23 Oct 2017

By yardmaintenance General, Landscaping Irrigation, water conservation, water harvesting

Rainwater harvesting methods: Passive Collection Methods

Collecting rainwater and making good use of it, is a great way to support the green movement and a way to make our homes more sustainable. By catching the rainwater and storing it for future use we make sure our property and homes are safe. Whether you decide to use the captured water in or outside your home, it is a great way to make your home water efficient.

There are two types of systems you can use to harvest rainwater, one being the active harvesting methods and the other the passive harvesting method. When you wish to use your collected rainwater inside your house for flushing the toilet or even for drinking (after the proper distillation of course), then an active harvesting method is the best approach and a good investment. If you are new to rainwater harvesting and you are looking for an inexpensive method then the passive collection method may be a better solution.

The passive harvesting system does not need any mechanical methods during the collections or distribution of the rainwater. No pumps, required filters or electricity are needed in order for this method to run effectively. It is simply a method that allows you to capture the rainwater and store it until you need it for your land. The design is simple, it can be built easily and it does not require a lot of investment. Passive systems are low maintenance and are able to function well in most landscapes.

Here are 4 methods how to harvest rainwater passively:

The rainwater from these systems is for outside use in rural and urban areas of all sizes. If you do however wish to make use of the rainwater in your home then a filtration and pumping system needs to be installed. If you wish to drink your harvest water from time to time without big installations, then a small water filter can be bought to make sure the water are clean before drinking.

– The Dry System:

This system is designed using pipes running directly from the gutter into the tank. These pipes stay “dry” after the rain as they do not keep water inside them. In order for this system to function properly, the gutter and pipes need to be higher than the storage tank. This is a very simple system that can be installed when you have a simple roof layout and no obstacles that will get in the way of the piping route. The water collected has a lower chance of being contaminated and water is considered higher in quality because water is never left standing still in the system.

– The Wet System:

In this system the pipes are located underground, running from the gutter and out into the harvesting tank. This is convenient in a case where the tanks are not directly next to the home or building. The pipes of the wet system often have water held inside, the pressure that pushes the water up and out into the tank stops when the rain stops. Water staying in one place for a while might get contaminated, but this can be solved by using ground water diverter, that will improve the water quality. This system looks more orderly as the piping is all underground and in case of obstacles on the route of the tank, this system can be easily adjusted to a more preferable route.

– Barrel:

When using a barrel as a harvesting method, then the barrel needs to be placed directly under the downspout of the gutter, directing the rainfall on the roof directly into the barrel. Gutting out the pipes makes this the least complicated and cheapest system. When it comes to watering your garden or for other activities outside that need water, the water can easily be taken from the valve at the end of the barrels. Using a hose or a drip irrigation system on the valve is also possible. These barrels are made easily and simple to set up. In the summer time to avoid mosquitos or other insects landing in your water, a lid can be used on the barrel and in winter times when freezing occurs it would be good to not use the system during that time to prevent freezing and cracking of the barrel. Make sure you use the proper barrel size as they can overflow when they get full.

– Green Roof

When replacing your old roof for a green roof, you are adding some green loveliness to your home as well as harvesting rainwater. In this way, you have plants on your roof that take advantages of the rainfall immediately. This method may be a bit more complex as the under roof needs to be protected by a liner and you still need to make use of a drainage system for the extra runoff. The best option is to divert the runoff water into a barrel. Not only are you using the water where it falls, but this is a great way to make use of all the space on your property and add some insulation to your home.

Helping along the water harvesting process in the garden:

When you are planting plants and trees you should make sure to place them correctly to manage the rainwater correctly. There are various techniques that can help you do this. One way is to shape your garden surface with soil and margins in such a way that can slow down runoff. Create paths, patios and planting areas that can be merged to direct the runoff to the right area. When choosing plants, you should opt for native ones that have a big water capacity in their roots which helps to minimize rainwater running off into the street.

Capturing rainwater is a great way to make sure you have healthy drinking water and it will save you money over time. Harvesting rainwater should be encouraged in homes throughout the world as it has major benefits towards the earth’s ecosystems. If this might seem like an overwhelming project to take on, then at least consider starting off small and simple. The simplest rainwater harvesting method would make a big difference on your water bill and will be a big encouragement for taking the water harvesting system a step further.

Posted by: OCI Landscaping and Irrigation

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

23 Oct 2017

By yardmaintenance Gardening, Landscaping, Trees fertilizer, tree care

Why Your Trees and Shrubs Need Fertilizer

Get excited folks, the holiday season is right around the corner. And with less than two months to go before Christmas Day, I would wager that a fair number of Canadians are already starting to plan out their Christmas tree designs and decorations. What a time to be alive!

While I’m all for a little early planning, I’m also here to tell you that there is a different kind of tree that needs your attention just as much as those festive evergreens; the ones that are already on your property!

