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Maintenance Guidelines

Thank you for choosing Stuart’s Landscaping to assist you in creating a quality landscape project. Quality landscaping is an investment in your property. Only through proper maintenance will your investment grow in value and aesthetic appeal. 

These general maintenance guidelines are intended to assist you with a few maintenance requirements: to help promote a viable, vigorous and quality landscape as quickly as possible. 

If any questions should arise, please do not hesitate to call. Stuart’s Landscaping can also assist you with any long-term or future maintenance needs. 

Please remember that failure to adequately care for your plants will void your warranty. 

Watering

Proper watering of your new plants is the most important aspect of tree, shrub and flower maintenance. Too little water may cause your plants to wilt and die. Too much water may cause them to yellow and drown. Over watering is more common in the heavy soils typically found throughout our area. Do not guess as to whether your plants are receiving the proper amount of moisture. Physically check your soil for moisture. Insert your finger 1-2 inches into the soil. If the soil feels dry or falls off your finger, it’s likely dry. If it feels moist or sticks to your finger, it’s moist.

Deciduous Trees

Your new tree will require regular periodic watering for two or three years after planting. A thorough weekly watering is much better for the tree than light daily watering. Generally the guideline is 1″ of water per week. During the very dry hot summer days 1” of water twice a week is recommended. To achieve the 1″ of water, turn the hose to a slow trickle, so that the water does not run away from the root zone, place the hose about 6″ away from the trunk of the tree, and leave it run for 30-45 minutes or until the entire root zone is soaked. Keep watering in this way until we have our first killing frost.

Deciduous Shrubs

Water deciduous shrubs thoroughly and regularly the first year following planting. Follow the instructions for the deciduous trees, as mentioned above, water approximately 15-30 min. per plant. Watering at the base of the plant is recommended, this prevents foliage burn. If you have had a whole side of your house landscaped, or a berm installed, a soaker hose is a very worthwhile investment. Wrap the hose around the base of each shrub/tree and then you only have to turn the water on once a week for approximately 3-4 hours. You can bury the soaker hose under your mulch to keep it hidden from view. Once established, most deciduous shrubs need little watering. A good soaking once a week during dry periods should be plenty. However, during very hot and dry periods, watering twice weekly may be necessary.

Evergreen Trees and Shrubs

Evergreens have a shallow root system and are more sensitive to the amount of water that they receive. Newly planted evergreens will need to be watered once or twice a week, during the first year, following the method for deciduous trees and shrubs. Remember to check soil moisture prior to watering. Water the base / root zone of evergreens thoroughly in November before the soil freezes to help prevent “winter burn” injury. Very Important! Once plants are established watering will only be needed during periods of extended heat and drought. Check your soil conditions and look at the plantings to see if anything is out of the ordinary such as droopy new growth, or yellowing.

Perennial and Annual Flower Plantings

Water thoroughly at the time of planting. Continue watering on a 3-10 day cycle for the balance of the season during dry periods.

Note: If the weather has been cool and rainy, you may not need to water at all. If it has been hot and windy, watering daily is not uncommon (especially with smaller plant material). Different varieties of plantings may require different amounts of moisture (even in the same soil conditions). When watering your lawn, be careful not to get the trees, shrubs and flowers along the edges too wet. 

Plant Fertilization

Deciduous Trees

Fertilize shade and flowering trees in late fall after leaves start to take on autumn color and drop, or in early spring before buds begin to swell. Do not apply in midsummer since heavy vegetative growth may occur late in the season and could be susceptible to winter injury. Commercial fertilizers with a balanced range of nitrogen(N)- phosphorus(P)- Potassium(K) are usually best. Stuart’s carries Fertilome Tree & Shrub Food Granular 19-8-10.

Deciduous Shrubs

Apply fertilizer to shrubs in late fall or early spring. Most shrubs make only one flush of growth each year and that ends in early to midsummer. Fertilizer applied in summer can cause new growth that can be injured in winter. Since many shrubs initiate flower buds in midsummer or later, fertilizer applied late in the season may also reduce the number of flower buds formed. Use a commercial fertilizer high in nitrogen –such as 16-8-8 or 21-0-0. For flowering shrubs Stuart’s carries Osmocote Plus and Fertilome Tree & Shrub Food Granular 19-8-10.

Evergreen Trees and Shrubs

Evergreens should be fertilized in late fall or early spring and usually need less fertilizer than deciduous plants. For evergreen trees and shrubs, Stuart’s carries Aluminum Sulfate and Evergreen Spikes. Large evergreens such as Spruce and Pine often do not need fertilizer, but it can be used to stimulate growth.

Perennial and Annual Flower Plantings

All perennial and annual flowers should be fertilized every week with a liquid feed fertilizer. Stuart’s carries Fertilome Blooming and Rooting and Miracle Gro.

General Guidelines for Pruning

Evergreens

Pine and Spruce; prune in early Spring or after July 4th. Arborvitae, junipers, and yews; prune after May 15 and before Sept. 30th. This will help insure you do not receive any winter burn on your plants. They need to harden off properly. By pruning too early or late, you can encourage growth which will be tender and prone to winter burn.

Deciduous Trees

Major pruning should be done during plant dormancy (when the leaves have fallen). Locust, Red Maple, Birch etc…Prune in early spring. Oaks- check with county Agricultural Agent. Minor pruning can be done anytime of the year. Only remove 1/3 or less of the tree to avoid causing damage. 

