Vancouver Snow, Snow Shovels and your Garden 4 Tips
November 4, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Now is the time to be buying your snow shovel, if you don’t have one. Vancouver has unpredictable snow patterns and as a result most retailers do not stock a large number of shovels. There are two basic kinds of shovels one that is actually for shoveling and one that is for pushing. Home Depot and Rona will have both shovels and they will cost around 20 dollars, they will be made of plastic and will last a few seasons. If you want to buy a once a lifetime shovel buy an aluminum push or snow shovel, they are some times sold in the larger stores but are most often sold at stores that landscapers frequent. They will cost $50 to $60. You will have to make the choice on the value that a more expensive shovel will make to you and for most homeowners it is not the investment they where thinking of. Having both shovels is a benefit, the pusher shovel is great for small snow falls one to two inches high or dry snow, not something we usually get. If you are going to have move large amounts of snow the shovel design is more useful. Something new to stores is a sleigh style shovel; this is a new shovel that is easier on your back. If you are a homeowner that does not have anyone to help you and you hate heavy lifting this could be your snow shovel. The design is a bit like a pusher and shovel mixed except that you can slide over the snow once you have pushed some onto the blade, a lot easier in all conditions. So now you want to use your shovel and you are thinking about getting out there and getting it done, well here are 4 tips that will make your work go better and help your garden in the spring.
1) Listen to the weather forecast and plan where you are going to leave your snow pile. Even though our weather is mild a snow pile can last along time. Many people will clear a driveway side to side rather than length wise.
2) Avoid placing your pile on the grass, if you can avoid it. While a lawn can survive snow, salt and debris in the snow can damage your lawn. Snow piles also tend to be more compact than a regular snow fall and the result can be lawn damage.
3) When choosing an ice melter we recommend ones that are lawn safe. Salt is good at melting the snow but can cause soil to become infertile so if you have a pathway by a garden or lawn, choose wisely.
4) Snow build up on trees should especially hedges should be removed to prevent damage. It is recommended to sweep the snow off rather than shaking. Shaking trees can result in breakage and damage.
Mulching leafs in Vancouver your 4 options
October 31, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Leafs are changing colour and starting to fall in Vancouver. The colours are beautiful and there are a couple of things to look at while you enjoy this fall season. Many people will choose perennial plants over annuals in their gardens because of some of the labor savings. Trees and shrubs at this time of year that are sheading their leafs are starting to change colour and it is a great time to get out and walk your neighborhood or a neighborhood you like and start picking colours and plants from the varieties that you area seeing. Take pictures of the shrubs and plants and bring them to your local garden centre, there they will be able to tell you what varieties you have seen and make the appropriate suggestions. Building year round colour through the choice of trees and shrubs is a great way to add some brightness into a grey day.
When it comes to the leafs that are dropping from the trees in your garden you have 3 choices of what to do with them.
1) Collect the leafs and remove them entirely from your yard
This is the long-standing practice of most homeowners and is usually the practice in urban environments. This may also be the case even if you will mulch some of the leafs if you have an extremely large tree or trees in your yard and mulch will produce more product than you need.
2) Collect the mulched leafs and compost them
When composting leafs you want to make sure that the leafs will actually compost. Composting leafs takes along time as a result of their low nitrogen content. Leafs are what is termed as the “browns” in composting. It is best to use your mower to collect the leafs as this will shred the leafs and will save space and decrease the composting time. When composting the leafs you will need to add “greens” which are the nitrogen rich components of compost. The greens can be grass clipping, plant clippings, coffee grounds or other nitrogen sources that are allowed in a composter. You can also get compost starter at nursery’s and hardware stores. If you are using natural greens, soil or composted soil you will want to produce layers of browns and greens. Place a layer of mulched leafs down somewhere between 4 to 6 inches deep and then cover them with a layer of dirt, composted soil or plant trimmings about 1 to 2 inches deep and then repeating the process over and over. Follow the instructions for commercially purchased compost starter. When you are finished your layering you will need to keep your pile moist and turned every three to four weeks.
3) Mulch the leafs in place on your lawn
You can mulch the leafs in place on your lawn but there are some precautions with doing this. The biggest concern is that mulch can in no way cover or smother the grass. You should be starting to mulch when the leafs are less than one inch thick on the lawn you will have to go over the lawn 2 or three times to reduce the leafs to a fine enough consistency that they can be of a benefit and not a detriment. The advantages to mulching in place can be timesaving’s and nutrients for your lawn.
4) Collect the mulched leafs from your lawn and spread them in your garden.
