gazebos are made from wood will deteriorate over time, and will eventually need to be replaced. But with a wrought iron gazebo, the structure will remain standing for as long as you desire. There is the risk of the iron rusting, but it can easily be painted and treated with material that will prevent rust from occurring. You will want to re-paint your gazebo anyway every few years to maintain the luster of the gazebo’s appearance.

Wrought iron gazebos not only add aesthetic appeal to your Grand Junction landscape and give you and your family a distinctive and stylish place to enjoy the outdoors, but they are also popular for having ceremonies such as weddings or providing a special backdrop for your family photo. The gazebo can be decorated with flowers, ribbons and netting to add even more beauty and charm.

Wrought iron gazebos are available in so many distinct shapes, sizes and styles. Most iron comes in black or white, but with the help of metallic and rust-proof paint, you can use paint to blend your gazebo in with the rest of your Grand Junction landscape or match your home’s motif.

If you have fallen in love with the possibilities a wrought iron gazebo can bring to your Grand Junction landscape, call your local Grand Junction landscaping company and schedule a consultation!

When your landscape needs fertilized, the best solution is to contact your local Grand Junction landscaping company and have the professionals attend to the task. However, if you’re one of those do-it-yourselfers, then there is some research to be done on the subject. Not all fertilizers are the same, so you should decide which fertilizer is right for your landscape, how much should be applied, when it should be applied, as well as what to do to ensure the application is successful. If you’re using granule fertilizer, you will want to look into purchasing a spreader to disseminate the fertilizer evenly.

There are generally two types of spreaders: drop spreaders and broadcast spreaders. Broadcast spreaders are particularly advantageous for those who have a large area of landscape to cover. However, if the area you’re fertilizing is small, a drop spreader might be more ideal.

Whereas broadcast spreaders fling the fertilizer in every direction, drop spreaders are more focused, releasing the fertilizer directly underneath the device through the hopper. This means you have to decide what area you want to focus on and make certain you have covered that area thoroughly, or else you could have some plants growing wildly while others are barely past the seedling stage. Another downfall to using a drop spreader is the risk of over-fertilizing your landscape. Applying fertilizer is a very delicate balance and if you apply too much fertilizer, you run the risk of frying your plants.

If this sounds like too much of a hassle or you’re not particularly good at staying within the lines, your best option is to contact your local professional Grand Junction landscaping company and leave the fertilizing to them. After all, your landscape’s beauty and perfection should melt your stress away, not add to it!

If your Grand Junction lawn is important to you, but you’re not much into mowing or don’t have the time to be constantly maintaining your Grand Junction lawn, ornamental grasses might be a favorable alternative to standard turf grass.

Ornamentals grasses add a lot of character to a Grand Junction landscape by growing in unique shapes and sweeps. Typically ornamental grasses are bunched or clumped and grow in tight, distinct tufts and sprays that are able to withstand colder weather and still maintain an upright, beautiful form.

Whereas mowing becomes a ritual with turf grasses, ornamentals are easier to sustain when welcomed into the Grand Junction landscape. Lawn care professionals say some homeowners find ornamental grasses to be invasive, but this is more typical of running grasses which can take over your entire Grand Junction landscape if not properly attended. Since bunched and clumping grasses rely on seed to expand, it is important to have a Grand Junction lawn care professional either tend to the grass or instruct you on how to prohibit production of excess seeds. Although ornamental grasses are easier to preserve physically, they still need some attention to make sure they do not grow wildly.

Lawn care technicians recommend growing your ornamental grasses through a weed cloth before covering with high-quality mulch. The cloth and mulch will protect against weed germination and keep the seeds of your grass in place instead of blowing off into other areas of your Grand Junction landscape where perhaps you do not desire ornamental grasses to grow. If this is more trouble than it’s worth, it is possible to find a sterile strain of ornamental grasses that will not produce seed.

If you’re looking for a different kind of Grand Junction lawn and Grand Junction landscape, call your Grand Junction lawn care company today and find out more about the benefits of ornamental grasses.