Aftercare
Thank you for choosing Bens Landscaping!

At Ben’s Landscaping we know how important your property is to you. Therefore, in order to maintain your newly installed landscape and keep it looking its finest we compiled an aftercare guide. In it you will find information that will hopefully answer all of your questions reguarding your new landscape.

WATERING

Water trees and shrubs with a plain hose or one fitted with a nozzle using a slow trickle. Trees should receive 20-30 minutes of water each, shrubs 5-10 minutes each. During the spring and fall months, water these plants twice per week. During the summer months, water two to three times per week.
NEWLY INSTALLED ANNUALS, PERENNIALS, SMALL SHRUBS AND GROUND COVERS:
In general, freshly installed annuals should be watered every day. Your project manager will be able to tell you about the individual watering needs of your perennials, small shrubs and ground covers for both the new-installation period and for long-term care. For these smaller plants, a sprinkler works just fine. Turn the sprinkler on during the day (preferably in the early morning or late afternoon, when the temperature is not at its peak), and let it run for approximately 2 hours.
**Please note that a plant's watering needs are affected by weather, sun and soil conditions, as well.
TREES, SHRUBS, AND SMALL PLANTS
Ben’s Landscaping includes an initial organic fertilization with all our plant installations. Therefore, it is not necessary for you to add any fertilizers to your new landscaping this year. However every spring you should apply new fertilizer, 10-10-10, available at most nurserys and garden centers works just fine.
TRIMMING AND PRUNING
In general trimming dead or crossing branches and unwanted growth when ever they appear is OK. Just be sure that you do not trim more than one-third of the plant at any given time. With newly installed trees and large shrubs, it is best not to prune or trim more than is absolutely necessary. This is because you do not want to over-stress the plants as they adjust to their new environment. Early spring and late fall are the best times to trim your new plant material. Once desired size of plant is achieved, you will want to keep it trimmed to that height. If you allow your shrubs to get large, and then try to trim them back, it will result in a bare and “branchy” shrub.
MULCHING
Mulch helps the soil in planting beds retain water, reduces soil temperature fluctuations, retards weed, helps reduce soil erosion and compaction, and provides nutrients to the soil as it breaks down. Mulch should be spread evenly to about two to three inches in depth. Do not pile too much mulch under shrubs or around the base of tree trunks, however. You want to keep these areas as clear as possible, which means a thin layer is all you need.
When your landscaping was installed, Ben’s Landscaping laid down the proper amount of mulch for your project, so you will probably not need to spread more for at least the next 6 months to a year. The exception to this would be if extreme weather conditions in your area (such as flooding or severe rain or snow melt run-off). You may want to flip your mulch in a few months to revive color lost to sun fading. Each spring you will want to top coat your beds with fresh mulch.
Sometimes fungus may appear in mulch. Fungus is a normal part of the decomposing process of wood mulch, and it is usually harmless to plants. Fungus most commonly appears between April and November, after it has rained. Those unsightly clumps, clusters or slimy patches you see on your mulch may be orange, yellow, or brown, depending on what variety you have.
The mulch in your planting beds should be watered along with your plants so that it is nice and moist. Let the mulch dry out between waterings, but not to the point of cracking. Try not to water on heavily overcast or rainy days, as this will result in fungus (such as mushrooms) or mold. Following these steps will help keep your planting beds healthy and looking good.
YOUR PLANT MATERIAL WARRANTY INFORMATION
Ben’s Landscaping provides a full one year warranty on all of our plant material. Any plant material which dies during this one year period, will be replaced ONE TIME with another shrub or tree of that kind, provided the plant has been properly cared for and the loss is not due to weather conditions, animal damage, neglect, or human error (over or under watering, or over fertilizing). If death of the plant is related to weather conditions such as excess rainfall in a period of time or extremely cold temperatures during the winter, the warranty shall be voided. We cannot control the weather anymore than you can and cannot be held responsible for damage of plants caused by such. If that particular shrub is no longer available to us, Ben’s Landscaping reserves the right to replace it with a shrub or tree of equal value.