Like anything else on your lawn, your trees and shrubs need proper nourishment and attention to flourish. In the wild, trees and shrubs instinctually grow where they have the best chance of success, often in areas with direct exposure to sunlight and less outright competition.

Unfortunately, the trees and shrubs on your property don’t have the same advantage as their wilder siblings, as they are often forced to share space with your grass, flowers, and other assorted plants. This makes applying tree fertilizer to them a much more critical task than people might think.

Here are the reasons for why your trees and shrubs need fertilizer, too.

Tree and Shrub Care

Trees and shrubs require a mixture of 13 different nutrients for proper growth and development. Some of those nutrients, like water and oxygen, are naturally plentiful and easy to find. Others, not so much.

Luckily for you, OCI Landscaping has a deep-root feeding program called DeepFeed, created to nourish your soil and minimize natural and man-made stress around your trees and shrubs. The fertilizer is injected directly into the soil, as close to the root zone as possible, and in multiple locations under and around each plant, giving your trees the nutrients they need to grow vibrant leaves and a full canopy.

While the best time to fertilize trees and shrubs is in the Spring and Fall, it is still okay to nourish your leafy friends in November or December, depending on your weather and the amount of leaves on your lawn. Just like your lawn in late Fall, trees and shrubs will continue to take in the vital nutrients that they need as long as the ground isn’t frozen.

Importance of Proper Tree Feeding

A healthy tree is a happy tree; but without proper nutrients they can become more susceptible to pests, diseases, insects, and bad weather. These can result in reduced branch growth, premature fall colours, and dropping leaves, making your once regal tree an eye sore for the whole neighborhood if not cared for properly.

Don’t let this happen. Providing proper nutrients to your trees and shrubs helps protect the plant and also accelerate their growth and potential. Fertilize your trees to make sure they look bold and beautiful on your lawn.

Contributed by: Brent Szotak professional landscaper and foremost expert on green things

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

11 Oct 2017

By yardmaintenance Lawn, Yard Maintenance fall fertilizer, lawn maintenance, lawn winterization

5 Tips to Get Your Best Lawn Next Spring, NOW!

Having a beautiful lawn is something every homeowner strives for. But did you know, it’s what you do when the leaves start to fall that makes all the difference between having a lawn you can be proud of, or having to press the reset button in the spring.

Fall lawn maintenance is critical to strengthening and repairing your lawn from the wear and tear of the summer. It’s important to go into winter with a strong and healthy lawn, because it’s the ONLY way you’ll come out of it with one. Showing your property some love now will set you up for your best lawn next spring.

Here’s how you can achieve next summer’s lawn goals, starting now, with these 5-key fall lawn maintenance tips!

Keep mowing: Follow normal mowing guidelines throughout the fall. As the season draws to a close, drop mower blades to its lowest setting (without removing more than 1/3 of the leaf) to allow more sunlight to reach the crown of the plant.

Aerate your soil: Fall is the best time to aerate your lawn, It will let oxygen, water and fertilizer reach the grass roots more easily, promoting a healthier lawn.

Rake your leaves: Removing fallen leaves as soon as possible, before they become wet from rain and morning dew, makes the not-so-fun task slightly more bearable. Leaves left on your lawn can suffocate the grass and breed fungal diseases.

Fertilize to winterize: Prepare your lawn to withstand the cold stress of winter and replenish essential nutrients to the soil. Fall fertilizer delivers the nutrients needed to prevent plant stress and kick start growth in the spring. Look for a fall fertilizer high in potassium and with a low nitrogen content. Potassium helps to reduce the risk of winter damage and improves plant recovery from cold weather stress.

Patch and repair: Fall is the best time to overseed your lawn and to patch and repair thin areas. Cool temperatures are conducive to germination as it allows for good moisture with less water loss due to evaporation. Overseeding NOW is a smart investment for your property and your best bet to reinforce your lawn for lasting results.

Time spent caring for your lawn now will have you spending more time enjoying your lawn sooner this coming spring and summer and less time repairing it.

Contributed by: Brent Szotak of OCI Landscaping and Irrigation.

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

20 Sep 2017

By yardmaintenance Lawn grass, lawn, lawn aeration, overseeding

Aerating and Overseeding Your Lawn In Fall

Fall is arguably the most photogenic season, and guess what? It’s finally here!

The Fall months are well known for lots of earthy colours, pumpkin-flavoured everything, and crispy cool hoodie weather, but it’s also a great time of year for lawn care. After a stressful Summer, all that cool weather translates to optimal growing conditions for your lawn. Addressing any damage done in Summer, preparing for a rough Winter, and setting yourself up for a successful Spring are all tasks that can be tackled in Fall.

Aerating your lawn and adding new seed are two such jobs that should be done at least annually. Scheduling both these services for the Fall will help you wrap up the growing season in good shape, and put your lawn in a good position come Spring.

