When you make a large landscaping investment, you need to protect it. You need meticulous landscape maintenance that nurtures the garden environment.
Having a certified horticulturist to supervise plant health assures your specimen plants will thrive and that the landscape grows into all it was envisioned to be by the landscape designer.
When landscape technicians are trained in a horticultural approach to landscape maintenance and garden care they bring the extensive knowledge, specialized skill, and top-notch equipment needed to keep your beloved gardens looking their best.
Why You Need the Expertise of a Horticulturist
These are the three most important reasons to work with a landscape company that maintains a certified horticulturist to oversee the work of landscape technicians:
1 Extensive Knowledge Base
Different plants have different nutrient requirements. In fact, every plant in your landscape has different basic needs in regards to moisture, sun exposure, and soil composition. They may also require unique pruning, specialized care techniques, or have different tolerances against insects and disease.
What this means is that without specific knowledge and expertise, your plants may not maintain good health and express their full potential.
2 Specialized Care and Maintenance
A horticulturist can offer specialized care such as periodic soil testing, which reveals whether the condition of the soil is correct for a particular plant. Soil composition can noticeably affect the health and beauty of your landscape.
Since soil composition changes over time, a horticulturist will regularly analyze the soil to see if anything needs to be adjusted in terms of nutrients, pH level, moisture retention, and drainage to best support the plant. There’s a bit of chemistry required for a horticulturist to provide the appropriate soil amendments for the best nutrient uptake.
For example, azaleas like acidic soil. The same goes for hydrangeas. For true blue flowers, hydrangeas need an acidic soil with a pH of 5.5 or less. For pink flowers, neutral or alkaline soils (pH 6.5 or higher) are preferred.
A horticulturist can adjust the pH level in your soil to get you the exact color combinations you want in your garden, and that’s just one example of the specialized care they can provide.
3 Top-Notch Equipment
High-quality equipment and tools can make a significant difference in supporting the health and beauty of your landscape. This translates into tools that are sharp so cuts are clean and not partly crushed or torn, which invites disease and insects.
Your landscape crew is going to have a variety of different types of equipment at their disposal, and be trained in how best to use each tool for each task.
Even if some tools only get used a few times a year, it’s essential to have them on hand to ensure the proper equipment is always available to get the job done effectively and correctly.
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What’s the difference between a conventional landscape company and one whose staff understands design, horticulture, and landscape systems? To find out, click the button below.
Characteristics of a Top Landscape Firm
Here are a few characteristics to look for when you are considering a landscape company to take care of your property:
Trained, Motivated Personnel
Look for a firm that invests in ongoing training and long-term retention of their employees. Firms that continuously improve themselves through training stay up-to-date with industry best practices and demonstrate a commitment to excellence that you want.
Ask the firm how long their employees have been with them. Employees stay with a company when they feel they are part of a successful team.
Take time to observe the crew in action the first time they come to work on your yard. A crew that moves through a property with purpose and efficiency, instead of racing to get the job done, is the type of crew you want.
Industry certifications or association memberships
Top landscape firms will invest in high standards for their employees and themselves. This means they will hire certified horticulturists and train staff to become certified landscape technicians.
They’ll also be active in industry associations such as the Landscape Contractors Association (LCA). Membership indicates a dedication to high standards and up-to-date practices.
Courtesy & Safety
Your landscape firm will be at your house regularly—and you want to feel assured that they are looking out for you, your neighbors, and your property.
For example, you want to see them stop working for a few seconds (shut off their equipment) when a neighbor strolls by or when you pull into your driveway and get out of your car. In this case, courtesy and safety go hand in hand.
When the crew is spreading fertilizer, you’ll want to see that they sweep the excess off of driveways and walkways, and post a notice about what they’ve done.
This sort of courtesy and awareness is a clear example of a top-notch company and someone you want to work on your landscape.
The Benefit of Having a Horticulturist on the Team
Your landscape is a growing, living system. It must be managed, maintained, shaped, and taken care of. A landscape firm that’s dedicated to high standards and up-to-date practices will employ certified horticulturists to ensure your gardens receive precisely the care they need to thrive.
Perhaps you’ve been wondering how to bring out the fullest expression in your landscape and gardens. Our eBook: Choosing the Right Kind of Landscape Maintenance Firm, is full of valuable information to help you understand the fundamental differences between landscape maintenance companies.