Landscape maintenance

Regular maintenance

• Soil maintenance– pH and nutrient testing & maintenance– Amending– Weed control

• Plant maintenance– Irrigation

• Mulching

– Pest control (insects, disease, other organisms)

– Pruning

Landscape tools

Weed control

• Chemical control– Pre-emergent vs.

post-emergence– Selective vs.

nonselective

Weed control

• Hand weeding• Landscape fabric• Mulch

Irrigation

• Water supply to a plant– Limited by root system

• Improve soil drainage, reduce soil compaction to improve root growth

– Avg. soil absorbs 3/8” water per hour• Slow, less-frequent deep watering better

than frequent shallow watering– Soaker hose– Drip irrigation– Basin watering (berm)

Irrigation

Irrigation

• Hand watering• Sprinkler irrigation

– Good for lawns, densely planted beds– Wastes water (evaporation, unplanted areas)– Can promote foliar diseases– Fixed heads/risers– Portable heads

• Drip/trickle irrigation– Reduces water usage by >50%– Can apply fertilizers– Nozzles, pipes can clog

Irrigation

• Mulching/ground covers reduces frequent watering needs

• Standard 1/2” residential pipe can handle one irrigation head (install ¾”-1” piping if plan to irrigate)

• Generally need 1” water per week– Lawns 1” per week– Woody plants 3-4” total every 4 weeks

• Newly transplanted woody plants need to be watered weekly (1st year), every 2 weeks (2nd year)

Garden pests

Pest control

• Choose plants with minimal pest problems• Insect pests are often vectors for disease• Chemical control

– Contact poisons vs. systemic pesticides– Synthetic vs. organic

Biological pest control

• Gardens Alive• Home Harvest

Pruning

• Removal of excessive & undesirable growth

Why prune?

• Sanitation– Broken branches & dead tissue

• Diseased parts• Opening canopy

– Increase air flow; reduce humidity– Increase penetration of sprays

• Removal of undergrowth for appearance and fire prevention

• Stimulate new, vigorous growth

Why prune?

• Aesthetics– Shape

• Formal hedges• Topiary

Espalier

Vase-shaped trees

Pollarding

Why prune?

• Enhance reproduction– Yield enhancement– Fruiting shoots vs. non-fruiting shoots– Increase flower size– Fruit distribution, size, sugar content

uniformity– Access to fruit

Why prune?

• Manipulate physiology– Pre-transplant root pruning– Shoot tip pruning to promote

branching– Stimulate new growth on older plants

Dwarfing• Bonsai

Pruning tools

• Saws• Shears• Hand pruners• Loppers• Pole pruners

• Bypass vs. anvil

Pruning tools

• Sanitation• Branch size and pruner damage

– Hand pruners (< 1/2 inch dia.)– Loppers (< 2 inch dia.)

• Maintain sharp tools– Clean cuts heal faster

Pruning principles

• Cutting is irreversible• Breaking apical dominance changes

form of plant• Pruning invigorates regrowth• Pruning can direct growth• Timing of pruning is critical

– Spring flowers develop on previous season’s growth

– Summer and fall flowers develop on current season’s growth

Pruning techniques

Prune inward growing branches

Pruning for outward growth

Prune rubbing branches

Included bark

Crotch angles

Trees with central leaders

• Standard form

Pruning Multiple leaders

Removing the central leader

Branched head standard

Multistemed tree form

Drop crotching – controlling height

Pruning cuts

Pruning branches

• Cut at 900 angle

• Cut in stages

Pruning large branches

Pruning pines – pinching candles

Pruning shrubs

• Heading back

Thinning

Renewal pruning (gradual

renovation)

Coppice for color

Shearing

Hedge shapes

Training - Espalier