All landscapes require some maintenance, but there are significantly varying levels depending on the design, vegetation, climate and season.
During growing seasons, lawns in southern Utah typically need to be mowed weekly while desert landscapes need to be pruned and shaped once or twice a year. Simple, regular maintenance will help avoid challenges resulting from neglect and will keep the landscape beautiful and healthy.
Following are a few landscape maintenance tips:
- Pull weeds when they’re small and manageable. Weeds make a landscape look messy and compete with plants for water and other soil nutrients.
- Keep mulch thick and applied evenly to discourage weed establishment. Consider applying pre-emergent herbicides in the early spring if the landscape is prone to produce weeds.
- Understand nutrient requirements for plants. Most desert plants need little if any fertilizer. Over-fertilizing increases plant growth, thus increasing pruning and maintenance.
- Learn proper pruning techniques to keep trees and shrubs looking and growing healthy.
Slow growing plants will need less frequent pruning. Shrubs and grasses will require less attention than small perennials and annuals.