Deciduous Shrubs

Generally, the ideal time to prune is near the end of the dormant season, just before growth starts in spring. However, shrubs that bloom in early spring, such as forsythia and lilacs, should be pruned just after their blooming period. These shrubs bloom on wood produced the year before, so pruning right after bloom helps produce a maximum amount of flower-producing wood. Any pruning, whether major or minor, to all deciduous plants can be done at any time. 

Roses

Wait until you see which branches have survived the first winter. Prune out all of the dead branches after it starts leafing out. After that, regular dead-heading will keep the plant blooming and looking its best. 

Broadleaf Evergreens

Boxwood and euonymus should be pruned between May 15th and Sept. 30th. Newly planted boxwoods should be sheared just after the new flush of growth each spring for the first 2-3 seasons. This encourages denser, fuller plant growth. Rhododendrons should be pruned just after the spring flowers have faded.

Protecting Your Plants 

Plants need your help to protect themselves from weeds, insects, diseases, rodents and winter damage. 

Lawn Maintenance

Seeded Lawns

Watering

Keep newly seeded areas moist during establishment. Do not allow soil to dry until germination is fairly even. Be careful not to over-water or seeds will float to the surface. Irrigate at least once each day for 3-5 weeks or until the turfgrass has uniformly germinated. During each watering, apply enough water to keep the seed and soil moist, usually 10-15 minutes (1/10-1/4 inch) will suffice. Hot, dry conditions and turf on sunny slopes may require more frequent irrigation. Following germination, water once every 2-3 days. Early morning irrigation is best as it provides moisture throughout the day. Leaf surfaces remain wet longer when watered in the late afternoon or evening, creating a prime environment for disease development to survive on its own. Once your lawn is established you can water once a week, unless of course it rains. If you choose not to water once the lawn is established, it will go dormant and come back again when it rains. A word of caution, weeds will begin to increase when the lawn goes dormant. While taking these establishing steps, please refer to mowing steps also. After this, the weather will dictate the amount of watering you will need to do. Avoid watering too often or too heavy to prevent puddles and erosion.

An established lawn rarely needs more water than what is provided by natural rainfall. The exceptions to this are in the cases of lighter, more well drained soil conditions and in periods of drought. During extreme drought conditions an established lawn will respond by going dormant. Be sure to check with your local municipality on any watering bans.

Mowing

Wait until seedlings are 3 inches tall before mowing for the first time. Grass plants usually take 3-6 weeks to reach that height-the time required depends on the species planted and environmental conditions such as soil and air temperature, moisture, and fertilization. Make sure you stop watering long enough before mowing that you’re not sinking in the topsoil. Mow the grass to a height of 2 1/2″ – 3″ or more. Remove no more than one-third of the leaf height at any single mowing. Allow the lawn to dry slightly before mowing. Mow with a sharp blade. Leave clippings on lawn. Make sure you gently spread out any mulch that has bunched up to allow the grass to grow through. 

Traffic

Young seedlings are particularly vulnerable to damage. Try to keep all traffic off the area for at least 4 weeks after germination. 

Fertilizing

Newly seeded lawns should be fertilized approximately four weeks after installation with a slow release fertilizer (27 – 3 – 3 or similar high nitrogen count fertilizer). 

Weed Control

A newly seeded lawn will have weeds from weed seed in the topsoil; most of these are annual weeds. The best control is to mow your lawn often. If weed control is necessary, a chemical application can be sprayed on after the third mowing. Most herbicides can injure young turf grasses, so always read the label before application to avoid problems. “Siduron” is the only herbicide available for use on newly seeded lawns and will prevent some annual grass and broadleaf weeds from germinating without harming the newly seeded turf. 

For some of you that are particularly worried about weeds and crabgrass during lawn establishment we have an alternative to use as far as starter fertilizers go. We have a 21 – 22 – 4 product that contains a chemical called Mesotrione that keeps broadleaf weeds and crabgrass from germinating during establishment. Our regular starter fertilizer does not contain this. Let us know if this is an option you would like to explore and we can get you a price on it.

General Information for All Newly Planted Lawns

Sodded Lawns

Watering

Thoroughly irrigate the sod immediately after laying, applying about 1 inch of water, or enough water to moisten the soil 6 inches deep. Most lawn sprinklers deliver 1” of water in about 2 hours. To measure the amount applied, place one or more straight-sided cans (e.g., coffee cans) at various distances from the sprinkler. Irrigate thoroughly every 1-2 days, depending on the weather, until the sod has rooted into the soil and is difficult to pull up out of the ground(about 2 weeks after installation). Do not irrigate so much that the soil becomes waterlogged as this will prevent root growth. Irrigate less frequently as the root system develops. Apply 1” of water per week throughout the growing season.

Mowing

Mowing can begin whenever the sod has started to root into the soil and can be mowed without displacing the sod, usually within 1-2 weeks after sodding. Always follow the “one-third rule” for mowing: never remove more than one-third of the blade at anyone mowing. Do not mow your lawn under 2 ½ – 3”. 

Traffic 

Keep all unnecessary traffic off the sod for the first 4-6 weeks until it is thoroughly rooted. 

Additional Questions?

Contact us for any additional questions on lawn and plant maintenance you may have. You can also download a copy of our Maintenance Guidelines for easy reference.

Download Maintenance Guidelines