Your investment in your home is more than just the building you live in. It also includes your lawn and landscaping. A beautiful lawn and well-manicured landscaping increase the curb appeal of your home, which in turn increases your property value. But to maintain both of those things, you need to take proper care of your landscaping, just as you do with your house. 

Here are a few ways to make sure you’re protecting your most important investment. 

Proper Lawn Irrigation

We all know it’s important to water plants, but the amount you need to water depends on several things, including the type of soil you have and the type of grass in your lawn. Here’s a list to help: 

• Clay soil holds more water, but is very slow to absorb it, so it’s best to water slowly and in cycles so that the water doesn’t just run off. 
• Sand is much more porous and allows for a quick water flow, but that also means it doesn’t hold onto water the way that clay does. It needs to be watered incrementally to make sure the soil is saturated at least 6-8 inches down.
• Loam is the easiest kind of soil, since it retains water better than sand but absorbs it quicker than clay. You just have to water as needed. 

An in-ground sprinkler system can assist you with making sure your lawn gets just the right amount of water. Plus, since it’s automatically monitored, it takes most of the guesswork on watering out of your hands. 

Proper Garden Irrigation

Your lawn isn’t the only part of your outdoor area that needs proper irrigation and water management. Your gardens and trees do, too. 

Trees

For mature trees, dig a hole under the tree about 9 inches down to see if the soil there is still moist. If it’s still damp there, then your trees are getting enough water. 

For new trees, make sure to water slowly and deeply every day for at least two weeks. You want to make sure that water penetrates deep enough to help the tree develop a strong root system. 

Gardens 

With gardens that include shrubs, annuals, and perennials, consistent watering is key to healthy plants. They don’t necessarily need daily watering, but if the soil is dry about 4 inches down, it’s time to water them.

You also want to make sure that you’re irrigating early in the day for both your lawn and your gardens. Less water will evaporate in the early morning and the roots will have more time to absorb the moisture. Plus, watering late in the day can lead to some grasses developing disease.

Mulch is also key to keeping your trees and garden healthy. A 3-4 inch layer of mulch helps retain moisture and also reduces weed growth. Just be sure not to put the mulch right up against the base of the plants or the tree; give them about a 12-18 inch space to keep pests away and encourage root growth.

Additional Landscape Maintenance

Prune your trees and shrubs in the winter to give them time to recover before summer sets in. Not only does this keep your trees and shrubs looking nice, it keeps them healthy. 

Remove weeds from your garden by hand. If you’re using mulch, this will cut down on the number of weeds you have to remove, but get to them quickly to prevent them from taking nutrients away from your garden plants. ^[8]

Protect Your Landscape Investment for Years to Come

With regular irrigation and some basic maintenance, your lawn and garden will remain beautiful, vibrant, and eye-catching, protecting the investments you’ve made both inside and outside your home.

At Oklahoma Landscape we offer an irrigation program that offers you consistent care for your irrigation systems to be sure your lawn gets the right amount of water it needs no matter the weather. Sign up now to prevent those moments of panic

Keep your lawn and garden looking gorgeous and give Oklahoma Landscape a call at (918) 299-5296 or contact us through the form below.