Let’s dive further into what these two services are, and how they benefit your lawn.

Aerating Your Lawn in Fall

Performing a lawn aeration in Fall is incredibly beneficial for your lawn.

Using a special machine, small cores of soil about the size of your index finger are removed from the lawn, then left there to decompose.

Removing these cores works to relieve soil compaction – a common problem for residential lawns. Over time, foot traffic and increased pressure on the lawn results in hard, compacted soil. Since compacted soil doesn’t allow much space for water and nutrients to penetrate the roots, aerating your lawn is something you should do at least annually to avoid it.

Aeration also helps remove excessive thatch from your lawn. Thatch is a layer of roots, stems, and organic material that sits between the grass and the soil. As with soil compaction, too much thatch inhibits water penetration, so it’s a good idea to address this annually, too.

After your lawn has been aerated, there’s a lot more room for water, air, and fertilizer to reach the root zone effectively. Your soil condition is key to growing good grass, so make sure you aerate at least once a year to help tackle soil compaction and thatch accumulation.

Adding New Seed in Fall

Fall overseeding is another such task that should be done once a year.

By adding new grass seed to your lawn in the Fall months, you can fill in damaged areas or bare patches, and thicken up the lawn before it goes into dormancy.

You can seed any areas by hand that need extra attention, but if you’re looking to get precise and even application, it’s best to use a broadcast spreader to evenly distribute the seed.

Even if your lawn is in reasonable shape, adding new seed each year is recommended, and Fall or Spring are good times to do it. Fall’s beneficial growing conditions help ensure good seed germination, making establishment all the more successful. Just make sure you keep on top of watering, because if the seed dries, it dies.

Combining Core Aeration with Overseeding

To maximize the benefits both services have to offer at once, combining a core aeration with overseeding is the way to go.

Overseeding a lawn after it has been aerated allows an open channel for seed to penetrate the soil and ensure optimal seed-to-soil contact.

Since the removed cores have helped relieve soil compaction and thatch accumulation, the new seed can germinate and establish itself much quicker. Oxygen and water are also able to be absorbed better, allowing for new, deeper roots and nutrient rich soil.

By prioritizing seed-to-soil contact with a combined aeration and overseeding service, you’re making the most of both services and giving your grass it’s best chance at growing thick, healthy and robust before Winter.

Contributed by: Brent Szotak expert landscaper in Kelowna, BC.

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5
Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

16 Aug 2017

By yardmaintenance Landscaping, Lawn, Trees irrigation winterization, lawn care, yard cleanup

Fundamental Fall Lawn Care Services

Autumn is just around the corner, and it just so happens to be an ideal time of year for lawn care!

Repairing Summer damage and preparing for Winter are best done in the Fall. Plus, giving your lawn a little extra love during September, October, and November will help set you up for success in Spring. So do your fall yard cleanup properly for maximum benefit.

Here are our top 8 Fall lawn care services.

Core Aeration

Fall is the ideal time for your annual core aeration, since the weather is cooler and the grass is actively growing.

When your lawn is aerated, a machine mechanically removes small cores of soil and thatch from the lawn, which are left on the surface to be reincorporated.

Aerating your lawn in Fall will help reduce soil compaction, control thatch, reduce insect & disease pressures, reduce summer drought damage, and make irrigation more efficient.

Overseeding

If you have bare areas in your lawn, Fall is the ideal time to sort it out.

Overseeding is recommended for home lawns at least once a year, and since the soil and air temperatures are still warm and rainfall is common, Fall is the perfect time to do it.

Overseeding assists by filling in and thickening up thin, weak, or damaged areas in a lawn. It’s a great way to introduce new grass species that require less water, less fertilizer, and resist insect & disease pressures.

Topdressing

Topdressing is a great way to add more organic matter to your lawn before Winter. If your lawn is lacking in nutrients, it will help rejuvenate tired grass and improve the condition of your soil.

Topdressing with a quality, weed-free organic mulch helps reduce water usage, increases your lawn’s ability to fight disease, and improves the results of your fertilizer program.

For even better compost infiltration, combine topdressing with your annual core aeration.

Winterizer Fertilizer

One of the most important things you can do for your lawn is to provide it with the nutrients it needs to grow healthy.

Fertilizing in Fall with a custom ‘winterizer’ blend ensures good Winter hardiness and survival. It also helps prolong the lawn’s dark green colour and provide an early Spring green-up.

Lime

When soil becomes too acidic, the nutrients your grass needs to thrive become unavailable, resulting in unhealthy turf. The optimal soil pH for your lawn is between 6.5 and 7.5

Enhanced Calcitic Lime neutralizes acidic soil pH conditions, giving your lawn a better chance at taking up the plant essential nutrients it needs to outcompete weeds, lawn diseases, and insect infestations.

