Landscaping problems that are completely avoidable

One of the most captivating elements of a property can be its residential landscaping, and it’s responsible for what you see when you look at homes around your Neighborhood. However any professional landscaper can tell you, that getting your outdoor elements right for landscape design…. is it’s not always an easy road. We have created a list below of entirely avoidable landscaping issues to get you off on the right foot.

As you can probably imagine, landscaping problems or issues can arise at any time and may need fixing. The mark of expert landscaping contractor is being able to tackle these challenges and overcome them one by one, in the best interest of the customer. This can be any type of problem with your plants, shrubs or mulching.

The good news is, most common landscaping problems are easily avoidable. So, why don’t we discuss what works and what doesn’t in the landscape world.

Poor Plant Choices or Planting

This is one of the most avoidable landscaping problems you’ll encounter. You may see issues looking at a commercial landscape design and wonder what could’ve been done differently. Realistically, if things were done better at the planting stage, you’d likely be looking at a different outcome.

If the goal is to create a beautiful landscape, then a professional landscape company like George Kroeker must consider future growth in the planning stages. It’s not recommended to plant shrubs or trees too close together considering what it can mean when their future growth comes into play. Must likely crowding, dead plants or leaves, or a mix of bag of poor landscaping.

Not only could you end up with pavers being affected by roots, but there could also be the challenge of walkways obscured by overgrowth or not much growth at all!

Sometimes, landscaping mistakes at the planting stage unfortunately affect the health of the trees too. Maybe the underlayment landscaping fabric chosen wasn’t optimal, which interfered with the condition of the trees, shurbs and other plants.

Easily Avoidable Mulching Mistakes

Like planting errors, mulching mistakes are also on the list of common landscaping problems that can be avoided. When you think mulching and local landscaping services, it seems to be one of the simplest pieces of the work being done. There’s no way to get mulching wrong, is there?

That’s why this is a common landscaping mistake. There is indeed a right way to go about mulching your yard or garden. Challenges include under-mulching or simply using a mulching product that’s is too low quality. The kind of mulch, that drys out and blows away in under a year.

Professional landscapers are best suited to these kinds of tasks. With experienced people carrying out each activity, you can avoid having to deal with mulching volcanoes (mulch is piled up against a tree) and other problems that can cause damage to trees. Bark rot is one of the unfortunate results of mulching volcanoes.

Pest Challenges

Whether native plants or exotic plants, pests can be a huge problem for your landscaping efforts and plans. If you are not careful, a sudden insect infestation can come in, settle, breed, and eat their way to garden destruction, which creates the opposite of the gorgeous landscape you dreamed of.

Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be this way once the right measures are taken. Typically, an abundance of one type of plant is the attractive things to pests. You can research which plants attract the most harmful pests, and which ones repels them.

But not all insects are bad right?

You can also have a look at plants that attract good insects like Honey Bees and Butterflies. With proper planning, you can ensure that you have just enough variety to prevent the bad ones from causing an infestation for your home. Pesticides are another option, but try to stay away from those that are known to have harmful chemicals. Natural alternatives are available and should be used. Take basil, for example, which is known to have insect repellent characteristics.

Brown Patches or Dead Grass

Just as we mentioned before, some insects and pests have a knack for attacking our beloved lush gardens, leaving behind unsightly holes in the leaves. These pesky invaders can devastate our carefully tended flowerbeds if left unchecked. And even when we do everything right, they still find a way to sneak in.

When it comes to your lawn however, there are ways to ward off these troublemakers before they even set foot on your grassy domain. Take the notorious lawn grub, for instance. With the help of preventative treatments, you can keep these destructive pests at bay and preserve the pristine appearance of your lawn.

In essence, the key to maintaining a luscious, green lawn is to be a vigilant caretaker. Keep a keen eye out for any signs of trouble and address them promptly. While disease and pests may be the common culprits for brown patches, other factors such as weather, fertilization and irrigation can also contribute. But with a seasoned landscaping professional on your side, you can rest assured that any issues will be nipped in the bud before they can wreak havoc on your outdoor oasis.

Scope Creep

This is another area where poor planning shows up. There’s is a saying that goes “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Which applies to a lot of home projects and especially to outdoor landscaping problems.

Landscaping is a pretty involved discipline with a lot knowledge of horticulture and essential considerations that go into plant selection. From thinking about the distances between different shrubs, or strategies to combat weeds if they should pop up, different considerations need to be made soil types and in different locations. In Leamington Ontario, the climate is mainly humid in the summer, with some heavy rain fall, so you should look for plants that can accommodate the weather here.

Of course, the best way to avoid this mistake of not planning the right actions, is simply to take the time to do so. Identify which kinds of challenges could occur with your landscaping and plan out the best ways to avoid them. These kinds of tasks need to be designed into the plan before it is started.

Bad Soil Quality

One of the biggest deciding factors of what garden or tree growth will look like, is the soil quality. Unfortunately, some forget to test their soil and don’t think about the quality nutrients of the dirt until the lush growth that would have been, is nowhere to be found.

Remember that different plants require right balance of nutrients like… potassium, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, and more to thrive the way they nature intended them to.

This isn’t a one-and-done problem either. It’s best to test the soil every couple of years if you want to maintain an optimal growing environment.

Water Challenges

Water is great for plants, but erosion can be a serious problem  for both your plants and your home’s foundation. Too much water can lead to unwanted outcomes such as root rot and soil erosion. In many cases, the root of the problem is a lack of proper drainage, or the proper slope in your yard, which should be pulling the water away from the base of your home. Usually an easy way to tell if your lawn is too wet, is if you see an overgrowth of mushrooms in the yard.

Usually this is a bigger problem if things like new pools, or foundation issues have arrived around your home. Most landscaping professionals will know right away if you have a minor drainage problem, or something more serious that might require the help of a waterproofing contractor.

Should You Get Help for Your Landscaping Project?

Whether it’s dealing with dead grass or too much water, there’s obviously a lot that can make landscaping challenging or your home beautiful and attractive to all that walk by.

If you use professional landscaping services, you can avoid these kinds of issues, all at once and saving yourself a headache and money along the way.

George Kroeker Landscaping combines our experience with passion, leaving you with a yard the neighborhood will envy. Reach out to us today about our landscaping services and how we can bring out nature’s beauty for you.