Hello again, Westside Gardeners.
I hope everyone is well and hydrated, using plenty of sunscreen and wearing a wide-brim hat while gardening.
Quite often, I’m called to residences and asked, “What is going on with my yard and lawn?” With a gentle smile, I say, “It’s time for a renovation.”
Renovation goes beyond the basics to restore and revitalize your lawn and planter beds: it’s like putting a new engine in your car or resurfacing your driveway rather than patching the cracks.
Plants have a lifetime and can outgrow their surroundings. They are also often planted for a quick curb appeal to prevent a new bed from looking skimpy.
Sometimes, their surroundings may change, and they no longer thrive there. For example, a neighboring tree has grown so much that a sun-loving plant bed is now in the shade.
In my opinion, to say picture-perfect, it’s essential to switch things up from time to time. That may mean removing plant material, planting new ones or both.
Your existing trees might have to be limbed up to allow clearance and may need their interior crown thinned. If they are crowding one another and getting too big for the area, you might have to remove them.
Soil invigoration is a definite renovation need: the soil often lacks essential nutrients. I highly recommend incorporating compost.
Like mulch, it’s very beneficial because it suppresses weeds, keeps the soil moist and, most of all, adds additional nutrients as it breaks down. I suggest applying mulch every few years.
Over time, your turf gets compacted. I highly recommend lawn aeration, periodic thatching and overseeding.
Fertilization is also a must but only use an organic fertilizer. As I mentioned in previous articles, commercial-grade synthetic fertilizer is disastrous to the soil: it kills the good and necessary bacteria, very much like antibiotics do to our stomachs.
Please feel free to write me if you need assistance or recommendations. Enjoy your garden!
Mark Koehler of Los Banos is an arborist and master gardener who has degrees in landscape architecture and landscape horticulture from UC Berkeley and Northeastern University. Please send any questions or comments to markgardenguru@gmail.com.
