CARING FOR NEW LANDSCAPES

TREES

• All trees over 1" caliber have been staked to help the trunk grow straight as the roots take hold in the ground. These should be removed after one full growing season.
• Pruning is not needed on a regular basis. Pruning is needed for the following reasons:
  • A) To remove dead, diseased, broken, or dying branches
  • B) To remove low crossing branches
  • C) To control the size of the tree
• Never cut the top leader off a tree. Pruning should be done in the winter or early spring when the tree is not actively producing or storing food.
• Applying a time released fertilizer in the spring will benefit the plants growth. An even number works well. Look for a 10-10-10 or 16-16-16 in a granular form. Always follow the instructions on the label. Talk with one of Sweet Pea Nursery’s experienced technicians for more information on fertilizers.

SHRUBS

• Your shrubs will benefit from some pruning every three to four years. When pruning your shrubs always cut the oldest wood first. Cutting 1/3 - 1/4 of the shrub is common practice to encourage new growth. Pruning is best done right after the shrub has flowered.
• Applying a time released fertilizer in the spring will benefit the plants growth. An even number works well. Look for a 10-10-10 of 16-16-16 in a granular form. Always follow the instructions on the label. Talk with one of our experienced technicians for more information on fertilizers.

SOD

• Your sod is a Kentucky Bluegrass. This is a cool season grass, meaning that it does its growing in cool weather, and stops growing in warm weather. This is why lawns tend to brown in hot summer months and is not a cause for concern.
• Newly installed sod needs plenty of water. If an automatic sprinkler system was installed, it is set to water the necessary amount. After a couple of weeks you should ease back on the watering. Refer to the manual on how to do this. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call us!
• It is important to keep impact to a minimum for the first couple weeks while the roots are establishing. After a couple of weeks you may start to recreate on the lawn, but pay attention to how it feels underfoot. If it is slipping from the soil it is not established yet and should be kept off of.

• When your lawn has become established, it is a good idea to let the lawn dry out some between waterings. This encourages a deeper root system. Each lawn is unique for its needs in watering times. It may take some adjusting to get it right.
• Do not mow your lawn too short because it is the blade surface that is making the energy to keep your lawn growing. It is advised to keep the blade length around 2 clipping on the lawn, especially if you fertilize because it is recycling the fertilizer back into the soil.
• Your lawn will benefit from scheduled fertilizing. This will keep your lawn green and is the best way to prevent diseases. The ratio and rate can be tricky. To keep it simple, follow this schedule. Always follow the directions on the label for the correct application amount. Talk with one of Sweet Pea Nursery’s experienced technicians for more information on fertilizers.
• Memorial Day fertilize with a 30-15-5
• Fourth of July fertilize with a 16-16-16
• Labor Day fertilize with a 16-20-0-12

IRRIGATION SYSTEM

• All residential systems installed by Sweet Pea come with a three year parts and labor warranty (provided we perform the annual blow-out) and a 30-year poly pipe warranty.
• Lawn areas have sprinkler heads placed for head-to-head coverage. Generally speaking, head-to-head coverage is the most uniform and means that each sprinkler has at least two others spraying back at it. If your lawn doesn't have head-to- head coverage, your sprinklers may be out of adjustment or have pressure problems that need to be repaired. Please contact our office to schedule a sprinkler system repair.
• Planting beds, unless they are over-sprayed by lawn sprinklers, typically will have a drip-irrigation line that waters each plant individually. In most cases, adding on to a drip zone to water new plants is no trouble and requires only a single emitter and a short length of spaghetti tubing to each plant.

• Perennial beds, depending on their size, may have drip irrigation, Xeri-spray irrigation, or high-profile pop-up sprinklers. In most cases, expanding a drip irrigation irrigation line to new plants can be done easily and inexpensively. However, if your perennial bed has Xeri-sprays or high-profile sprinklers, an expansion may be limited by the available water, and you need to install new zones. If you're planning on expanding a bed that's irrigated this way, it is wise to consult one of our irrigation professionals beforehand.
• All automated sprinkler systems have a controller (typically found in the garage) to precisely control the duration that each zone will water. Upon installation, our technicians will have programmed your controller to meet your lawn and plant needs for that time of year. However, as your lawn and plants become established, and as the seasons change, you may need to adjust the duration that each zone will water (refer to your Rainbird manual, or contact one of our irrigation professionals if you get stuck).
• Because Montana's winters can be harsh, it is necessary to "blow out" all sprinkler systems to prevent damage from freezing. Blowing out the lines properly requires a high-volume compressor (bigger than what most homeowners can afford), so it's important that you schedule your blow-out service with us. And to make sure that your system has survived the winter, we also provide a start-up service, where our technicians will turn on and run through your system to make sure that there are no leaks, that your sprinklers are operating properly, and that your controller is programmed correctly. Each Spring and Fall, we send out mailers to remind you when its time for your system's blow-out and start-up.

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