Fall is the ideal time for an annual lime application, since the lawn is actively growing.

Grub Control

Since white grub larvae begin to aggressively feed in the Fall, protecting your lawn should be in your best interests. Signs of damage typically begin to show in Fall, either from grubs feeding on the grass, which will start to turn brown, or from other animals digging into the lawn in search of grubs.

Damage from the beetle starts in the Fall and continues through Spring, until the beetle matures and escapes from the lawn.

Depending on provincial regulations, there are a number of grub control techniques to manage them. Other ways to assist in preventing the beetle from devastating your lawn is to keep it as healthy as possible. Regular maintenance and fertilizing is essential to maintaining your lawn’s health.

Tree & Shrub Fertilization

Fertilizing your trees & shrubs helps to protect their beauty and promote their growth.

Our 2-visit Deep Feed service nourishes and feeds the soil around your trees & shrubs, creating a robust and healthy rooting environment which helps minimize man made and natural stresses.

Irrigation Blowout

For those that have an irrigation system, Fall is the time to start thinking about the off-season.

Professional sprinkler winterization prevents freeze-ups and costly repairs next Spring. Generally, it includes shutting off the main water valve, opening drain valves, and inspecting all sprinklers to ensure all the water has been discharged.

No matter what your goals are for your lawn this Fall, our lawn care technicians will provide advice on how to get your lawn and landscape looking lush, as well as offering expert recommendations on our range of beneficial services.

Talk to the yard experts at OCI Landscaping and Irrigation to learn more about any of these Fall lawn care services, as well as other ecology friendly lawn care services catered for your yard.

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

08 Aug 2017

By yardmaintenance General, Lawn, Renovation

10 Lawn Care Tips to Add Curb Appeal

When you’re trying to sell a house, it’s pretty important that you put yourself in the buyers’ shoes and think about the details they’re likely to scrutinize.

Any good realtor will reinforce the fact over and over again; curb appeal is a huge factor in selling any property. There’s a number of lawn care tips you can use to make your property all the more attractive when viewed from the street, which will add value to the home and help you sell faster.

Master the Art of Mowing

If you’re keen to add value to your home, keeping your lawn manicured at all times is the first step. It’s not just about mowing – you’ve got to mow the right way if you want your grass to crank up the curb appeal.

For a luscious lawn, make sure you mow when the lawn is dry, change up the patterns, and only cut about one third of the grass at a time.

Give Your Lawn A Breath of Fresh Air

If you haven’t already done it, it’s recommended to perform a core aeration at least once a year. Core aeration is the process of mechanically removing small cores of soil from the lawn using an aeration machine, which stimulates growth, reduces soil compaction and reduces weed, insect and disease infestations.

Spring and Fall are optimal times to aerate your lawn, so try and have that sorted out before you’re ready to sell.

Water Well In Advance

Even a novice knows that proper watering techniques are essential to a thick, healthy lawn.

But as the old saying goes, good things take time. Make sure you get a good watering routine going well before you put your house on the market. Check out our Lawn Watering eBook to brush up on your technique sooner rather than later.

Fertilize, Fertilize, Fertilize!

Again, fertilizing is something you need to figure out in advance. A balanced, custom fertilizer program is one of the most crucial considerations to make before putting your property on the market.

Before you invest in fertilizer, find out the soil pH so you know what you’re working with. You can buy a testing kit and do it yourself, or you can speak to a lawn care company who’ll check your soil and design a custom fertilizer program based on what your lawn needs to flourish.

Don’t Forget The Edges

When prospective buyers come to peruse your home, they’ll likely park up on the driveway and begin appraising from there. So, it’s important to make sure your sidewalk and driveway are up to standard.

Use a string trimmer to tidy up the edges of your lawn for a neat transition.

Inspect For Insects

Get your eyes down to soil level and see if you can spot any creepy crawlies in your lawn.

Insects such as white grubs feed on the roots, but more often than not, the worst damage comes from other creatures. Raccoons, birds and skunks feed on the insects found in your soil, so monitor early before you find yourself with irreparable damage during home opens.

Frame Your Lawn

Beautify your front yard and ramp up the curb appeal by framing your lawn. This will draw attention to the grass and help soften up the edges.

You could frame it with flowerbeds, hedges, stone, or maybe a few sculptures – adding attractive accents will help increase the perceived value of your property and give homebuyers a warm and fuzzy feeling about their potential new home.

Prune Your Shrubs & Hedges

While you’re giving your lawn some love, keep an eye on your trees, shrubs, hedges and other landscaping.

There’s nothing worse than an untidy feature overpowering your landscape, so make sure to take a step back and decide how you want it to look before you go ahead and remove any unwanted branches or foliage.

Watch Out For Weeds

A prospective home buyer will subconsciously pick up on the smallest of details, so don’t forget the little things. A single dandelion could be spotted from all the way down the street, so keep a watchful eye on weeds.

