This is good news for the green industry because it means that you, the Landscape Contractor, can expect to be very busy in the upcoming years. As is the case with any lucrative industry, expect some new start-up companies to emerge. This will mean that customer service cannot be neglected despite busier schedules and longer hours. It is important to cater to your clientele in order to maintain loyalty, lest they jump ship to one of your competitors.

To fully explore the topic of Residential Landscape Maintenance, LCM turned to respected professionals in the industry. Read on to learn about the practices of Landscape Contractors in Texas, Nevada, and Northern California. Some of the topics that will be covered are: tasks that are performed on a weekly, monthly and annual basis; fertilization schedule; unique features of the property that require special attention; irrigation scheduling; and a survey of the equipment that is used on-site.

A three-man crew from Southwest Property Landscaping, based in Houston, Texas, visits this premier residence (left) two times a week to perform Landscape Maintenance services. Some of the tasks performed during each visit include mowing (above) with a 36" Exmark Hydrostat mower, and the removal of any dead leaves or flower from the planter beds (below).

Southwest Property Landscaping, based in Houston, Texas, provides residential maintenance for an exclusive home in the River Oak community. This is where Texas "old money" lives. All of the homes are built on at least two acre lots. The property is basically divided into two distinct sections-manicured areas that surround the pool and a 3/4 acre natural wooded area with a gravel walking path. For its work on this property, Southwest was awarded first prize from the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association.

Maintenance is performed at the home every Monday and Friday, 52 weeks a year. At each visit, the grass is cut with a 36" Exmark Hydrostat mower and a 21" Snapper mower to a height of 3" in order to protect it from the intense Houston heat. To avoid wear patterns in the lawn, it is mowed in a different direction during each maintenance visit. The 3-man crew is partial to Echo products for hedge trimming (HC-1600), edging (PE-2400), and weeding and debris disposal are facilitated with a leaf blower (PB-400E). Every visit to the property is followed with a survey by the crew foreman to ensure that all maintenance details, including pest inspections, have been performed. On Mondays, Supervisor Jennifer Tittelbach visits the site to inspect the property and President James Curtice makes surprise inspections periodically.

Numerous other tasks are performed by the maintenance crew throughout the year. The homeowners host a number of outdoor social events, which consist of large tents and heavy foot traffic. To avoid compaction, the turf area is aerated after each event. In the spring, after the azaleas have bloomed, they are trimmed back and shaped with Felco Pruners. This is no easy task because there are over 300 azaleas on the property. During the growing season, the shrubs and ground cover are trimmed every two weeks and in the cooler months, they are trimmed only once a month. In the fall, the St. Augustine grass is overseeded with perennial ryegrass to provide a lush green lawn all winter long.

Annual planting beds on the site are also maintained by Southwest Property Landscaping. For the past several years, they have planted 65 flats of Scarletta begonias every spring. In the winter, when the temperatures drop to near freezing, frost blankets are installed to ensure the survival of this color. This spring, they were finally able to convince the homeowners to try a different type of planting material-Vinca. For all the seasonal color beds, a 14-14-14 fertilizer from Nature Blooms is applied. It has 5 sources of Nitrogen and has a complete trace element package. It is 65% slow release and also contains seaweed, humic acid and cottonseed.

In order to maintain the wide variety of planting material, numerous types of fertilizers are applied throughout the year. For the turf areas, the crew applies Majestic Grow (18-5-9) in March, June and September. This slow release fertilizer contains 3% iron, 9% sulfur, 5% magnesium and traces of zinc, boron, copper, molybdenum, and sulfate of potash magnesium. Humates are also applied to the turf areas to help loosen clay soils, reduce water usage, increase positive microbial life in the soil, expand the root system and make the fertilizer programs more efficient. In the shrub areas, Micro-life fertilizer (4-4-4) is applied in April and August. Finally, the azaleas are fertilized with Micro-life (4-4-4) right after the shrubs bloom and then again after 60 days. In addition, the crew also applies sulfur (to help lower the pH of the soil), alfalfa pellets and Humates.