A final option for your leafs is to mulch them with your lawn mower and collect them in the grass bag to be spread in your garden. Spread them in your garden being careful not to cover the crowns of perennial plants or laying the mulch up against the bases of trees and shrubs. This will add nutrients to your garden and provide a protective layer for roots. It is important that you apply a slow release fertilizer to your garden in the spring to help boost the nitrogen content of the soil which maybe lower as a result of the composting leafs.
5 Tips to Having a Beautiful Lawn in the Spring and a Good Looking Lawn all Winter
October 24, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Fall is here and there are 5 tips to having a beautiful lawn in the spring and a good looking lawn all winter.
- Keep cutting your lawn until it stops growing, usually mid to late November
- Keep leaf debris and pine needle debris of the lawns on a weekly basis until all the leafs have fallen(remove pine needles and limbs after winter storms)
- Aerate your lawn to reduce winter puddling and prevent rotting of the turf
- Apply Winterizer fertilizer that is low in nitrogen and high in potassium, to help the grass plant store food, thicken its cell walls and harden off
- Apply a moss spray application if any moss is present in the lawn
- Apply lime to counter acidic winter rains
Fall in Vancouver
October 19, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
It is fall in Vancouver and we are still holding onto thoughts of summer but for your gardens it is time to be doing some spring thinking. Right now is the time to planting bulbs in your garden. Nursery’s still having a good selection of bulbs to choose from and some easy ones are tulips and daffodils. Anyone can have a beautiful spring display of flowers! Daffodils like full sun or light shade and reasonably fertile soil. Most gardens are suitable for growing Daffodils. There are many species and you can mix them or plant all the same. In general Daffodils are planted about 8 inches from the surface. If you are planting a lot of bulbs it may be quicker to dig out the whole area and place your bulbs in the space leaving about two finger widths between each bulb. If you are only planting a few a “ bulb tool” may be your best bet. The short of it is don’t get to complicated, use what you have bulbs are cheap and provide years of recurring pleasure. Tulips can follow the same rules but plant them only 5 inches down.We have just planted several large displays in North Vancouver and Richmond and are looking forward those sunny spring days. . Have fun and don’t be afraid to garden!
Common Lawn Questions
August 3, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
At Bur-Han, we get a lot of questions about lawns and gardens from customers in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland.
Here is a sample:
Answers to Frequently-Asked Lawn Care Questions
| How much should I be watering? |
Water according to the needs of your lawn. During periods of regular rain, you don’t need to water at all. Your lawn should be getting one inch of water each week. Invest in a sprinkler system that monitors the level of rainfall for you.
| What type of lawn seed should I buy? |
Start off by looking for premium seed rather than a specific type. Purity is the key. Generally, you’ll pay for seed quality; the lower-priced seeds won’t be weed-free. All seed is not equal and you generally will pay for seed quality and seed purity( ie no weed seeds). Overseed using a perennial rye grass.
| How often and when should I be fertilizing? | ||
Newly-fertilized lawn should be watered immediately, and the best time of day to water is the morning. That is when I recommend fertilizing.
How often you apply fertilizer depends on the type. There are many different types of fertilizer on the market — organic, synthetic and synthetic organic blends – and each type has different application rates and frequency of application rates. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
In general, for premium or organic fertilizer, you can fertilize every 6 to 8 weeks. Synthetic fertilizers don’t need to be applied as frequently during the warm season.
| What about fertilizing during rainy periods? | ||
You can apply premium or organic fertilizer during rainy periods but not inexpensive synthetics: rain will wash out these fertilizers before the grass can absorb the nutrients. Organic fertilizers need moisture because they can’t retain it.
| The lawn around my buildings is clumpy, uneven, and patchy in places especially at the edges. What can I do? |
To improve the appearance, consider over-seeding and applying top-dressing.
If the grass is rye grass, it won’t spread. You need to seed it evenly.
Sandy soil from construction can cause a problem with grass health. Some of the more common lawn problems are caused by heat and water. Water run-off can cause erosion and poor soil conditions. On the other extreme, grass can get overstressed by tthe heat from nearby exposed
My boulevard isn’t easy to mow. A lot of home owners in my area have turned their boulevard lawn into gardens. What tips can you give me for turning my boulevard lawn into a garden? Do I need to rake up my entire lawn?
| Understand what you are doing when you turn a lawn into a garden. If you plan to create a tree well garden, consider how this will affect lawn cutting. If you plan to add trees, ensure there is enough soil around the tree rather than have lawn grow right up to the tree. Or, purchase a trunk guard.
