5 Vital Yard Care Tips for Better Health
December 28, 2011 by blog · Leave a Comment
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Maintaining a beautiful yard is a great way to not only add value to your home, but enjoyment for your entire family. Having a lush, green yard, healthy shade trees and beautiful flowers gives your family a place of natural beauty in which to spend time outdoors. However, ensuring that your yard is healthy and well maintained is not always easy. Here are five important tips to help ensure that you are able to keep your yard beautiful all year long.
Aerate Properly
Aeration is a vital consideration for any lawn, and offers significant benefits. It allows water, air and fertilizer to penetrate deeply into the soil, fostering better growth and healthier grass. Make sure that you aerate your lawn in autumn or early winter before the soil freezes. You can also aerate in spring.
Leaves and Pine Needles
Leaves and pine needles will accumulate throughout the year. It’s essential that these are raked up as soon as possible. Moreover, do not leave them piled in your yard or flowerbeds, as they will compact the soil and kill the grass or other plants beneath them. It’s best to remove leaves and pine needles from your yard on a regular basis (once every two weeks or more frequently if necessary). You also need to make sure that they are fully removed before the onset of winter.
Treat Moss
Moss will grow in your yard if conditions are favorable. For instance, if your soil is compacted, moss can easily begin growing. Other conditions that help moss get a foothold in your yard include poor drainage and high acid levels in the soil. You can prevent moss from growing by ensuring that your lawn drains properly, that you aerate it each year and that you put down lime to help combat acidic winter rains. If moss does begin growing, there are several options to help you get rid of it. However, it’s better to take care of the problem before it starts.
Fertilize
Fertilizer is an essential ingredient for a healthy lawn, beautiful flowerbeds and an overall healthy yard. Make sure that you fertilize in the spring, as well as in the autumn or early winter. Do not over fertilize your lawn, though, as this can lead to disease and can also help foster the growth of weeds. Make sure that you are using a fertilizer with the right balance, though, or you will not see the results you expect.
Cleanup
Just as you have to remove leaves and pine needles from your yard, you’ll need to clean up other debris. Summer and winter storms can strew branches and limbs around your yard, and it’s important that these are removed promptly. Leaving them in place for just a short time can compact the soil and kill the grass beneath them. Remove dead limbs and other debris from your yard as soon as possible – the day after the storm is ideal.
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.
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.
2010 Vancouver Yard and Garden Trends and Tips
July 8, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Spruce up your Vancouver backyard for the summer patio season.
Whether you are designing a new garden or planning a yard makeover, the top 2010 trends for Vancouver homeowners include taking the indoors outdoors, going green, going edible and going low-maintenance.
- The trend in creating outdoor living spaces is continuing with an increase in high-end outdoor grilling and patio furniture, outdoor kitchen accessories, and lighting. Decks and patios are becoming living rooms, kitchens and dining areas featuring innovative hi-tech equipment as well as luxurious yet hardy furnishings including chaise lounges, double ottomans, and armchairs with plush seating. The home bar is making a comeback. Dark wicker in shades of espresso and sleek, modern designs is the norm. The most popular accents include Moroccan lanterns and solar lighting.
- When it comes to going green, water reduction is one of the biggest trends as Vancouver residents realize that even in rainforest the water supply is not infinite.
- As part of the going-green movement, green roofs, green walls and eco-friendly yard and lawn products are on the forefront of consumer interest. Traditional Vancouver lawn and garden concepts are being replaced with enviro-friendly solutions including water-efficient, native plants and grasses. Organic lawn care solutions are becoming more mainstream, filling the shelves of garden supply centers.
- While the recession has taken its toll on hardscape construction, the demand for regional, recycled and sustainable solutions shows no signs of slowing. Eco-friendly materials including reclaimed, permeable and locally-sourced products are replacing traditional hardscaping for patios and walkways. Asphalt is being replaced by stones that are available in the natural environment.
- Going edible (replacing lawn and garden with food) is also a big movement in Vancouver as urban and community gardens flourish.
- Interest in urban gardening is at an all-time high from community gardens to school field habitats, creating garden boulevards and traffic islands throughout the city. Special interest groups in urban farming are cropping up. It’s part of the back-to-the-land movement where consumers avoid the cost of buying produce at the retail and looking towards their own plots of organic.