Periodically, it is necessary for pesticides to be used on the site to control bug outbreaks. Neem Oil Soap, an organic product that kills insects on contact, is used to control lacebugs, aphids, and scale. For powdery mildew or leaf spot, the crew typically uses Daconil. They have been using Dursban to control flea and chinchbug problems, but in the future they will be switching to Nematodes because of the EPA ban on Dursban.

The moisture levels in the soil are constantly monitored because within the same 15' of bed area, the amount of sunlight can go from very bright, direct light to full shade. Due to all of these microclimates, a 24 zone Rain Bird commercial grade irrigation controller was installed. Irrigation inspections are performed monthly in the cooler months and bimonthly in the warmer months.

The City of Reno, Nevada has recently experienced a surge in residential properties. New homes are being built on the outskirts of town at the base of the foothills. Essentially, the lots are being carved into the sides of mountains to make room for landscaping. Reno Lawn and Landscape won Honorable Mention from the Nevada Landscape Association for their work on such a residence. The one-acre site is built at the base of the foothills offering many elevation challenges for the crew. John Klippenstein, Director of the Residential Maintenance Team, spoke with LCM to describe the work that takes place at the home.

According to Klippenstein, one of the most challenging aspects about this site is maintaining the level of investment made during the construction phase. Studies have shown that money invested in landscaping can add between 7 and 15 percent to a home's value. In order to maintain the property, a crew of two or three men visit the site about 10 to 12 hours per month. Each Friday, the crew mows the turf areas with a Toro 21" walk behind mower, edges with a Stihl stick edger (FC-75), and trims with Schindawa's trimmers (T270). Once a month, the crew performs planter and shrub bed maintenance which includes weeding, debris removal, and shaping of shrubs as needed with a Stihl hedge trimmer and Corona pruners. On a yearly basis, Reno Lawn and Landscape does major pruning of the surrounding trees, irrigation start-up, irrigation winterization, and application of a pre-emergent herbicide to planter areas.

Throughout the planter beds, a drip irrigation system was installed to water the flowers and shrubs at the root zone. The drip system is scheduled to run three times per week for approximately 30 to 40 minutes three times a day. In the turf area, Rain Bird emitters (1804) are scheduled to irrigate on Wednesdays and Saturdays for 10 to 15 minutes three to four times per day. Both of the irrigation systems are controlled by a Rain Bird ESP controller.

Northern California

To maintain this two-acre property in Northern California, Toddco Landscape Company dispatches a four-man crew to the home three times a week for one hour and forty-five minutes per visit. During each visit to the property, the crew: Mows and edges the lawn (above) with Honda equipment; weeds and cultivates planter beds; keeps leaf litter and debris cleaned from planter beds and hardscape areas; and hand waters the flower pots.

To maintain the two acre property, Giroux sends a four-man crew to the home three times a week. The crew normally works for one hour and forty-five minutes each visit. Some of the specific tasks that the crew performs each time they maintain the property are: Mow and edge the lawns; weed and cultivate planter beds; keep leaf litter and debris cleaned from planter beds and hardscape areas; hand water pots; remove spent blooms from flowering shrubs (roses, azaleas, gardenias, camellias, lavender penstemon, and agapanthus); and spray care as needed for insect and disease control.

On a monthly basis, the crew focuses on pruning the trees and shrubs on the property. The Boxwood hedges that surround the motorcourt and perennial garden require a formal pruning. In addition, the Prunus carolina hedge, which runs around the perimeter of the perennial garden is also pruned on a regular basis. In January, once a year, the crew cuts back the roses and spreads mulch in the planter beds. Also, the warm season lawn by the pool is renovated in the fall by overseeding with an annual ryegrass.

Conclusion

This survey of scheduling, fertilization, and general upkeep and maintenance of residential properties was designed to help you, the Landscape Contractor, learn some tips that will assist you in the field. If, in the future, you would like to see an article about a specific topic in LCM, simply communicate that on the reader response card located on page 59. LCM