Alternative landscaping techniques - You can do it!

Alternative landscaping techniques such as nature-scaping and xeriscaping are some of the most popular projects we do every year. Xeriscaping is a viable alternative to traditional landscaping. Xeriscaping conserves water and protects the environment by reducing water use. It needn't result in cactus and rock garden landscapes. Rather, cool, green landscapes can be achieved and maintained with water-efficient practices. Xeriscaping incorporates seven basic water-reducing principles:

1. Planning and design. Consider sunlight, soil and drainage conditions; desired maintenance level; which existing plants will remain; plant and color preferences; and budget.
2. Soil improvement. Mix peat moss or compost into soil before planting to help the soil retain water. Use terraces and retaining walls to reduce water run-off from sloped yards.
3. Appropriate plant selection. Choose low-water-using flowers, trees, shrubs, and groundcovers. Many of these plants need watering only in the first year.
4. Practical lawns. Limit the amount of grass area. Plant ground-covers, indigenous plants, or slow-growing, drought tolerant vegetation. If replanting lawns, use drought-tolerant grass seed mixes.
5. Efficient irrigation. Install water-efficient drip or trickle irrigation systems.
6. Effective use of mulches. Use a 3-inch deep layer of mulch, such as pine needles, shredded leaves, or bark. Mulch keeps soil moist, prevents erosion, and smothers weeds.
7. Appropriate maintenance. Properly timed fertilizing, weeding, pest control, and pruning preserve a landscape's beauty and water efficiency

Naturescaping returns native plants and wildlife habitat to your yard or community. Naturescaping conserves water and energy, reduces water and soil pollution, and creates wildlife habitat. The practice is founded on the use of native plants that are naturally resistant to local pests and diseases. Once established, native plants can often survive on rainwater alone. Naturescaping areas can be created by replanting a section of lawn with a wildflower meadow, a hummingbird and butterfly garden, or plants and trees selected for seeds, fruit, and nectar, and nesting boxes.

When creating a naturescape, it is important to include four elements: food, water, shelter, and adequate space. Keep the following steps in mind when creating a naturescape in your yard or community:

1. Visit "wild" places and naturescaped sites and imagine how these landscapes would fit in your yard or community.
2. Educate yourself and your community. Learn about native plants and basic design and care concepts. Attend workshops, and read plant and design books.
3. When you are ready to develop a site plan, choose a small, viewable site. When planning, consider maintenance, water, gardening, and feeder access. Know the existing conditions of the area shade/sun, wet/dry, wind patterns, drainage, existing plants and animals. Once you develop a plan and you have obtained any necessary permits, you are ready to gather your material and begin.

Just a few notes to get you thinking about retrofitting a water hungry green giant! (Your Lawn)

Lawn and Yard Care Itemized List

What it takes to keep it green is sometimes tough to visualize. Add up your costs for these items and see what you could be saving!

Lawn and yard care for theNorthern Nevada home is more than mowing the lawn.

If you’re a busy do-it-yourself enthusiast, you know what we’re talking about. But for the rest of you – here’s the list of items you require to measure against our annual care and control. Jot down estimated prices on each of these items – and then factor in the time it takes to treat and maintain each and every aspect of your lawn and yard and it’s clear there might be better things you could be doing with your time.

• Garbage bags
• Reseeding for pet/animal urination kill
• Moss control
• Spot weed control
• Leaf fungus control
• Aeration/Thatching
• Dump fees
• Pesticides
• Fungicides
• Insecticides
• Herbicides
• Systemic for trees
• Systemic for Rose’s
• Garden fertilizers
• Flower fertilizers
• Plant fertilizers
• Tree fertilizers
• Rubber gloves to handle harsh chemicals

State board found companies completed substandard workmanship | NNBW.com

Reno Lawn & Landscape wants you to be aware of the challenges you'll face out there as you decide on a licensed contractor to build your dream landscape. Not all companies are created equal - and not all companies come with the licensed, trained and professional teams you'll find at Reno Lawn & Landscape. This reminds us of an article we wrote for Nevada Home Magazine last year talking about hiring your landscape contractor. Take a look and let us know what you think. (I just reposted to the Ideas to Grow blog this morning)

In the mean time, take a look at the latest Northern Nevada Business Weekly column highlighting recent issues with local services.

State board revokes license of granite contractor from Reno | NNBW.com: "In other disciplinary hearings last week, ***** Landscaping, ****** Concrete and Pavers and******* Painting of Reno were fined $400 and told to pay $7,000 to an injured party after the board found the companies completed substandard workmanship and failed to establish financial responsibility."

Evaluating a landscape contractor?

Question I’m evaluating a landscape contractor who has a current contractor’s license. That’s all I should be concerned about, right?

Response It’s a common misconception that a contractor’s license relieves you, the homeowner, from liability should a worker get hurt while on your landscaping job. Unfortunately, that’s far from the truth. A contractor’s license only stipulates qualifications to perform certain work. It doesn’t mean the contractor has provided his workers all the necessary insurance as required by law.

Without workers comp and liability insurance, homeowners are often shocked to find themselves the target of lawsuits by injured workers.

When considering landscapers, be certain:

• Your contractor is actually the person named on the license.
• Workers comp and liability insurance are in place and both are current. Ask to see the documentation.
• Request references and contact them.
• Get a written estimate with timeline. (We will gladly evaluate your estimate at no charge and point out where a contractor could be cutting corners.)

As with any major construction project, solid due diligence always pays for itself. If I can answer any questions, please call me, Lebo, at (775) 827-LAWN.

