While summer is drawing to an end in some parts of the country, in others it just keeps on going. The late-summer temperatures and humidity can wear down a lot of plants if they aren't cared for properly. Having good landscaping maintenance routines or having a landscaping company look after your property is essential to ensure the plants stay as healthy as possible throughout the season. This is also a great time to plan next year's landscape, making it a little more resistant to hotter and more humid weather.
Switch Plants to Native Species When Possible
If you're removing plants, such as annuals, replace them with native plants whenever possible. If you've got some perennials that need special care (such as a water-hungry plant in an arid region, or a desert plant in a boggy location), remove those or place them in a container if you can't bear to part with them. Find cultivars bred for your area, or if those don't exist for that species, find a replacement that looks similar but that can thrive in your local conditions. More often than not, that will be a similar native plant species.
These are also hardier when it comes to pests as these plants are typically more resistant to local pests. Check with local gardening centers, extension offices, and landscaping companies to ensure there are no invasive pests that have recently moved in and started eating native plants.
Put Drip Emitters Under the Soil's Surface
If you use drip irrigation to water plants, place the emitters under the surface of the soil. That helps reduce the water lost to evaporation and helps the plant access the water by getting it a little bit closer to the roots. You don't have to bury the lines by much; just enough to get them past the initial, drier layer of surface soil. And if you aren't using drip irrigation, now's a great time to start. As you remove older landscaping and prepare the ground for winter, you and the landscaping company can map out where the lines can go.
Mulch if Appropriate for the Plant
Despite burying drip irrigation lines, there's still an evaporation risk when it's really hot and dry out. Mulching is the answer there for many plants. Adding an inch or two of mulch shades the soil from the sun, reducing the amount of moisture that gets leached out and evaporated. The type you use may vary; a landscaping company will have a few different types that are suitable for different plants.
Contact a local company to learn more about landscaping maintenance.
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