Let us know what we can do for your yard, use the form to send us an email or call 403.768.0678.
If you would like us to start on your quote over email, please attach a scan of your real property report and describe what you would like done in your yard. Otherwise, we are more than happy to meet with you to discuss turning your yard into art!
Your lawn is the workhorse of your new yard and taking proper care of it starts with our installation. We ensure that your yard is smoothed of all waves and bumps and that the soil slopes away from your house. We add new screen topsoil to even everything out before laying freshly cut sod that is a mix of 80% Kentucky Bluegrass and 20% Fescues to ensure its maximum hardiness in Southern Alberta’s climate. Lawn care is simple. From the City of Calgary:
Check the weather forecast
Including rainfall, your lawn needs only 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water over the week to stay healthy. Check out the Calgary lawn and garden forecast at The Weather Network or Environment Canada.
Use your sprinkler only if you have to
Lay a Frisbee upside down within range of your sprinkler and time how long it takes to fill up. That’s how long you should run the sprinkler over the week, if there is no rain. Your soil can only absorb so much water, so it’s best to divide the sprinkler time up into several smaller time periods throughout the week.
Water in the morning
Avoid watering between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., which is usually the hottest time of the day. Use a sprinkler timer set for first thing in the morning. The water won’t evaporate as quickly and you won’t forget to turn off the sprinkler.
Properly aim your sprinkler
To avoid watering your driveway and sidewalk, be sure that your sprinkler is aimed onto your lawn and garden areas.
Keep your grass three inches long
When you mow your lawn, keep the grass at 3 inches long. Longer grass shades its own roots from the scorching sun and chokes out those pesky weeds, like dandelions. Longer grass also helps create a healthier, hardier lawn by allowing longer roots to develop and it holds moisture better so you don’t have to water as much.
Leave grass clippings on your lawn
Leave grass clippings on the lawn to increase organic matter, discourage weeds, and retain moisture. Grasscycling returns nutrients to the soil. These grass clippings provide free fertilizer to help your lawn grow greener. It’s easy to grasscycle with your mower. Keep the mower blade sharp and mow when the grass is dry. Clippings left on the lawn will break down easily.
Aerating
Allow air, water and fertilizer to reach the roots. Leave the small round cones of soil that are cut out of the ground. Rake or mow over these pieces to break them up. The micro-organisms in the cores will help to decompress thatch and allow your lawn to absorb more moisture.
Seeding
Pests, extreme weather conditions and neglected management can damage lawn, even when the soil is in good condition. If your lawn is a little thin, proper mowing, fertilizing and water practices may be all it needs. However, if that doesn’t help, overseeding with a quality lawn seed may be the answer. Before you broadcast the seed over the thin areas, make sure there is good soil-to-seed contact, and rake away any dead grass of debris. Contact us if you would like the seed blend that matches your original sod.
How to fertilize your lawn
When considering fertilizers, choose a slow-release variety. This will feed your plants slowly over time instead of the short burst of nutrition that quick release fertilizer provides. Quality slow-release fertilizers will provide proper balanced nutrition over time to develop a healthier plant and root system that combats heat, cold, drought and other stresses. Organic fertilizers, like compost, also add naturally-occurring material to the soil, which is important for air circulation, good water retention and drainage.
When should you fertilize?
Early summer (after your lawn begins to grow) and fall are the best times to fertilize. Fall fertilization increases winter hardiness of the grass and provides nutrients, especially potassium, which makes turf stronger. The specific time of day you fertilize depends on weather conditions, and fertilizers shouldn’t be applied if rain is forecast within the next 24 hours. Always read the directions on the bag carefully before applying any fertilizer.
Trees can add shade and a focal point to your yard. After we properly plant them, taking care to feed and water them will ensure that they are healthy and grow quickly. From the city of Calgary:
Established trees and shrubs (two years in the ground) do not require water as frequently as newly establishing plants. Most species will thrive on a good watering (to the root depth) one or two times a month during the growing season (April to September). You may need to increase this frequency to once a week during periods of hot weather. A good guideline for the amount of water is within the range of 38 litres per inch of trunk diameter when measured at 54-inches above grade.
Use a regular garden hose or a soaker hose and move the hose frequently to ensure that all the area under the tree’s drip line is saturated. To determine the tree’s drip line, look at where the rain falls from the tree during a rain shower.
Under the tree’s canopy, loosen the soil to promote root growth and vigour. Grassy areas beyond the tree well can be aerated to allow increased water saturation, but be sure the aerator does not hit the tree’s roots. Do not allow grass to encroach into the tree well.
Establishing trees and shrubs can also be fertilized once or twice a year. This should be done in early spring or fall using a slow-release, complete fertilizer containing moderate amounts of nitrogen (e.g. 22-14-14 or 20-20-20). It is not generally necessary to fertilize mature trees.
To prevent pests on your trees and shrubs, ensure that trees and shrubs have sufficient water and nutrients to maintain good health. Monitor plants regularly for pest activity and damage, which will occur together. Plant damage may take the form of spotty or discoloured leaves, leaf curl or roll, leaf perforations, or plant defoliation. Find out more about tree pests and diseases and how to fight them.
If small numbers of pests are present, early action can be taken in the form of pre-emptive tactics. Pests can sometimes be sprayed with water or handpicked Alternatively, a smaller tree or individual branches can be gently knocked with a stick or broom handle to dislodge pests. Place a sheet, tray, or garbage can lid under the tree to capture the pests and aid in dispatching. Also, yellow sticky traps hung from the tree’s branches can be useful to keep pest numbers in check.
If pest numbers become excessive or reach infestation levels, population “knockdown” may be necessary. A mix of diatomaceous earth and water can be applied to plants to kill crawling insects. A horticultural oil mix may also be applied to plants to suffocate pests. Some plants do not tolerate this well so try this spray on a small portion of the plant and wait for a day or two to test for plant burns. An insecticidal soap, or permethrin mix, are other options for population knockdown. With all of these applications, be sure to follow label directions and apply the spray directly to the pests.