Whether you own a home or a business, high curb appeal can be beautiful, inviting and profitable. However, it is not uncommon for people to make several landscaping mistakes while beautifying their properties, and it is in your best interest to avoid them if possible.
In this article, we'll look at 10 common landscaping mistakes and 10 solutions to these problems. If you follow our tips, your front and backyard will look amazing all year long.
How to get your landscaping right with these 10 solutions
Here's how to impress your neighbors with your amazing landscaping. These 10 mistakes and 10 solutions apply to both homeowners and landscapers, but some points will favor one or the other.
Mistake 1: Pruning too early
Many shrubs will bloom beautiful flowers in spring, but you won't know it if you prune too early. Flowering shrubs like rhododendron, quince and azalea will refuse to flower if you prune them at the wrong time, so it's important to choose the correct pruning time for each shrub.
Solution: Although there is no standard time to prune each shrub, you should start pruning them as soon as they finish flowering. This way, you will be able to enjoy the beautiful flowers.
Mistake 2: Poor quality billing
This point is specifically for landscaping companies. Low-quality invoices with missing data, confusing terms, and errors will make it difficult for your business to pay. Incorrect invoices will not only lead to late payments, but they can also affect your company's reputation.
Solution: Use software. For example, Manage360's Landscaping Sales and Estimating Tools can maximize your sales opportunities and create accurate estimates, increasing overall sales.
Mistake 3: Cutting the grass too short
Many novice landscapers assume that if you cut your grass and it looks good, then you did it correctly. Is not true. Lawn care experts will tell you that a lawn cut too short will harm the health of the grass. This mistake can make your lawn look dull, dehydrated, or dead.
Solution: As a rule, your grass should be no shorter than 2 ½ inches . When the grass is about 3 inches tall, you can begin mowing. Make sure your blades are sharp to avoid browning.
Mistake 4: Asymmetrical Bushes
Landscaping is all about making your lawn as beautiful as possible. Unfortunately, your bushes don't always behave well. They may grow at odd angles, too high, or on another tree. If your intention is to achieve symmetry, you will need to pay close attention to how each bush grows.
Solution: As the bushes grow, manipulate them with wire and string. Once it grows, cut it regularly. If the bush gets out of control, you may need to replant both pairs. It is in your best interest to hire a professional landscaper to shape and trim most of your shrubs.
Mistake 5: Forgetting to trim your hedges
Home and business owners routinely forget to trim their hedges. While yes, an untrimmed hedge can look messy, that's the least of your problems. An untrimmed hedge can encompass all the hedges around it, which can prevent them from receiving sun or nutrients.
Solution: Unless you're shaping your hedges into unique shapes, you can buy a cordless hedge trimmer for the job. When trimming, be sure to inspect the hedge for unwanted weeds.
Mistake 6: Overloading the lawn with decorations
A few well-placed lawn ornaments can really beautify your front and back lawn, but if you add too many, it will overwhelm the property. It's also important to match your decorations with the rest of the landscape, or you could create an unattractive, asymmetrical yard.
Solution: When shopping for lawn decorations, focus on quality rather than quantity. Consider purchasing a large ornament and making it the focal point of your yard. Or you can get several decorations that fit the space – for example, bamboo decorations for an Asian garden.
Mistake 7: Tire Planters on the Front Lawn
If you're changing your home's landscape to reflect your aesthetic, it doesn't matter what lawn decorations you use. But if you're doing landscaping to increase real estate value, save your rubber for the industrial process . They may seem too country or trashy to some.
Solution: It's okay to place tire planters in the backyard, but you should find better pieces for your front lawn project. This includes traditional planters, metal or wood raised beds, or mailboxes.
Mistake 8: Circling trees by accident
Some landscapers purposely fence trees to kill them, but girdling can happen accidentally if an invasive vine wraps itself around the tree. This deprives the tree of nutrients, eventually killing it. Humans can inadvertently cause tree girdling if they leave tags or vines on the trunk.
Solution: To ensure your tree doesn't absorb anything foreign into the trunk, remove or unwrap the substance from the tree. Once tree girdling begins, you will need a professional to remove it. Fortunately, it's easy to prevent girdling if you simply check your tree regularly.
Mistake 9: Installing a fence right away
It makes sense that homeowners would want to install a fence in a yard that doesn't have one. However, if you do it too quickly, you may have to live with this choice for a long time. This can be a big problem if your bushes are not fully grown or if you want to expand your yard.
Solution: If you need a fence, use individual panels that can be easily removed while you consider your choices. Or you can plant bushes and eventually use them for privacy.
Mistake 10: Planting a tree in a small space
When a tree is young, you have many options for where to plant it. But if you don't consider how much space the tree will need once it's fully grown, you could have a maintenance nightmare on your hands. Even if it has enough space in the soil, it can grow and overshadow other plants.
Solution: Always consider the size of the mature tree before planting it. If the tree will fully grow while you have possession of the property, maneuver the flowers around in the shade.