Spot treatments can tame the odd broadleaf weed, but a weed control program catered to your lawn’s needs is the best defense against uninvited guests.

Add a Splash of Colour

Now that the lawn is gorgeous and green, you need to make sure it’s seen!

Adding touches of vibrant colours around the front yard can direct attention to how great your lawn is looking and help add value to your property. Paint the door bright red, jazz up your mailbox, add colourful decorative pieces or get festive with flowers – all of these things will help accentuate the hard work you’ve put into your lawn and draw the eye to it.

If It’s Too Far Gone… Renovate

Sometimes, there’s just no going back. If you feel there’s just too much work to do to get your lawn looking lush, perhaps you need a complete overhaul.

Speak to a lawn care expert about renovating your lawn – we can remove the old sod, truck in new soil or compost, and then seed, fertilize and topdress the lawn to get it looking terrific and add value to a home before it goes up for sale.

Contributed by: Brent Szotak, Expert landscaper and yard maintenance professional at

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

03 Jul 2017

By yardmaintenance Lawn water conservation, watering lawn

Summer Watering & Coping with Drought Stress

Proper watering techniques throughout the season are absolutely essential to a healthy, robust lawn. But just like we do, our lawns get a little thirstier in hot conditions, so it’s important to adjust your regular lawn care schedule accordingly.

Smart watering isn’t just good for your water bill; it can also help you reduce your risk of lawn disease, weed infestations, and damaging insect issues.

Summer Lawn Watering Tips

To maintain a lush lawn during Summer, you’ll need to water your lawn more frequently. Generally, an application of water every 4 to 5 days during the hotter months will be fine. If you have sandy soil, you may need to water every 3 to 4 days.
Raising your cutting height during Summer will help your lawn retain moisture. Aim to mow your lawn between 2.5 – 3” in length every 5-7 days. Plus, leaving your grass a little longer will help prevent the crown from burning during the Summer heat.
Water your lawn early. Avoid watering in the afternoon; a large percentage of the water will be lost to evaporation. Avoid evening watering, too; the lawn will remain wet for 12-15 hours, until the morning sun dries it off. This prolonged wet period can increase the incidence of fungal disease.

Grass Dead or Dormant?

In hot and dry weather, many homeowners start to wonder what is going on with their lawn. A few weeks back it may have been green and gorgeous, but with heat and drought, it’s suddenly turning brown.

It’s important to know that when lawns go brown due to a lack of rain, they are not necessarily dead; they’ve just gone dormant.

While the grass plants may appear dead to the naked eye, deep inside the plant there is a small area (called the crown) which is still alive.

Once the crown gets rain again and drought stress becomes less of an issue, it will come back to life and the turf will green up again, generally within 10-14 days.

At OCI landscaping and irrigation, we know that turf can remain dormant for up to 6 weeks without any adverse effects. When lawns are dormant, it’s important to keep vehicles and people off the lawn; increased traffic will put the lawn under more unnecessary stress, so consider Summer a fragile time.

Lawn dormancy is usually only temporary, and recovery naturally takes place as rain increases and stressful conditions lessen. Maintaining proper mowing and watering practices during stressful periods is important to limit any potential damage.

Contributed by:

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

25 Jun 2017

By yardmaintenance Lawn, Yard Maintenance grass, lawn care

Top Tips For A Fabulous Summer Lawn

Kelowna has a rich variety of soil types, so with a little bit of work, homeowners can enjoy luscious green lawns across the region. That said, there are a few (dozen) ways your lawn can become stressed, or struggle with the threat of pests and disease. The experts at OCI Landscaping and Irrigation gathered a few of their favourite tips for getting your lawn looking its best this season.

Hello Mr. Sun

Most grass varieties love the sun. The more sun the better. If your lawn is struggling, examine how much sun it’s receiving. Are you able to prune back the lower branches of a tree or a lower a hedge to give the lawn more direct sun? A sun-loving grass variety growing in the shade will struggle. If you can’t get more sun on that spot of lawn, consider overseeding with a shade-loving variety of grass or consider turning that portion of the lawn into a shade garden with attractive plants and ground cover.

The Importance Of Oxygen

Did you know grass can drown? Yep. Too much water, persistently, and the roots of a plant will drown. Aeration helps break up compacted soil and promotes good drainage so that roots can breathe. Aeration also helps with thatch problems so that the sun can get to the soil and encourage healthy grass growth. The more your lawn can spread and thicken the better, because this is the best defense against pests and disease.

Mow Well

This is the time of year where grass grows quite a lot in a short amount of time. Resist the urge to mow your lawn very short to increase the time between mowing. Mowing your lawn too short means the plant can’t produce enough nutrients to thrive. A stressed grass plant is vulnerable to heat and drought, pests and disease.

