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The Earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.
(Psalm 24)
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Home  How Do I? New Landscape Care New Landscape Care
Congratulations on your
new landscape! As you know, Horizon Landscape will warrantee your landscape for
up to one year. Should any plants die, we will replace them in the spring and
fall, provided you, the homeowner, do your part to maintain the plants and
landscape properly. To help you with this responsibility, we have outlined some
basic guidelines for ongoing maintenance.
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How do I care for my new seed lawn? |
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 Your new seed lawn should germinate in 7-14 days. Germination is dependent on
air/soil temperatures and moisture. Water should be applied so as to keep the
seed damp. People, children, and pets must be kept off the new lawn until after
the first mowing (approximately 4-6 weeks). Sprinklers should be set to run for
a few minutes, 2-3 times per day. Remember the new seed must be kept moist to
germinate, but do not soak so as to drown it. If you see "puddling" occur, there
is too much water being applied. See our Watering Guide for Your New Lawn and
Landscape for complete details.
When your new seed lawn has reached a height of 3" set the irrigation
controller so the new lawn is not watered for two days in a row. On the second
non-watering day, mow your new lawn with your mower set on the highest cutting
height. Then mow again in the opposite direction at the normal height of 2 1/2"
(bag and remove clippings). Resume your watering schedule. Continue mowing on a
weekly basis making sure that you suspend watering so that your lawn is dry the
day that you cut it. During the year, leaves and debris may fall on the new
lawn; be sure to rake and remove debris weekly. Debris that is left on the lawn
will kill grass, leaving dead patches and inviting pest problems.
Fertilize your new seed lawn after you have cut it four times. After that we
recommend fertilizing 4 times per year, adding weed control with two
applications. You may notice weed grasses in you new lawn. Broadleaf weeds can
be a problem in a new seed lawn. If broadleaf weeds are a problem, treat the
lawn with a "weed & feed" with the second application of fertilizer.
Pests can become a problem in your new lawn. Pests can be molds, fungi,
insects or weeds and all must be treated differently. These pests can invade a
new seed lawn while is still young and vulnerable. Regular mowing, fertilizing
and proper watering techniques should prevent most problems. We recommend an IPM
approach to pest management to protect both your landscape and the environment.
You should contact Horizon immediately if you notice any abnormalities.
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How do I care for my new sod lawn? |
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 Your new sod lawn should start growing immediately. Roots will set within 2-4
weeks. People, children, and pets must be kept off the new sod lawn until the
roots are set and turf is firm (approximately 4 weeks). Water should be applied
to keep the sod from drying out. See our Watering Guide for Your New Lawn and
Landscape for complete details.
When the sod has reached a height of 3-4" set the irrigation controller so
the new lawn is not watered for two days in a row. On the second non-watering
day, mow your new lawn with your mower set on the highest cutting height. Then
mow again in the opposite direction at the normal height of 2 1/2". Bag and
remove the clippings. Resume your watering schedule. Continue mowing on a weekly
basis, making sure that you suspend watering so that your lawn is dry the day
that you cut it. During the year, leaves and debris may fall on the new lawn; be
sure to rake and remove debris weekly. Debris that is left on the lawn will kill
grass, leaving dead patches and inviting pest problems.
At six weeks, fertilize your sod lawn with a quality, slow release fertilize,
something similar to a 10-6-4, 50% slow release product. After that we recommend
fertilizing 4 times per year. Problems with broadleaf weeds are unlikely in a
new sod lawn. If broadleaf weeds become a problem, treat the lawn with a "weed &
feed" fertilizer.
Pests can become a problem in your sod lawn. Pests can be molds, fungi,
insects or weeds and all must be treated differently. Regular mowing,
fertilizing and proper watering techniques should prevent most problems. We
recommend an IPM approach to pest management to protect both your landscape and
the environment. You should contact Horizon immediately if you notice any
abnormalities.
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How do I care for my new ornamental plants? |
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 Your new plants were installed with humus and growth stimulants. You should
know that some plants may become "stressed" after being planted. Some trees
(such as Dogwood or Birch) commonly lose their leaves. Most plants will recover
and re-leaf. In general, perennials require 1 year to acclimate themselves to
their new surroundings and begin growing vigorously. Shrubs require 2 years and
trees typically take 3 years to adjust to their new site. After this time, you
will begin to notice significant new growth and your landscape developing as you
imagined.
Please insure your plants are watered adequately. We suggest new plants be
watered regularly for the first year, giving all plants a good deep drink of
water. See our Watering Guide for Your New Lawn and Landscape for complete
details.
Most new plantings will not need to be pruned for the first year or two. They
need to establish themselves and begin producing new growth to fill in and to
develop their natural growth habit for the area they are in.
After the first year, you will need to fertilize your shrubs, groundcovers,
perennials and trees. We suggest you fertilize in the fall with a 10-10-10 or
16-16-16 plant fertilizer. Spread the fertilizer around the drip line of the
plant using a cup. Do not dump the fertilizer on the plant. Following proper
watering, fertilizing your plants is probably one of the most important things
you can do to help your plants thrive. Please follow the instructions on the bag
of fertilizer.
Pests on plants can take the form of molds, fungi, insects, and rodents. All
need to be treated in different ways. Please inspect your plants weekly, looking
for any changes in color, chewed leaves, spots or growths. You may need to
inspect the underside of the leaves. Remember that insects have a right to be on
our plants (many are beneficial). We only need to treat the pest when they
threaten the health of the plant or become a nuisance to you. We recommend an
IPM approach to pest management to protect both your landscape and the
environment. You should contact Horizon immediately if you notice any
abnormalities.
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How do I care for my new sprinkler system? |
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 Your irrigation system was installed using the latest technology and best
commercial quality parts. We have installed countless irrigation systems and
have had relatively few problems with them. Your new system should give you
years of trouble-free operation. The most important detail of maintaining your
irrigation system is yearly and proper winterizing. See our Maintenance of
Irrigation Systems section for further information on operating and caring for
your new irrigation system.
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What is the guarantee on my new landscape? |
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All of our plant material, hardscape materials and labor are conditionally
guaranteed with proper client care. We do a final walk-through with our clients
to be sure that they are completely satisfied with the results.
If any plants die, please leave them in place and call us. We schedule
"warranty visits" and will gladly replace them. Go to our
guarantee page for
complete details.
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