Common Landscaping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Landscaping projects can be extremely exciting. Your landscape provides you with unlimited potential to express yourself and enhance the look of your property. That being said, achieving the best results with your landscaping endeavors requires a lot of knowledge, experience, and careful consideration.

Whether you are a beginner landscaper or the proud owner of a green thumb, it never hurts to add to your landscaping repertoire. In this blog post, we will be taking a look at some of the common oversights that property owners make with their landscape and how to ensure that you are always pleased with the results of your hard work.

Don’t Skip the Planning Stage

Diving into a landscaping project without thinking about your approach beforehand can lead to disappointing results. By taking the time to consider the scope of your project and any potential problems that could arise, you will be able to prepare for the worst while still hoping for the best.

Whether you are working alongside a professional landscaper or taking on the duties yourself, it always makes sense to create a budget, consider your options, and do the necessary research prior to making changes to your landscape.

Rushing into a new landscape design can lead to mismatched plants and a disorganized appearance. Try to think about the size of your yard, the theme of your landscape, and any future maintenance requirements for the plants that you choose.

Landscaping projects big and small will benefit from some foresight. You can easily avoid costly mistakes by setting goals and planning your approach accordingly.

Think About Your Irrigation

Plants need water. Some plants need a lot of water. No matter what you have planted around your property, chances are that you are going to need to think about irrigation. Placing a lot of thirsty plants around your property without an irrigation system means that you will have to spend a lot of time watering your landscape.

If you wait until down the line to install an irrigation system, you will likely need to dig up parts of your landscape. This means that you can save yourself money and headaches by dealing with irrigation at the start of your project.

You should also make sure that you understand how much water your landscape needs. Over or under-watering your lawn will not provide you with the results that you are hoping for, so take the time to set your irrigation system for the appropriate intervals.

Lastly, you should also think about the drainage of your property. This is something that many property owners overlook, but heavy rain or overwatering your landscape can lead to raised beds and waterlogged planters. There are many ways to improve the drainage of your landscape without detracting from its appearance, so don’t be afraid to find creative solutions for your watering.

Plants Need Room to Grow

Your landscape can only flourish if you give all of your individual plants the space that they need. It can be easy to get overenthusiastic and cram your landscape with lots of beautiful plants, but they will never be able to reach their true potential without adequate breathing room.

If you are using pots or planters, make sure you are choosing the appropriate size for your plants. If you are planting into the earth or a flower bed, resist the temptation to crowd the area—your plants will eventually bloom and create the full appearance that you are aiming for. The goal is to ensure that your plants have room to expand their roots without hitting an edge or interfering with neighboring plants.

However, it is also possible to give your plants too much space. Planting your seeds or saplings too deep into the soil could prevent them from getting enough air or encourage root rot over the long term. Oversized pots may cause your plants to sink too low, which could cause them to become overwatered or dry out quickly.

Fertilize Intelligently

Not all soil is created equal. The soil in your backyard will likely be ideal for some types of plants while making it difficult to grow other varieties. With this in mind, it is always a good idea to understand the makeup of your dirt, as well as the nutrients that your plants require.

If you are planting a garden, you will want to turn the soil beforehand and remove large rocks and weeds. At this point, you can apply fertilizer and compost to ensure your plants can reach their full potential.

You may also think that there is no such thing as too much fertilizer for your plants, but this is not the case. Using the improper type of fertilizer for your plants or applying too much can lead to something called “fertilizer burn,” which can affect the water intake of your roots and kill your growth.

You Can’t Control the Sun

You probably haven’t forgotten that most types of landscape plants require lots of sunlight, but many aspiring landscapers fail to account for this. Just because your plants are outside does not necessarily mean that they will get the light that they need to grow. For instance, planting flowers near a fence or under a tree might prevent them from getting the necessary sunshine.

Before you settle on your final design, it is smart to observe how the light moves around your landscape during the day. This will give you a better understanding of the optimal placement for your plants to ensure that they get the appropriate amount of light.

Eliminate Landscaping Errors with SML Services

If you are looking for a foolproof way to avoid issues with your landscaping project, the local experts at SML Services will be happy to help. We are passionate landscaping contractors with many years of industry experience, so you can count on us to provide you with dependable advice at all stages of the process.

Take the guesswork out of your landscaping by contacting us today at (202) 417-2979 or [email protected].