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.
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.
Fall is here and there are 6 tips to having a beautiful lawn in the spring and a good looking lawn all winter. Many people forget this time of year because it is not the most pleasant to work in, but care now will pay off when developing a healthy beautiful lawn.
1) Keep cutting your lawn until it stops growing, usually mid to late November. How many lawns do you see that look like they need a haircut, they are everywhere. The fact is that once temperatures are below 4 deg celcius your lawn will start going in to dormancy. Once the lawn is dormant it will remain looking good the whole winter. Having it look good is not the only benefit. A properly cut lawn can handle the winter snow that we get better than a lawn that is long. Long grass tends to get pushed over when it snows. The pushed over grass blades then get stuck in the melt zone of the snow. As a reuslt the grass tends to keep laying down after the snow has gone and this can result in the blade and grass dying in those areas.
2) 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). This is a really important part, when light levels are low and moisture levels are high. Grass needs ight to conver nitrogen into food. Lower light levels in the fall already effect how a plant is uptaking food. leafs left on a lawn block light and if left on too long can result in a yellowed weekened turf.. Needles from coniferous trees are acidic and allowing these to build up will change the ph of your turfs soil over the winter. Removing these is essential for a healthy thick lawn.
3) Aerate your lawn to reduce winter puddling and prevent rotting of the turf. Getting water off the surface and below into the root zone is crucial. With 20 to 30 days of continuous rain common in Vancouver winter months, puddling can be an issue, this can be reduced by reducing the compaction of the lawn.
4) 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. your lawn should remain green all winter a yellow lawn is a sign of a lack of nutrients.
5) Apply a moss spray application if any moss is present in the lawn. When the grass stops growing the best conditions for moss exist. Stop the advance of the moss by spraying now this will mean lower if no moss in the spring.
6) Apply lime to counter acidic winter rains. Our rain water tends to be acidic., as a result lime is an important part of maintaining the ph of the soil in a range that the grass will thrive in.
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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!
We all have a different idea of the way we would like our homes but one thing we have in common is that we would like to see our homes increase in value. Like dieting and our cars, a Vancouver strata’s property needs constant maintenance. The benefits of living in well-managed strata are a strong built in budget, unlike individual home owners who can move or delay where money is allocated and essentially ignore items that should be dealt with. The real estate industry believes that professional landscaping can add as much as 20% to the value of a property. On the other side a poorly maintained landscape can provide no lift or even propel a price down. Is maintenance easy? Yes, a professional Vancouver lawn and garden maintenance company can be hired to maintain the lawns and gardens. Why a Professional and not just a care taker? Efficiency and knowledge! A professional commercial grounds maintenance company will have the skill sets of turf care, plant and tree health. Many strata and commercial properties will have mature gardens that will range from the tens of thousands to the hundreds of thousands. If you think this is crazy, make a list of all of your plants and their sizes and inquire with your local nursery as to the cost of replacement.
- Make sure that you have all garden beds weeded at least once every month,
- Have the lawns cut weekly, aerate, fertilize and lime
- Make sure that enough time is in place for pruning and shearing depending on the varieties of plants, shrub and trees in the garden
- Understand the health of the plants that you already have, are they doing well or struggling?
- Develop a site improvement plan, concentrating on entrances first and then common areas.
- Establish a plant improvement and replacement budget
- Establish a good communication rhythm with your landscape maintenance provider to ensure your needs are met
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Having problems with your new Vancouver turf not looking so good? It could be one of four things: poor soil base, turf compaction, cutting height/frequency or watering/fertilizing. The soil base is the most important thing when looking at suffering turf. A Vancouver lawn requires 4 to 6 inches of good top soil for roots to develop and turf to establish and be strong to resist drought, store up nutrients, etc. In the last few years I have noticed a trend of turf being laid on top of pure sand or a mix of sand with some organics. This does nothing to help the grass as all the nutrients and water drains out of the root zone, causing the turf to die. If there is a lawn drainage problem, it should be addressed BELOW the 4-6 inches of good top soil, with a proper drainage system. If your turf has been laid on sand, I would recommend redoing the job properly. If the soil base is good, and the landscape is being properly drained, the next thing to look at is turf compaction. In order for turf to hold together, it generally has a higher clay component. After the turf takes root, the top ½ inch can compact, causing a barrier to air and water. The solution to this is to aerate the lawn, which will penetrate the top layer, allowing the air and water to get to the roots. I would recommend aerating all new turf as soon as the roots have taken in the new soil, twice each year until that clay barrier is broken down. The next thing to look for is the lawn cutting height and frequency. New turf should never be cut less than 2.5 inches, and I would recommend 3 inches to start. A high blade is directly proportional to a deep root growth, establishing the new lawn as soon as possible. The lawn should be cut frequently, never allowing it to get taller than 4 inches, to prevent the stalk from getting too large. The best way to kill new turf is to cut it short, never allowing it to root in the new soil. The last thing to look for, after making sure all of the above is being done, is to water the lawn deeply, to encourage the roots to go deep. Do not allow the turf to dry up, so adjust your frequency accordingly. Every Vancouver lawn needs nutrients, so make sure that you are feeding your lawn on a regular basis with a slow release or organic fertilizer, at the recommended rate, no higher.
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It has been hard to tell if spring has arrived to the Vancouver lawn care season. Cold and wet weather has predominated and most home owners have not even considered cutting their lawns yet. Are the lawns growing? Yes! Make sure that you are out on your lawn walking through it and taking a look at its condition right now. Often a lawn seen from a distance can look like it can wait for the next sunny day for a cut, but when you walk on the lawn it is well over 4 inches. Remember that lawns in the Vancouver region usually are healthiest at a height of 2.5 to 3 inches and that you should try not to cut off more than 1/3 of the blade. Cutting more than 1/3 of the blade off at a time can shock your grass and create a weak lawn. Wet weather can prevent you from aerating your lawn because it is too soft. Try to watch the weather and check your lawn for puddling or soft spots. If you are not sinking in you can proceed. You can hire a professional company to aerate and maintain your lawn or rent one. Renting an aerator can be an adventure in itself. Make sure to rent a commercial version and that the tines ( what removes the cores) are the correct length and not worn from too much use. You will need to have a truck or trailer to pack the machine. Commercial aerators weigh 250 or more pounds and will have extra weights to increase penetration. Start off slowly as this machine can get out of control quickly. Look at the cores that are being removed from the ground. Are they long enough? Check the hole is it deep enough? Add the extra weight if needed. The depth of the core can be affected by the soil compaction. Most home owners can expect to spend around 4 hours for a 2000 square foot lawn from rental to return. Avoid renting aerators that are only spikes. Use machines that remove cores and provide a deep core aeration and have a great lawn care season.
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.