- While Vancouver homeowners and renters are putting more resources into their yardspaces, they want a low-maintenance, eco-friendly landscape that feels connected with nature. Delawning yards by replacing turf with a habitat that invites the birds and bees is on the rise as edibles and flowers encroach on expanses of lawn. Dictates on formal garden design have given way to rule-free eclectic mix-it-up gardening. Mother Nature has the largest influence: achieving the natural effect has replaced linear, color-segregated flower bed gardening. Traditional front yards are being transformed into meadowscapes and vegetable gardens. Edible plants will be interspersed with flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses and plants.
- Container gardening is showing up in new forms such as boxes, barrels and bins that are portable and contain edibles such as easy-grow fruits and veggies include tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce and beans. A variation on container gardening that’s water wise includes portable potted water gardens with gold fish and water-loving plants.
Keep in mind that trends are just trends. Before you make changes to your garden or outdoor space, consider what works for your budget, aesthetics and peace of mind. There are so many ways to make your Vancouver home and garden look better and increase your enjoyment of your backyard space this summer in the city.
Image Credit: Bill Lapp
How Community Gardens Are Improving Vancouver Neighborhoods
June 21, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
A thriving community garden in an urban Vancouver neighbourhood. (Credit: AndreCarol / Flickr)
Vancouver is known for its mountainous views, vast wildlife and diverse culture. Vancouver is also known as a very eco-friendly city. But, did you know about its community gardens? Community gardens are one of the ways Vancouver tries to stay on top of the demand for green space.
A community garden is a single piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people. They provide access to fresh produce and plants as well as access to satisfying community work, neighborhood improvement and a sense of community and connection to the environment.
Community gardens have existed for a long time, since cities began, and peaked in Canada during the two World Wars. The number of community gardens made a comeback again in the 1980s and have been popping up around the city ever since.
In May 2006, Vancouver City Council encouraged 2,010 new garden plots by January 1, 2010, as a legacy of the 2010 Winter Games. As Vancouver grows, more green space is demanded, thus the demand of community gardens are increasing.
Now, thanks to a grant from the City’s Host a City Happening Program, new brochures which feature walking tours around Vancouver’s 44 community gardens are available in public libraries, neighborhood houses, community gardens, Vancouver City Hall, Community Centres, Vancouver farmers markets and special events across the city. Every second Sunday of June, July, August and September, gardeners will be at select gardens between 11am and 1pm to answer questions from people taking the tours.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways that community gardens are improving Vancouver’s neighborhoods.
- Partnering. The Host a City Happening Program encourages Vancouver residents and non-profit organizations to partner with the City of Vancouver to create special City Happenings – events and legacy projects that reflect the Olympic and Paraolympic values of friendship, solidarity, peace, fair play, optimism, inspiration and empowerment.
- Improves the look. Vancouver community gardens are improving the look of neighborhoods. It provides more natural crops and plants to grow and thrive in the communities of Vancouver.
- Promotes Sustainability. Living conditions are better when there are naturally made products and carbons in the air. Vancouver is all about being good to the environment.
- Urban greeting. Community gardens are a great way to bring people together.
- Decreases reliance on fossil fuels. Community garden advocates point out that locally grown food decreases a community’s reliance on fossil fuels for transport of food from large agricultural areas. Since most of the work is done manually, it also decreases the level of fossil fuels used in agricultural machinery.
- Food security. Since citizens grow their own food or food for others to donate, it gives a sense of food security since the gardeners are closer in touch with their sources of food.
Costs for community gardens are very inexpensive and usually run between $15-20 annually.
If you’re curious, have a look at this map of Vancouver’s community gardens (warning it is a large PDF file).
Ten June Tips for Novice Vancouver Gardeners
June 17, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
It’s not too late to get a jump start on getting your garden in shape for the summer. It has been a wet spring in Vancouver, but hot summer weather is just around the corner.
If you are new to gardening, here are ten tips specifically for Vancouver’s unique climate:
- You can add splashes of summer colour by planting seeds of perennials as well as planting annuals. If you are buying plants, choose those that have visible buds, are lush and show no signs of disease or decay.
- Given the cool and rainy weather, you can plant veggies in time for a summer harvest.
- When it comes to keeping your shrubs and hedges tidy, June is the ideal time to prune and trim.
- Perennials that have already blossomed also need to be trimmed.
- To keep your roses flourishing in the summer, remove the dead heads.