Nevada Home - January 2010

Nevada Home - January 2010 Talks about lighting your home for the holidays. Our Christmas Decor by Reno Lawn & Landscape team helped to decorate one of the homes in the article and provided some interesting tips as you begin to look into your next holiday lighting project in Reno, Sparks or Carson City.

Reno Lawn and Landscape’s Christmas Décor division provides multi-year residential and commercial contract services that include install, take down, maintenance (especially useful for complicated lighting or weather damage), and storage.

We had a blast decorating the home and you can see, just a simple application of color and splash can make your home so bright and beautiful.

Understanding Weeds - 10 simple steps

Here's a clever article about weed prevention from Susan Donaldson at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension written for the Reno Gazette-Journal.

I know it's past time to set New Year's resolutions, but one might have slipped past you.

How about resolving to do a better job controlling your weeds next growing season? Or maybe there's another way to look at it -- what can you do to help your weeds flourish? If you understand what encourages weed growth, you'll know what not to do this year.

Here's a 10-step program to ensure hearty weeds. If that's not your goal, please don't follow these steps.

1. Ignore your landscape. Spend as much time as possible in the house so you won't have to see any of those nasty weeds. Wait as long as possible to control them, so that it's extra difficult.
2. Clear every speck of vegetation off your property. The bare ground is like a magnet for weeds. They'll come and fill the voids before you know it.
3. Don't worry about identifying individual weeds. You can use a one-size-fits-all approach to controlling them -- think shotgun approach.
4. Who cares how they reproduce? Just pull them all, including the weeds that spread from root fragments. They can't really be that good at growing back, can they?
5. Wait to control the weeds until they've set seed and dried out. That way, you can make sure there's a lot of seed in the soil so the weeds will grow next year.
6. Use the cheapest fill dirt and mulch you can find. So what if it's full of weed seeds and roots?
7. Plant invasive vegetation. It'll take over and fill all that bare ground.
8. Water your weeds. After all, it's too much trouble to restrict irrigation water to just the plants you want.
9. When using the chemical shotgun approach, spray everything in sight. Use more than the label says. Spray repeatedly. Ignore the advice on the label. (At this point, I have to advise you that the information on the label is a legal requirement. If you don't follow it carefully, you could be in violation of the law, with large fines and penalties possible. So please don't take my tongue-in--cheek steps seriously!)
10. When using pre-emergence herbicides, apply them anytime. Who cares if the weeds have already sprouted. And don't worry about watering them according to label directions -- that doesn't apply to me, does it?

Now that you know how to make your weeds grow, you can start to develop a plan to accomplish just the opposite. Monitor your landscape early and often. Some weeds sprout in February. By learning more about the weeds on your property, you'll be able to identify the best control methods. Once they start to grow, bring samples of the weeds to Cooperative Extension, 5305 Mill St., and we'll identify them for free and provide control recommendations.

Susan Donaldson is water quality and weed specialist for the western area of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

Weed Control Is Important – But Doing It Right Includes Doing It Legally

As a Northern Nevada homeowner, you need to be careful about who you hire – this almost goes without saying. But it’s far more important to know that the person putting potentially hazardous materials on your property are fully licensed by the state and have the skills and knowledge to correctly treat your property. The lives of your children, pets and plants depend on it. To find out how we can help you control your weeds, visit our Weed Control page.

According to Lee Lawrence, Pest Control Operator Licensing and Enforcement Nevada Department of Agriculture, the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDOA) contacted several landscape maintenance companies to inquire about their pre-emergent herbicide application practices.

The NDOA discovered that many of the companies offered to perform pre-emergent herbicide applications regardless of whether they had a Nevada pest control license or how big the job was.

The NDOA is on the look out for non-licensed gardeners and landscape maintainers who perform one of these three important actions:

1. No advertisement or solicitation to perform weed control or other types of pest control.
   The NDOA is constantly on the lookout for unlicensed companies or individuals who place pest control ads in the yellow pages, on fliers, business cards, on websites, post pest control services on Craigslist, etc. Such ads by unlicensed entities are “serious violations” and can result in a minimum fine of $500.00. Therefore advertising or soliciting to perform weed control or other forms of pest control by unlicensed entities is strictly prohibited.
   
   
2. No use of “power equipment” to apply herbicides or other types of pesticides.
   Simply stated, the use of any motorized equipment to apply a herbicide, insecticide, fungicide or other pesticide, can only be done by a licensed pest control professional.
   
   
3. A pesticide application must be a part of a maintenance service for which charges can not exceed 20% of the charges for the entire maintenance service.
   In other words, in addition to the points presented above, any time a charge is made for a pesticide application, the charge must be part of an overall maintenance service and must not exceed 20% of service charges. During the NDOA’s initial contact with the unlicensed landscape companies it was determined that criteria #3 was the most violated of the three points listed above because the pre-emergent application they were offering was not 20% or less of an existing maintenance service.

As a final note, some of the companies contacted believed that since they were using over the counter herbicides they were exempt from the issue of whether or not they needed a pest control license. Their belief was incorrect. It is the service that matters, not where the product was purchased.

This blog post was born from a post by Lee Lawrence, Pest Control Operator Licensing and Enforcement Nevada Department of Agriculture, on the NDOA web site.

If you have any questions about Nevada’s pest control license laws or would like to find out about acquiring a Nevada pest control license contact Lee Lawrence at the Nevada Department of Agriculture (775) 353-3671.