Real Estate Watch: Landscaping key to home appearances

Philip A Raices

Well it is a new week, all your children, hopefully, are back in school and you have in some respects, some quiet and peace of mind; but then again some of you might thoroughly enjoy your children being at home, I surely did! 

Now that I am an empty nester and just had my first grandchild, Chloe, in 2013 and am blessed with a soon to come in February, a grandson, I am the happiest camper on the face of this earth and universe (and of course my son-in-law is over the moon about his soon to be son!)  

Being a grandparent really does change you and your attitude; I never realized this until it happened.  

So to all of you that have, are expecting or one day will have that experience, It is indescribable to say the least!

Now back to what is important in keeping the exterior of your property in pristine and more than presentable shape, we must address your landscape trees, shrubs and flowering perrenials annuals.  

Oh yeah, so I don’t forget, I did not put in last weeks article that as a homeowner (or if you are using a gardener (the guys that cut your lawn!) or a Landscaper (more knowledgeable and dabbles in designing) or a landscape designer, (a licensed and certified lawn-tree-shrub applicator and professional landscape designer, that was moi!) 

By the way, last week I forget to mention, that you should do a soil test every year to analyze the PH (soil acidity) of your property.  

There are a multitude of companies, locally and across the U.S. that you can use to determine your soil structure and what nutrients, as well as lime, (which sweetens your soil).  

The PH of your lLawn should be between 6.0-6.5 on the acidity scale.  

For every point lower (it is 10X more acidic), which is great for trees, shrubs and flowers.  

But lawns thrive and are more hardy in an alkaline soil, other types of vegetation, do well in an acid soil of less than 6.0.

At this time of the year, you should be root and granular feeding your trees and shrubs, but preferable on a cooler day, either early mornings or late afternoon/early evenings. 

The material should be high in phosphorous and potash and of course you will need a good shot of Nitrogen.  

The numbers on the container or bag should be something like 20-8-8, that is 20 percent nitrogen, 8 percent phosphorus and 8 percent potassium, all to interact and promote root and rhizomes and tiller growth and also to keep the vegetation hardy and for new growth to spring forth next year.  

You can apply either liquid or granular around the drip line (where the branches end or plants vegetation end) and you do this in a circle, not to over apply.  

The old saying goes, “If all else fails, then follow the instructions.”  If it says mix two ounces or three pounds per 1000 sq. ft, don’t apply or do more!  

Companies have sometimes spent tens of thousands of dollars to figure this all out; but the homeowner, thinks they know more! Nada!  

That’s like you telling the dentist, where to drill, ridiculous and absurd! 

As the weather turns colder your plants and non-deciduous trees and shrubs need to be protected from the winter months from winter kill; the browning of the needles and leaves, that usually shows up in the spring, which can not only damage the vegetation, but could kill them.  

You should consider apply an Anti-dessicant (to prevent water loss, when the ground is frozen and the shrubbery needs to preserve and retain its existing water, which is somewhat frozen, but still necessary!)  

Apply the Anti-dessicant several weeks before the temperatures turn below 32 degrees, so the material will have an opportunity to stick to the shrubbery.  

As an added benefit, your place will look very, very shiny, once the application dries.  It will appear that you individually by hand, shined up your plants and this should last all winter; however, if we have any consistently warm days, then a reapplying the material might be necessary, to continue the protection throughout the winter frigid months.  

Replacing shrubbery and plants is a very costly undertaking and the spring time is when garden centers and nurseries can and sometimes will charge the most.  

Better to replace those shrubs in the late fall, when they will want to divest themselves of their inventory, so they do not go through that “winter kill process” where they have a much great inventory and money to lose.  

For most times, that is their profit for the year! 

So you can help them out by buying and replanting in the fall, which is the most beneficial time, so the plant gets acclimated to the cooler temperatures as opposed to the Spring, when the weather can turn on a dime to 90+ degrees, putting more stress on new plantings. I do suggest that, if you do not have the necessary tools to do the work suggested, that you hire a licensed and insured Professional to do it correctly.

My old adage is, “An ounce of Prevention is a Pound of Cure and the potential savings of a lot of money.

Next Weeks topic will be about preparing your interior and physical exterior of your home for fall and winter and things you can do to save money

If you have any questions or need some advice on this topic, exterior or interior of your home, condo, coop or commercial properties, drop me an email @ Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate.Com or HouseBroker1@Gmail.Com

You can also view our website:  WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com

Share this Article