It’s a myth that a garden takes less work and cost to maintain than a lawn. When you consider planting, pruning, adding fertilizer, it adds up to a lot more effort than a weekly mow. It’s also a myth that lawns are not healthy for the environment. Lawns produce oxygen and help to cool. Plants and shrubs can drawn more insects especially mosquitoes. If you plan to replace the lawn entirely, you need to cut back the sod and then improve the soil for plants. Avoid planting too close to the edge of the lawn, sidewalk and street. Plants can easily get damaged by a trimmer or mower, and they can create safety hazards. If the boulevard includes a mix of lawn and garden, avoid small strips of lawn that are tough to mow. How can I get rid of clover in my yard? |
| Clover is a very difficult weed to deal with and it can be a problem if you are using a fertilizer with a high phosphorous level. Since herbicide spraying is banned in most municipaltities, consider corn gluten for your lawn.
It’s important to dig up clover while it can be managed. If the clover only appears in small patches, dig at least 3 inches deep and a foot around the clover. My lawn includes dry and shady areas. What are your tips mowing? |
Do not cut the lawn too short. Try for 2.5 to a 3 inch cut height.
| I want to create a “wild garden” effect with ornamental grass? How much effort is involved? |
Ornamental grass comes in a wide variety of height, colour and texture. They provide an inexpensive, low-maintenance way to achieve a natural yet high-end landscaping effect. Unlike other plants, they only need to be cared for twice a year, in the spring and fall. You can start off by adding ornamental grass as a border or backdrop.
How A Great-Looking Lawn Can Increase Your Property Value
July 26, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
With the real estate market so hot right now in Vancouver many people are looking to sell their homes. If you’re considering selling, you can earn thousands more just by keeping up your lawn and knowing how to make your lawn one that people want.
First impressions are important, and the first thing prospective home buyers see is your lawn, gardens and yard so you want to make it look great. By having a well-kept lawn and properly maintained yard, your property will be more attractive to buyers.
Here is a list of some things that you can do to increase the value of your house when you’re ready to sell:
- Lawn clippings.
Keeping your lawn clean and trim is going to make it much more appealing to buyers. Also, proper mowing and leaving clippings on the lawn provide nutrients to the lawn which will make it healthier and greener. Mulching can improve the look of your lawn because it adds back nutrients it can also make a poor impression if you leave clumps of grass. Make sure you have a mower designed to mulch and if you get any clumps disperse them.
- Watering the lawn, plants, and flowers.
One of the most important parts of lawn care is to make sure your lawn is getting the proper water it needs. Make sure you are very aware of the weather and how much what your lawn needs. Proper watering of the lawn, plants and flowers will lead to beautiful results. By the time you see your lawn starting to go yellow you are already behind. If you do see any yellow because you have not started watering make sure to use your local watering restrictions guidelines for times and max them out.
- Planting trees or flowers.
Fresh plants can give your lawn a different look. A few flowers here and there or just one large flower garden can really increase the aesthetic appeal of your property. You can use perenials or annuals. Your local nursery will have what you need.
- Removal and up-keep of unwanted weeds.
You should make sure to stay on top of the unwanted weeds in your lawn. If you remove them it can keep your lawn healthier. Unwanted weeds can spoil other plants. It is also improtant to remove weeds from gardens. The wide open ground of a garden is fertile territory for weeds. Weeds can have several seeding cycles in a season and allowing them to seed can result in a poor look and way more work. It is also common to have weeds blow from surrounding gardens into your lawn. Keep it clean and it will pay you back with many less hours of work.
- 5. Tree and Shrub Care.
Make sure to take complete care of your trees and shrubs by spraying at the right time of year and deep root fertilizing, which will help aid in the proper growth
- 6. Aeration.
This will provide a path for water and air to the roots. It also helps develop the lawn.
All of these things will help set you off on the right foot to increasing your property’s value. Lawn care is very important. It’s the first impression customers have.
Some other things to remember!
- Greenery attracts people immediately; it’s one of the best parts which any person can create in his environment. Greenery increases the value of the property since people will like the option of being able to sit outdoors and admire the nature.
- You can maintain your lawn by using eco-friendly chemicals that are easy on the lawn. There are organic and natural pesticides available now that are not only good for the health of the grass but for the atmosphere! As a home owner, you would not want the constant exposure to hazardous chemicals.
- If you can afford it, it may be worth the money to invest in a lawn care professional to help you add additions, updates, or just maintain your lawn. You may find that you are too busy or just don’t know enough about the subject.
Hopefully these tools can help you get a jump-start if you haven’t already in taking care of your lawn. It may require time and effort just like all good things do; but, in the end it’s almost always worth it.
