Caring for Your New Landscape

First Things First

Thank you for allowing Christy Webber & Company to assist you with your landscaping. We are grateful for the opportunity to help make your space in Chicago a dream come true for many years to come! Improving your landscaping yields many benefits. Gardens create a sense of serenity, provide "another room" for friends and family to gather, and increase the value of your home. Landscaping is a great investment, but differs from other home improvement projects because it involves LIVING materials. Although your plants have been carefully selected to suit both your needs and the specific conditions of your yard and climate, plants inevitably will require upkeep. Here are some general tips on caring for your new addition.

Watering

Water new sod immediately upon installation and continue watering daily for 10 to 14 days after installation. Water in the morning. The afternoon may be too hot, and the evening too cool. Water that sits on sod over night potentially leads to fungus problems. Especially important are the sod seams, as well as any portions of the sod bordering concrete or other porous material. These areas can dry out quickly. Weather conditions will be an important factor in the amount of watering required. For the first 7-10 days, water sod thoroughly so that you cannot walk on it without sinking in. But don't walk on it, because once it is depressed, sod will stay depressed! (Do not allow water to "stand" on your sod or you have watered too much!)

After sod has been established (when it does not pull up when gently tugged) a watering of 1-2" per week should be sufficient. A good watering once or twice a week is generally more helpful than light sprinklings daily.

Mowing

After rooting (approx. 10 - 14 days) new sod should be ready to mow. Let it dry out enough for mowing first! The first time, set the mower to its highest setting to prevent shock to the root system. Gradually decrease the mowing height to 3". Try not to remove more than 1/3 the leaf blade when mowing as this will cause stress to the turf.

Fertilizing

Do not fertilize your sod directly after installation. Once well established (Christy Webber & Co. recommends one season), you can follow a regular fertilization program per manufacturer's directions to keep your lawn lush and weed-free. Do not use weed or crabgrass chemicals in the first year. If you feel the situation is extreme and threatening, spot-treat only, and read and follow all label directions.

Watering

Perennials need to be watered well immediately after planting. For about 2 weeks after that, you should check plants daily to be sure the ground around them has adequate moisture. WATCH FOR WILTING PLANTS! After that, perennials should be watered 1" of water every week (either by rain or you). During dry and/or windy spells, you may have to water every other day! Let the soil and the plants be your guide. By watering thoroughly and then letting the top of the immediate soil become somewhat dry you encourage roots to spread out in search of moisture.

Deadheading

Deadheading improves the look of most plants and many perennials will re-bloom after the spent flowers are removed.

Fertilizing

Wait until perennials are well situated in their new environment, at least one year, before attempting to fertilize. After that, if you wish to fertilize your perennials apply a granular (dry) slow-release fertilizer according to package directions.

Watering

Watering your annuals is mostly determined by weather conditions. Upon planting, water annuals well daily or every other day for at least two weeks (unless rain occurs). Annuals planted in containers have no additional water source to seek - once the moisture is gone, it's gone - and therefore will need to be checked daily for the duration.

Fertilizing

You may fertilize your annuals either with a granular long-term fertilizer, or with a recommended annual fertilizer (such as Miracle Gro or Peter's Plant Food). Follow manufacturer's directions. Know your annuals, however, because certain plants (e.g. nasturtiums) will use fertilizer for greenery growth at the expense of flower production!

Deadheading

Many annuals benefit from deadheading or removing spent flowers as this will encourage continued flower production.

Watering

Newly planted trees and shrubs should be watered immediately after planting. For the next 2 weeks at least, be sure your new tree material gets a minimum of 1" of water every other day. After your plant is established, you will need to supplement its water schedule for the first year. Using 1-2" of water every 4 to 7 days should be adequate, again either by rainfall or hand watering.

Learning to identify and understand the growth habits of your trees can be very helpful. This may take several seasons, but you will be able to notice any unusual changes in your trees and take action to correct problems before they become severe. Newly planted trees require 2-3 years for their root systems to become fully established. During this time extra watering and special care are necessary.

Please Note: The best way to water your trees and shrubs is the slow-soak method. Although the big stream may be the most personally satisfying, a deep watering over an extended period (like a slow-drip from your hose overnight) is the best way. This will allow the moisture to go deep to the bottom of the roots. The majority of the water-absorbing roots are in the top 18" of ground.

Here are some general tips about what you can expect and things you can do for your new landscape.

1. Mulch: The benefits of mulch include reduced water evaporation, weed prevention, protection from winter freeze and thaw cycles, increased soil fertility, and a finished look. Mulch with 2-4" of composted organic matter, such as mushroom compost, leaf mold or shredded mulch. Keep the mulch away from the trunk or stem of the plant as this can cause rot.

When mulching around perennials, do not mulch too thickly because bark mulch takes a long time to break down, and can rob your soil of nitrogen. You may choose to use cocoa mulch as an alternative if you wish. Do not mulch around annuals.

2. If you use salt during the winter, beware! Salt residue can severely damage groundcovers, grass, perennials, and shrubs. Salt will bind up your plants' ability to absorb water, which is already at a premium during the winter months. Salt can also travel, no matter how carefully it's placed. A good idea is to use sand or calcium chloride for de-icing.

3. The number one factor in of your landscape's initial success is going to be watering. This is true of all LIVE landscape additions.

4. Since plant material is living material, sometimes your plant material will not survive, even with your best efforts. A few of the things that will cause this to happen are: cat/dog urine or spray, severe weather (dry winds, lack of snow cover, excessive rain or lack of rain, extremely cold winters, extended or truncated seasons), fungus, insects, and disease. These factors cannot be anticipated, and sometimes they cannot be controlled. A landscape is a work of art, and always a work-in-progress. There are too many factors beyond the gardener's control for complete success to happen often. The plant that absolutely exceeded your wildest expectations this year may not come back next year. Losses are to be expected, even to the most attentive and knowledgeable gardener.

But your personal care will make a big difference in how your garden grows. Enjoy the items in your landscape that prosper, forget (or re-plant) the items that don't. Try something new. Keep what exceeds your expectations, and learn from what doesn't satisfy.

Your landscape is capable of flourishing and bringing you much personal enjoyment. As for proper care: you can do it!

For advice or additional Christy Webber & Company services, please feel free to contact the following departments:

Maintenance:	Raquel Perez-Chico
Enhancemants/seasonal plantings:	Daniel Gerdes
Design/construction:	Tony Butterworth

Christy Webber & Company guarantees the installation and health of our plant material for one year. This guarantee, however, does not cover factors that are out of our control including: extreme weather, animal damage, and salt damage. In addition, the following plant materials are NOT guaranteed: perennials, annuals, bulbs, sod, boxwoods, rhododendrons, holly, groundcover, and roses.