How viable is the business? How solid is it? “Go visit the office,” says Tom Del Conte, owner of Del Conte’s Landscaping in Fremont. “Observe the culture. Check references and meet somebody besides the owner of the company. Interview an employee or even a foreman,” he suggests.
Make sure the company is properly licensed, bonded and insured. Ask the owner or someone in an administrative position to show you some pictures of completed projects. Do they have experience in the type of project you want them to do? Do they stand behind their work? If possible, ask for the names and phone numbers of several clients, call them, and get a feel for the level of customer satisfaction the company has engendered.
It’s always helpful to do some online research regarding a landscaping company. Do a web search and find out what kind of information is available. Is the company affiliated with any industry or consumer organizations?
Be wary of any operation that requires a lot of money before the work is done. A small, upfront deposit of $500 to $1,000 for a larger project is reasonable, but never pay any significant amount in advance.
Here are some additional useful tips for maintaining healthy and beautiful landscapes:
Aeration & De-Thatching
Lawns cannot live without air, water, and nutrients. When air has been squeezed out of the soil by heavy trampling, roots cannot grow efficiently.
Many lawns that receive heavy use (traffic) have compacted soil that restricts the movement of air and water to the roots. Aerating the turf can help rejuvenate the lawn by restoring passageways to the soil.
Although these tasks are performed twice a year (Spring & Fall) or whenever compacted soil is present, they are just as important to a lawns long-term survival as are routine fertilizing and mowing.
Aeration
Aeration consists of perforating the soil (and any thatch above it) with small holes that allow water, air and fertilizer to get closer to the roots.
This process enables the roots to grow more deeply, producing a more vigorous lawn.
De-Thatching
Thatch is a layer of slowly decomposing grass, stems, dead roots that accumulates above the soil and below the grass blades. The name thatch is well deserved. Like the thatch roof on a tropical hut, it stops water and fertilizer from reaching the soil. Turf that has a build-up of thatch feels spongy when you walk on it.
Insects and diseases find thatch a particularly suitable place to inhabit, since water does not readily penetrate thatch, neither do pest and disease control products. Finally, because the thickness and density of thatch varies, lawn mowers are more likely to cut unevenly causing scalping of turf.
Soil penetrants, or wetting agents, counteract the hydrophobic character of thatch, but only briefly. Bacterial agents that help break down thatch have proved somewhat effective, though again not long lasting.
Physically, de-thatching the turf is the best solution when thatch occurs. De-thatching is done with a power driven mower like machine that has rotating vertical blades that rapidly cut out thatch.
Turf Renovation
De-thatching is just part of the renovation process. Renovation also includes removing the debris left by the de-thatcher, then over-seeding the area with turf seeds.
Finally, the area is top dressed with a layer of heavy compost or topsoil.
Insect & Pest Control
Scouting is a key step in the practice of Integrated Pest Management. Prevention of problems and quick solutions to those that arise are the benefits of this routine.
Shrubs, trees, and turf are inspected for signs and symptoms of disease and insect presence. This is done several times throughout the year, but more so it is done every week as we maintain the property.
We keep our eyes open whenever we’re working on-site. Any problems we find will be reported, and solutions will be recommended.
Grub Control
White grubs are the larval stage of beetles that feed on the roots of grass plants, killing the grass. They then pupate and emerge from the soil as adult insects. Their feeding cycle occurs in the spring for some types, but in the fall for most and this is why grub control is applied in late August or early September. We use Merit or Mach insecticides. These should be watered in as soon as possible.
