Landscaping Guaranteed

You recently shelled out big bucks for a fabulous landscape job but this summer's drought has wreaked havoc among all those new plants...some have even died. Your landscaper offers a one year guarantee on all installed plants...but what should you really expect from that guarantee?

Since plants are living things, many factors effect their survival. They must have water,sunlight,air,food,and a proper environment suited to their particular needs. If any one of these factors is missing, the plant suffers and becomes vulnerable to insects, disease, or just plain dies.

Hopefully, when your landscape professional installed the plants, he/she took these factors into consideration and chose plants which would thrive in your particular area. After planting though, it is up to you to make sure your plants' needs are met.....especially watering!

After planting, water is most critical. The entire landscaped bed should be watered too...not just the area around the plants. Many people make the mistake of watering just the plants only to find that a few hours later, the plants are bone dry. If the entire bed is not watered, the water will travel from the plants and be wicked away to the drier areas. When plants die this way, it is not fair to blame your landscaper eventhough he will probably replace the plant anyway just to keep you happy.

Problems can occur from overwatering too. If kept too wet, plants will wilt and appear to be suffering from drought. This sometimes fools the homeowner into thinking the plants need more water. After a long enough period with wet feet, the plant's roots will become diseased and rot, which results in the death of the plant.

Lawn installations are another type of job where problems can occur. A newly installed lawn must be kept constantly moist for the grass seed to germinate properly. If the seed dries out at all, the lawn will come in poorly. Additionally, herds of deer and moles can wreak havoc on a newly seeded lawn. The moles love the freshly prepared soil and dig runways galore! The deer are attracted to the soil as well as mulching materials and have been know to graze pelletized mulch. Problems such as these should not be put on the shoulders of your landscaper.

After reading this far you might be wondering then, what good is the guarantee that your landscaper gives you.

Usually, if plants are going to die due to improper planting, they do so within about 3 months, though certain plants such as trees can take longer. After planting keep a watchful eye on your plants. Look for wilting, yellowing or discoloration of foliage, blackening of stems, dripping sap, or anything which looks unusual. Call your landscaper right away....do not let the plants die and then call him after they have turned brown and crisp.

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