Landscaping may appear to be very simple to most people. However, it is actually quite complicated. At its highest level, landscaping is viewed as an art form, but it’s also highly accessible to common folks. Here are some resources for landscapers.
Diseases in plants can effectively destroy even the best landscaping. It’s important to look for signs of disease so that it can be nipped in the bud before it has a chance to spread and cause more damage. Diseases tend to be a long-term problem when they occur.
- Disease Control in the Landscape
- Homeowner’s Guide to Fungicides for Lawn and Landscape Disease Management
- Disease & Bug Descriptions
- Diseases of Landscape Plants
- Preventing Disease In Landscaping
Fertilizing is a valuable part of any landscaping operation as it helps plants grow more quickly and larger than normal. In landscaping, fertilizers also provide the essential nutrients so the plants appear healthy. However, using too much or the wrong types can have adverse effects on the plants so it’s best to learn more about fertilizers.
- Landscaping And Fertilizing
- Fertilizer and Pesticide Guidelines
- Gardener’s Guide to Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs
- Fertilizing Trees
- Fertilizing Landscape Plants
One of the biggest threats to any garden or similar space is insects. While insects are a natural part of the life cycle, many people do not want to deal with the damage a bug naturally brings. Keeping pests out can be tough but it can be done.
- Timing Control Actions for Landscape Insect Pests
- Insect Problems
- Insect Fact Sheet
- Insect and Mite Pests
- Quick Tips for Managing Home and Landscape Pests
Irrigation and Water Quality
Water is necessary for any type of plant to survive, which means a garden or similar space needs a good irrigation system. It’s important to get to water to the plants quickly and easily. The water quality also needs to be good so it does not cause damage to the plants.
- Best Landscape Irrigation Practices
- Irrigation Water Quality for the Nursery and Landscape
- Landscape Irrigation For Elevated Salinity
- Turf and Landscape Irrigation Best Management Practices
Just as with everything else, a properly landscaped space needs to be properly maintained to prevent all of the hard work from going to waste. This includes trimming the plants, watching for insects, and anything else that needs to be done to ensure the plants are healthy.
- Landscape Maintenance Tips
- Landscape Maintenance Association
- Home and Garden Tips
- Top Ten Landscape Maintenance Tips
Nursery and Landscape Organizations
For anyone who wants to be respected in the landscaping business, it’s important to know about nurseries and landscape organizations. Members of these organizations often get more respect and are more trusted.
- ANLA: American Nursery and Landscape Association
- Utah Nursery and Landscape Association
- National FFA Organization
- List of Organizations
- American Horticultural Society
- American Society of Landscape Architects
- Associated Landscape Contractors of America
Pruning is also necessary for a plant’s health. Cutting off dead or dying parts of a plant frees the rest of the plant to grow in an uninhibited manner. It can also prevent a plant from dying because too many dead parts can kill a plant.
- Proper Pruning Techniques
- How to Prune Trees
- Pruning Trees and Shrubs
- Pruning Rose Gardens
- Pruning Grapevines
Soils and Media
The content of the soil used to grow plants is important as well. A good landscaper will take extra care in learning about the composition of certain soils. Some soils may be suitable for some plants, but not others.
Weeds are plants but they’re really considered the lowest of the low. Weeds crop up around healthy plants and steal all the nutrients, killing the other plants while they grow stronger. Most weeds are naturally unattractive as well, so getting rid of them is important.
In places where it gets very cold in the winter, some plants will never survive. Other hardy plants are able to survive the tough wintry conditions. Make sure a plant can survive in a certain climate before you plant it or it will just die once the winter months come!