Leaf Spot

Leaf Spot thrives in humid weather in spring. Small purple spots will appear on your grass which will spread to the whole plant and kill it. One common cause is fertilizer applied improperly (not sufficiently watered down). Improper mowing also leaves lawns vulnerable to this disease.

Ring Patch

Ring patch is very difficult to eradicate, so the best cure is to prevent it in the first place. Ring patch leaves light green rings or a crescent pattern on your lawn. The outside of the rings may go brown and die. Eventually the discoloured portions will die also. If your lawn has this problem, call our experts for professional advice.

Rust

Rust is a minor problem, but it can spread from lawn to lawn with a good wind. You might not even realize your lawn has this problem until you walk across your lawn and notice a rust colour on your shoes. Leave your lawn a little longer and use proper mowing techniques. Fertilizer can eradicate this problem and also make it worse if applied incorrectly. Follow the instructions on the fertilizer and if you’re not sure what kind of fertilizer to use, call our experts.

If you have any questions about Lawn Care in Kelowna, Call us we can help you to have a great looking lawn.

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

14 Jun 2017

beautiful backyard with green weed free lawn

By yardmaintenance Gardening, Weeding grass, lawn care

How to properly саrе fоr your lаwn Year round

As a hоmеоwnеr, уоu nееd to knоw thаt уоur gаrdеn is a reflection of уоur personality. A wеll kept garden shows thаt уоu аrе rеѕроnѕіblе and knоw exactly whаt tо dо with уоur lawn, рlаntѕ аnd flowers аnd whеn.

Lеt uѕ tackle what уоu nееd tо know аbоut caring fоr уоur lawn all throughout thе fоur ѕеаѕоnѕ. Lеt uѕ start with Sрrіng.

Spring Lawn Care

This іѕ thе bеѕt tіmе tо mаxіmіzе thе beauty оf уоur lawn. Fresh from a long winter, уоur lаwn is set tо turn grееn аgаіn. It is a sensitive tіmе for your yard though аѕ the soul іѕ ѕроngу, thе wеаthеr is unрrеdісtаblе аnd the рlаntѕ аrе tеndеr. Yоu must аddrеѕѕ a couple of important gardening tаѕkѕ.

Bе vеrу аwаrе оf thе kind оf grass thаt уоu hаvе іn your lаwn. Dеtеrmіnе whether they аrе cool-season or wаrm-ѕеаѕоn grаѕѕеѕ. Fоr example, fescue, rуе, аnd bluegrass are сооl-ѕеаѕоn whereas Zоуѕіа, Bеrmudа, St. Auguѕtіnе аnd centipede аrе wаrm-ѕеаѕоn grasses. Bу understanding thе tуре оf grаѕѕ уоu have as well аѕ thе іtѕ реаk, you can аddrеѕѕ уоur lawn ассоrdіnglу.
You must avoid heavy уаrd wоrk іn thе ѕрrіng untіl thе soil drіеѕ оut. Hаrd rаkіng аnd foot traffic саn dіѕturb thе soggy ѕоіl which еvеntuаllу dаmаgе new and tеndеr grаѕѕ shoots. Thе minute thе soil іѕ gооd аnd drу, gіvе your lаwn a gооd ѕрrіng сlеаnіng in оrdеr to еnсоurаgе the growth оf the grass. Remove the fаllеn dеbrіѕ and lеаvеѕ аnd rаkе thе fluff up іn оrdеr tо ѕераrаtе thе grаѕѕ ѕhооtѕ аnd decrease the possibilities оf pests аnd diseases.
Othеr spring lаwn tasks includes аеrаtіоn. This is best dоnе during the реаk’ѕ grоwіng ѕеаѕоn. Thеn thеrе is dethatching whісh is also dоnе during thе peak growing ѕеаѕоn, іmmеdіаtеlу rіght аftеr аеrаtіng. Mоwіng muѕt bе dоnе аѕ ѕооn аѕ thе lаwn nееdѕ іt аnd wаtеrіng when the grаѕѕ ѕtаrtѕ grоwіng. Insect соntrоl аnd саrіng for уоur lаwn equipment ѕhоuld аlѕо be looked into.

Summеr Lawn Care

Yоu have tо tаkе care of уоur lаwn during ѕummеr mоrе thаn ѕрrіng, especially when you live in rеаllу hоt areas of the country. Thе hоttеr thе wеаthеr, the mоrе еffоrt уоu ѕhоuld еxеrt іn kееріng thе lаwn іntасt.

