Landscape Maintenance: Year One
A new landscape is a beautiful (and valuable) addition to your home, but it will require regular maintenance to look its best and bring you joy for decades to come.
In this short series, we’ll visit the yard at four milestones after its installation: one year, two years, five years, and ten years.
Year One: The first year is the most important time for landscape maintenance. This is when new plants are getting accustomed to their new environment, and are at their most vulnerable.
Watering: Even native and low-water plants need regular irrigation to establish strong, drought-tolerant root systems. If your landscape plans already include an irrigation schedule, thank your landscape designer: they’ve given you a head start on providing just the right amount of water to your new plants. If not, the contractor who installed your irrigation system should have programmed the timer based on the types of plants, local microclimates, soil, and type of irrigation equipment. If they didn’t do this, find a certified irrigation auditor to develop a watering schedule for you.
Weeding: Weeds compete with young plants for water and nutrients, so it's important to remove them regularly. February, March, and April are prime months for annual weeds to sprout in the Bay Area, and boy, do they go to seed quickly. You can pull weeds by hand or use a specialized tool such as a stirrup hoe. Full-strength white vinegar or boiling water are organic alternatives to glyphosate (RoundUp®) for killing individual plants or covering small areas. If you have a particularly bad outbreak, chemical controls may be necessary; always use these strictly according to the manufacturer’s directions, and only as a last resort.
Pest control: New leaves and shoots are particularly vulnerable to pests and diseases. Keep an eye out for aphids, powdery mildew, and fireblight, and control them (organically if possible) as soon as you can. Also notice whether any of your hardscape is developing algae or moss, which can be a sign of overspray, and adjust your irrigation if needed.
Pruning: As trees and woody shrubs establish, careful pruning will create a healthy and pleasing form. Remove any dead, diseased, rubbing, or crossing branches. Envision the shape you ultimately want the plant to take, and selectively cut any limbs that aren’t headed in the right direction. However, even if you will want to show off the trunk of the tree or shrub, at this time it’s often advisable to leave lower branches in place, because those lower leaves will help the plant photosynthesize the energy it needs for vigorous growth. Likewise, if you have fruit trees or fruiting shrubs such as blueberries, this year remove all their fruits as soon as they form. It’s heartbreaking, but it forces the plants to put their energy into root development, not fruit production, which will produce much better yields in coming years.
Built Elements: Watch any water features for leaks (frequent refilling and constantly wet areas are a giveaway). Inspect hardscaping for cracks, chips, or loose stones, and make sure walls aren’t starting to lean or slump. Give wooden structures a shake to be sure they’re remaining plumb (vertical) and level (horizontal), and that any connections remain tight. If you notice any of these defects, call back your installing landscape contractor immediately.
The old adage to “begin with the end in mind” is especially true in designing a new landscape. The amount of maintenance needed will vary depending on the type of plants you have, your local climate, and your personal preferences. Make sure your landscape design incorporates budgeting, plant and materials selections, and care strategies that set you up for long-term success.
Next, let’s peek in on Year Two in the new landscape.