- If you are planning to fertilize, don’t wait until July.
- When it comes to planting herbs, shrubs and trees, add manure, peat moss or your own manure. Water newly-planted shrubs twice a week in dry stretches.
- Tall plants and shrubs should be staked before they start bending.
- Keep an eye out for damage caused by insects, slugs and disease. Trim off diseased leaves and petals right away.
- If you have an older lawn or your lawn has thin zones, inject new life by over-seeding it.
You might also want to take advantage of free lectures and hands-on workshops offered by garden centers and gardening clubs in the Vancouver area.
Safe lawns for Kids and Pets!
May 27, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
The days are getting longer and it is almost time to bring out the lawn chairs and kids toys. Long summer days and playing outside are life time memories. Soft green grass and a sprinkler to run through can produce hours of fun. Keeping your lawn healthy and safe is important for your own local environment and the environment at large. A healthy green lawn can provide your local environment with all of your oxygen!!! A lawn that is free of weeds can prevent your young children or babies from the sting of a bee. Clover is a common lawn weed and it has flowers that attract flying bees. Reduce clover through applications of organic weed and feed and make sure to not introduce any extra phosphorous. Hand pull clover early so that it does not spread and keep your lawn mowing height at 2.5 to 3 inches to crowd out clover.
Learn more about our Organic Weed Control.
12 Vancouver Lawn Mowing Tips
May 16, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Image Credit: AdamKR
Your mowing habits can make the difference between a picture-perfect lawn and one that is susceptible to weeds, diseases, clumping and other lawn problems.
Did you know that there are do’s and don’ts for mowing?
You can improve the quality and appearance of your lawn by following these mowing best practices:
1. Don’t mow using dull blades. This rips and shreds blades of grass instead of cutting the blades cleanly. When blades are ripped, they are more susceptible to disease. Make sure to sharpen the blades every four to six weeks in sunny times of the year when you mow more frequently.
2. Don’t mow under bushes, if you have grass under low lying trees or shrubs use a line trimmer to get these areas this will avoid damaging any exposed roots and potentially your mower.
3. Don’t mow freshly-fertilized lawn. If you have applied fertilizer or any other chemical to your lawn, hold off on mowing for at least 24 hours.
4. Don’t lower your mower too far. The higher mowing height helps your grass develop a deeper root system cut at 2.5 to 3 inches.
5. Don’t mow your lawn too short: only cut 1/3 of the blade at a time. The more the light each blade of grass can absorb, the better! When grass is too short, it is vulnerable to disease and weed infestation. A healthy lawn needs deep roots and it also needs to preserve moisture. If you let your lawn grow too high, when on vacation, mow at a higher level and then lower the blade the next time you cut.
6. Don’t bag your clippings during dry weather. The clippings you produce by mowing can benefit the lawn if you leave them to mulch.
7. Don’t force your mower when you hear the motor slowing. You can burn out an electric mower’s motor as well as damage lawn if you push on instead of pausing. Along with pausing, you can mow backward (over lawn already cut) or lift up the mower to allow the motor and your grass time to recover.
8. Don’t make sharp turns on your lawn. You can scalp your lawn and damage the crown of grass by turning your lawn mower too sharply. Instead of turning on the lawn, turn on a driveway or sidewalk.
9. Don’t mow in the same direction each time. This can create ruts in the soil, and compacts the soil making growth difficult and preventing moisture from being retained. Rotate mowing patterns by mowing north to south on one cut, and then east to west the next, finally going diagonally on the third cut. On a hill, mow across and mow diagonally rather than directly up and down.
After a month of rotated mowing patterns, your lawn will have a plaid appearance used by professional mowers on greens used in stadium ballparks and golf courses.
10. Mow your lawn while on vacation. A lawn that is not mowed is a clear sign that someone is not taking care of a lawn and can cause criminals to investigate. If a family member cannot take over your chores when you go on vactaion call a professional. They will make sure that your lawn is cut on a schedual. Remember when you were a kid and your parents went away did you cut the lawn and clean the house on a schedual?
11. Don’t forget to clean your mower. After you finish mowing and turnoff the motor, make sure to scrape any build-up of clippings underneath the mower.
12. Don’t wait too long to mow again. The rule of thumb is to mow more frequently rather than waiting for a few weeks.
I hope this helps, if you have any more questions about lawn mowing please feel free to contact us.