Fеrtіlіzе your lаwn about 30 days bеfоrе the hоt ѕummеr tеmреrаturе arrives. Uѕе slow-release fеrtіlіzеr thаt hаѕ a ѕmаll amount of nіtrоgеn. Fоllоw thе іnѕtruсtіоnѕ carefully whеn applying fеrtіlіzеr.
Wаtеr уоur lаwn рrореrlу. The hеаt frоm thе summer еvароrаtеѕ thе water faster and bесаuѕе оf thіѕ thе grass needs mоrе wаtеr іn оrdеr tо ѕеер іntо thе rооtѕ. Mеаѕurе hоw much wаtеr уоu put уоur рlаntѕ. Yоur lаwn nееdѕ аbоut 1 іnсh of water еvеrу wееk tо stay hеаlthу еѕресіаllу during thе hоt ѕummеr. Water еаrlу in thе mоrnіng and іn the mіddlе of thе dау or nіght, whenever is convenient for you.
Keep children’s swimming рооlѕ аnd рlаѕtіс water tоуѕ оff thе lаwn аѕ thеѕе wіll ѕmоthеr thе grass whісh саuѕе brоwn spots.
Tасklе thе wееdѕ the mіnutе уоu ѕее thеm grоwіng. Uѕе ѕроt-trеаtmеnt wееd control product thаt іѕ dеѕіgnеd for lаwnѕ. Uѕе thіѕ ѕраrіnglу so thаt уоu do nоt burn thе grass.

Autumn Lawn Care

Autumn is thе hаrbіngеr of winter but thіѕ dоеѕ not mеаn that you should not ѕреnd muсh time thinking about your lаwn. Bесаuѕе іt hаѕ cooler tеmреrаturеѕ and оссаѕіоnаl rainfall but thіѕ іѕ thе іdеаl tіmе tо prepare уоur lаwn ѕо that уоu have a green and lush оnе іn thе ѕрrіng. Mаnу homeowners think thаt this іѕ thе tіmе whеn уоu саn саrе lеѕѕ because the grаѕѕ grows ѕlоwеr аnуwау. Thіѕ іѕ nоt truе.

You hаvе tо соntіnuе mowing as nееdеd еѕресіаllу throughout autumn. Aѕ soon аѕ thе ѕеаѕоn іѕ аbоut tо еnd, you already let іn mоrе ѕunlіght to reach the сrоwn оf thе grass. Thеrе will also bе lеѕѕ lеаf tо turn brown during the wіntеr.
Aerate thе ѕоіl. Fall іѕ the іdеаl tіmе tо аеrаtе уоur lаwn ѕо thаt thе оxуgеn wаtеr аnd fertilizer can rеасh the roots of thе grаѕѕ. Mаkе ѕurе that thеrе аrе holes in the ѕоіl so thаt уоu can еxtrасt thе рlugѕ оf dirt.
Rake thе leaves. This іѕ nоt fun but it is very іmроrtаnt tо rеmоvе the fаllеn leaves from the grass аѕ ѕооn аѕ possible. If уоu don’t, thеn the lеаvеѕ bесоmе wet frоm thе mоrnіng dew аnd the rаіn and it stick tоgеthеr, fоrmіng an іmреnеtrаblе mаt that ѕuffосаtеѕ thе grаѕѕ аnd is thе brееdіng grоund оf fungаl disease.

Wіntеr Lawn Care

Fіnаllу, уоu ѕtіll nееd tо take саrе оf your garden durіng thе winter, especially that thеу аrе bаttlіng thе соld temperature. Thіѕ season іѕ unрrеdісtаblе аnd might еvеn put your lаwn through еxtrеmе соndіtіоnѕ ѕо уоu have tо mоnіtоr thе weather аnd keep уоur ѕіdеwаlkѕ clear.

You hаvе tо сlеаn уоur lаwn. Dо nоt lеаvе debris, drу lеаvеѕ or tоуѕ оut оn thе lаwn as thеѕе smother thе grаѕѕ and create dіѕеаѕе соndіtіоnѕ. Thеѕе also іnvіtе іnѕесtѕ, mісе аnd оthеr dаmаgіng pests.
Yоu hаvе to mоw as often аѕ you соuld. It might bе frееzіng аnd thawing whеn уоu dо this but іt should bе dоnе whеnеvеr thе weeds аrе grоwіng longer thаn normal.
Bе аwаrе of wеаthеr conditions. The turf іѕ vеrу rеѕіlіеnt аnd can аlѕо tоlеrаtе еxtrеmе weather but ѕоmе рlаntѕ mау nоt be аblе tо handle thіѕ іn thе lоng run. It mіght be wоrth your while tо сhір аwау thе lіttlе еxроѕеd ice in the low spot еѕресіаllу if a winter ѕtоrm оr dеер frееzе is fаѕt approaching.

Tаkіng care of your lаwn аll year rоund mау rеquіrе ѕо muсh еffоrt frоm уоu but уоu will fееl thе rеwаrd еѕресіаllу when уоur guеѕtѕ соmрlіmеnt уоur hаrd wоrk. Yоu саn be thе judge of your оwn wоrk. If you think уоur yard саn look bеttеr, then gо оut there аnd do whаt уоu саn.

