While it’s tempting to just start over, pruning may be the best option for your overgrown landscaping It’s tempting to look over a bed of overgrown plants and bushes and say “let’s just start over!” The grasses have decided they belong in the hedges and the evergreens are all brown underneath.
In some places, it’s hard to tell where the weeds end and the perennials begin. It sure looks like it’s too far gone. Or, it’s going to be too mu
ch work to fix it.
A freshly planted landscape does wonder to brighten a home or business. New plants and fresh mulch make a whole building look new and welcoming.
So the only choice is to yank everything out and start over, right? Perhaps.
If you have the budget for replanting, it’s always an option. And for some plants, it is the only option.
For many plants and bushes, however, a proper rejuvenation can produce the same fresh look at a much lower cost. Trimming and pruning breathe new life into plants that may otherwise look unhealthy or even dead. Before you get out the chainsaw, consider your options with rejuvenation.
Rejuvenation will look different for each type of plant currently in your landscape. Some may need light pruning. Others may need to be trimmed back to a fraction of their current size. Still, others will just require some reshaping. No matter what rejuvenation technique your plants require, the process involves removing the old or overgrown branches. This clears up some of the visual clutter of an overgrown bed, and it gives the plant what it needs to generate healthy new growth.
As excess limbs and leaves are trimmed away, “cut points” are determined along the remaining branches. Good cut points allow the plant to generate new, healthy growth.
A newly rejuvenated landscape can look a little sparse. Once everything is cut away and cleared, it may seem like all that’s left are a few sticks poking out of the grown. Not to worry!
Depending on the plant, new growth will appear within a few weeks or months. Within a year, the plants are fully refreshed – much quicker than brand new plants.
Cost is the main reason most people opt to rejuvenate a landscape versus replacing it. The cost of pruning and trimming is typically much less than purchasing and planting everything.
Additionally, a replacement has costs that often get overlooked. New plants require frequent and heavy watering. As young plants with weak root systems, they can struggle in extreme weather. When a new plant is damaged or suffers, you end up replacing it (again). Mature plants require less water than new plants and can tolerate the range of weather they might have to endure.
Beyond costs, though, there are good reasons to consider rejuvenating your landscaping.
Safety may not be something you typically consider in relationship to your landscaping, but a well-maintained and stable landscape does improve the safety of your space.
In a business setting, good pruning will give a clear line of sight for your signage, fire hydrants and other safety and traffic signage. You want people to know where to safely walk and drive to get to your business.
Weather is not something we can control, but believe it or not, rejuvenation can increase your property’s safety during severe storms. A well-rooted plant is less likely to suffer storm or extreme weather damage. Further, mature plants have established branch structure, making them safer than a young tree that can be easily uprooted in a storm. It’s not that the wind is blowing. It’s what the wind is blowing, right?
We don’t want your plants to be what the wind is blowing.
Beyond safety, rejuvenation overall results in healthier, stronger plants. It adds to the visual appeal of your landscape by improving the symmetry or fullness of your plants. Pruning goes deeper than the visuals, however. By removing dead or damaged branches, or by clearing leaves around the outside of a plant, pruning opens up the plant to air and sunlight, giving it everything it needs to grow stronger and more beautiful.
When the first sprouts of green start peeking out of the ground, it’s time to be considering your landscaping plans. Though summer still feels far off, your best results for either replacement of rejuvenation are before plants are in their spring growth phase.
By getting an early start, your plants, new or old, will get a chance to gain strength during the cool, wet spring months. This increases their endurance during the hot, dry months to come.
Plus, it is nice to start thinking about plants and flowers about the time cabin fever hits its peak.
Some plants just don’t do well with pruning. Other plants may not be good candidates for rejuvenation when they are diseased or have too many dead branches. Rejuvenation is also not a good option where deep-rooted plants may cause problems for other underground systems.
Whether you ultimately decide to pull out and replace all of your landscaping or try rejuvenating your current plants, a landscaping expert should be your first call. A landscaping professional can look at all your current plants and tell you whether or not they can be rejuvenated. They can tell you when a plant has too many dead branches to try pruning, and they can tell you how you might be able to bring life back into plants you thought were long gone. An expert can help you look at your budget and weigh the pros and cons of either method for improving your landscaping.
At Twin Oaks Landscape, we are proud to offer the expertise our clients need to make decisions about replacing or rejuvenating commercial or residential landscaping. Our experienced staff will complete a full assessment of the plants in your current landscaping to determine the best course of action to bring new life into your landscaping, all within your budget. Our team is equipped with the skills to complete full landscape replacements, growth-stimulating rejuvenation, and projects that require some of both. We will work to find a solution that matching your specific landscape needs.
No matter your landscaping needs, Twin Oaks can help. Call us today, and we can create a specialized landscape replacement or rejuvenation solution plan that will give you the look you need.
