One of things we’re asked for most often at Horticulture Unlimited is seasonal landscape maintenance in Tucson. As the weather changes, our customers want to know how to protect their trees, shrubs, flowers, and plants. They also want to know what to do to prepare for rising temperatures, increased pest and animal activity, and drought. While we can handle the more complicated items on your Tucson landscape checklist, there are other spring landscaping tips you can use in between visits. Here are the most essential tasks to tackle before Arizona’s heat arrives.
Cleaning Out Garden Beds
Start by removing any debris from your yard, garden beds, and other landscaped areas. This includes dead or dying flowers and plants, weeds, and any trash that has blown into the area. Next, you’ll want to test soil levels. Tucson’s soil tends to be alkaline, which isn’t ideal for most plant growth. However, you can amend the soil using bagged outdoor potting soil, manure, compost, and mulch. This will create a better growing environment for spring and summer flowers and plants. Add about one to three inches of material to enhance the texture, moisture, and nutrient level of the soil in any areas in which you want to plant new items. For young shrubs and trees or delicate plants, add a two to three inch layer of wood chips or straw to protect the roots from intense heat.
Inspecting Irrigation Systems
The next thing you want to do is inspect your irrigation system. Walk along the system and do a visual inspection for rusted, corroded, or damaged hoses and fasteners. Look for signs of leaks, clogged nozzles, broken heads, and missing parts. Also inspect the vegetation and growth in each area, keeping an eye out for areas that are dry, dead, soggy, or oversaturated. Then inspect the controller settings, including the valve box. Look for signs of damage from weather, sun, heat or cold, or insect or rodent activity. Clean all of the filters in a drip system, and clean the spray nozzles for spray systems to remove build-up or sediment. If you have a smart or programmable irrigation system, adjust the schedule to account for rising temperatures.
Weed Control and Prevention
You should commit to pre- and post-emergence weed control seasonally, or every three or four months. Early spring is the best time to tackle all of the weeds that have sprouted after winter rains. Pull weeds from all areas, and apply a weed control treatment to prevent future growth. You can also investigate methods like landscaping cloth, mulch, or landscaping gravel to suppress weed growth in vulnerable areas.
Preventing Heat Damage
Finally, be proactive about preventing heat damage in delicate plants. Even with an irrigation system, certain trees, shrubs, and plants are vulnerable to sun damage. UV exposure can scorch leaves, and heat and sun can cause rapid evaporation of water before it reaches the plants’ roots. Use temporary or permanent shade structures to provide shelter for at-risk plants. Water them deeply in the early morning so that the water can penetrate the soil to the roots. Use two or three inches of mulch to protect the roots from harsh sun.
Our landscape experts at Horticulture Unlimited can offer comprehensive guidance in spring landscape preparation in Tucson. We provide ongoing and seasonal landscape maintenance, tree care, trimming and pruning, irrigation services, and weed control along with landscape design and renovation. Call us today or contact us online to set up an initial consultation and get personalized spring landscape maintenance tips in Arizona.