Contributed by: Brent Szotak Landscaper and foremost expert in lawn care.

928 Arbor View Drive
Kelowna, BC.
V1W-5B5

Phone: 778.214.2352
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

01 Jun 2017

By yardmaintenance Gardening, General, Trees cedar tree care, hedge trimming

How to maintain your cedar hedge

Creating a good foundation for Strong Cedar Hedge

Tо еnѕurе thаt you асhіеvе thе best results from your cedar tree hedge, іt’ѕ іmреrаtіvе thаt you mаkе some сеrtаіn соnѕіdеrаtіоnѕ whіlе planting cedar hеdgе рlаntѕ. To start with, уоu hаvе tо dig a trеnсh thаt’ѕ big еnоugh. Yоu hаvе tо рісk a place that’s a rеаѕоnаblе dіѕtаnсе frоm thе streets ѕіnсе thіѕ will hеlр рrеvеnt реорlе from stepping on thе Hеdgе рlаntѕ You have to dіg a trеnсh that’s аbоut 16 іnсhеѕ dеер аnd also of the ѕаmе dіmеnѕіоn іn width and about 3′ apart. Chооѕіng the rіght place that wіll еnаblе the plants get еnоugh wаtеr аnd аlѕо help рrоtесt thеm during extreme weather conditions ѕuсh аѕ winter wіll dеfіnіtеlу hеlр. Yоu need nоt gеt a place thаt wіll еxроѕе уоur trees too muсh to tор shade оr ѕunѕhіnе аt any оnе gіvеn time. Gеt a ground that іѕ moderate in аll thе nесеѕѕаrу rеquіrеmеntѕ ѕіnсе thіѕ wіll provide іt with thе best environment tо grow.

Thеrе аrе some other оrgаnіс оr inorganic mаttеrѕ thаt mау prevent уоur сеdаr from grоwіng аѕ rеԛuіrеd. Getting rіd of wееdѕ wіll hеlр you іn a vаrіеtу оf ways. It’ѕ аlѕо imperative that you rеmоvе аll other matter ѕuсh as ѕtоnеѕ аnd many more ѕіnсе thеу mау be аn іmреdіmеnt tо the рrореr grоwth оf thе hedging рlаntѕ. If іt happens thаt thе place where you wоuld like it рlаntеd hаѕ got higher реrсеntаgе of ѕаnd soil, making ѕurе thаt уоu іmроrt some additional fеrtіlе soil; and аlѕо ѕоmе mаnurе will hеlр mаkе your hеdgіng рlаntѕ grоw рrеttу wеll.

Watering your Cedar Hedge

Yоur рlаntѕ wіll dо wеll if уоu wаtеr іt appropriately. Thеrе аrе thе tіmеѕ whеrе you wіll hаvе to wаtеr it mоrе. You will require a lot of water when it’s hot аnd drу as соmраrеd tо whеn it’s сооl аnd rаіnу. It’s also necessary thаt your рlаntѕ gеt wаtеrеd dеерlу оnсе іn a whіlе ѕіnсе wіthоut dоіng ѕо. Shаllоw watering fоr a while wіll rеԛuіrе thаt уоu follow іt wіth dеер watering, whісh can be dоnе іn a span оf a wееk or so. This wіll gо a lоng way іn еnѕurіng thаt your plants do wеll. Yоu can ѕаvе a lоt of thе mоіѕturе frоm evaporating if уоu mulсh the area аrоund thе rооt оf thе plants. Thіѕ wіll hеlр keep vital microorganisms around the bаѕе оf the hеdgіng plants and also аftеr dесоmроѕіng; it wіll provide іmроrtаnt nutrіеntѕ thаt уоur рlаntѕ wіll rеquіrе іn future. By adding individual drip line spinklers to each tree will ensure they get enough water and also conserve water at the same time.

Fertilizing Cedar Trees

It’ѕ imperative thаt уоu bооѕt thе fеrtіlіtу іf thе ѕоіl uѕіng аrtіfісіаl fеrtіlіzеr. Thіѕ саn be dоnе occasionally since іf dоnе mоrе often, thе nutrients mау not bе аbѕоrbеd bу thе cedar hedge рlаntѕ. It’s important tо understand ho muсh thе hеdgіng рlаntѕ will rеԛuіrе this ѕіnсе this will hеlр уоu gаugе their nutrient needs. Usually once or twice a year you will need to spray them with miracid and spray them for spidermite to prevent pests from damaging them.

Trimming your cedar hedge at least once a year if not 2 times each season will help to shape the trees into a beautiful and healthy property border.

Contributed by: Troy Sherris Landscaper with OcI Landscaping and Irrigation Kelowna and foremost expert in yard maintenance and design.

Phone: 778.214.2352
or 250.826.5678
info@ocilandscaping.com
www.ocilandscaping.com

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