Landscape Maintenance

J. Downend Landscaping, Inc. uses the “Greenest” methods possible when cleaning up leaf litter from any property with techniques such as mulching with mowing equipment and composting at off site locations, we ensure that our natural resources are not wasted in landfills or burned in incinerators.

Our process uses the following techniques:

• Timing – The clean-up process is a hard thing to put a timeline on as it is dependant on Mother Nature. We typically begin our clean-up process starting around Mid-October and will continue on through Late December.
• Leaf Clean-up – We will use multiple pieces of equipment such as lawn mowers, wheeled leaf blowers, back pack leaf blowers and rakes to clear all turf and landscape beds of fallen leaf litter and twigs. During this clean-up process certain perennial plants will be cut back and removed also. Some of the fallen leaves and plant material will be chopped up and mulched back into the turf areas were beneficial bacteria will decompose the vegetation and help amend the existing soil.
• Leaf Removal – After piles have been made our specially designed trucks and commercial grade leaf vacuums arrive to haul the leaves to our off site composting sites. We never haul our leaves to county incinerators or to any local landfills.

From fertilizing to weed and insect control, proper lawn care requires a lot of time and dedication. By using our professional services to care for your lawn, you can rest assure that your lawn is getting the best care available.

• Fertilization – When applied correctly, fertilizer can improve both the color and density of your lawn, making it less prone to weeds, insects and other pests.
• Weed Control – Through the use of pre-emergent and post-emergent weed controls, J. Downend Landscaping, Inc. can remove weeds before they have a chance to overrun the health and beauty of any turf. With proper cultural practices, including I.P.M. (Integrated Pest Management) and continued treatment we can keep them out.
• Insect Control – The most serious insects of turf feed on living turf and are not found in dead areas. Insects found in completely dead patches generally are not responsible for the damage. If the turf looks damaged, wilted, and water-starved, then an insect may be involved. Though we can plan for some insects through historical data, we can use I.P.M. (Integrated Pest Management) to proactively address problems that may occur on occasion throughout the year.
• Disease Control – Healthy well maintained turf is the best defense against disease. Even healthy turf is susceptible to hundreds of harmful diseases. Should a disease appear in the turf J. Downend Landscaping, Inc. can advise on the best approach for managing the problem.

Grasses are like most plants; in that if you remove the tips of the plant, the plant branches out and will become denser turning thousands of individual grass plants into a tightly woven lawn. If turf was not mowed on a regular basis, it would look more like a prairie than a lawn. The mere act of mowing isn’t what makes a lawn look good. Mowing height and frequency combined with well maintained equipment determine how healthy and attractive a lawn will be.

• Mowing – Cutting all accessible turf to a consistent height in a professional manner providing a neat and clean appearance.
• Edging – Cutting all turf over hanging hard surfaces back to provide a neat and clean appearance to the borders of the turf areas.
• String Trimming – Cutting all turf that is inaccessible to mowers.
• Weeding – Removal of undesirable plant material within the landscape beds and tree rings. This will be done either by manual removal or by spaying with a non-selective herbicide.
• Clean-up of clippings – After all turf areas have been mowed, edged and string trimmed, the clippings are removed with commercial blowers to provide the site with a clean appearance.

Leaves, branches, and debris will be removed from the turf, landscape beds, tree rings and all hardscape surfaces prior to our initial mowing of the season. All beds will be weeded and cleared of winter debris prior to the outside edges of the beds being given a sharp, vertical, well-defined edge. We will then install a commercial grade pre-emergent herbicide to all planting beds prior to mulching the newly cleaned beds and tree rings with a premium double shredded hardwood bark mulch applied at depth of 1-2” according to contract specifications.

Our process uses the following techniques:

• Spring Clean-up – Crews begin by removing all leaves, branches and debris from all landscape beds and tree rings. Once all beds areas are cleared, we begin the process of installing a sharp, well-defined vertical edge along the outside edge using a nursery spade. This will define the bed from the lawn and will provide a barrier between the turf and newly installed mulch.
• Mulching – After all clean-up services have been provided, we begin to install the mulch to all existing landscape beds and tree rings. High quality shredded hardwood mulch will be installed at a minimum depth of (1) one inch and a maximum of (2) two inches. We will use various methods of installation, such as hand mulching and blowing. We use hand installation around tender bulbs, annuals and ground covers in addition to smaller areas such as tree rings so as not to get mulch all over the turf. J. Downend Landscaping, Inc. uses a high capacity mulch blowing machine to install large volumes of mulch consistently to more wide open bed spaces. This method allows us to better speed up the process while controlling costs by using a uniform amount of material.

Our process is a combination of both timing and technique to ensure that all future growth will fill in properly. Our professionally trained staff handles all pruning and trimming of plant material under 15’ in height. Larger trees are typically handled under separate contracts with trained arborists.

• Pruning Deciduous Shrubs – Pruning recommendations for most deciduous shrubs consist of thinning out, gradual renewal, and rejuvenation pruning.
  • Thinning out = a branch is cut off at its point of origin from either the parent stem or ground level. This pruning method results in a more open plant; it does not stimulate excessive new growth, but does allow room for growth of side branches.
  • Gradual renewal pruning = the oldest and tallest branches are removed at or slightly above ground level on an annual basis. Some thinning may be necessary to shorten long branches or maintain a symmetrical shape.
  • Rejuvenation pruning = removing one-third of the oldest, tallest branches at or slightly above ground level before new growth starts.
• Pruning Needled Evergreens – Evergreens should be pruned according to their growth habits. These plants should be allowed to assume their natural shape. Pruning of needled evergreens is a matter of cutting the branches so that a more desirable plant is attained through compact, controlled growth and can be accomplished by selective hand pruning or with shears.
• Pruning Broad-Leaved Evergreens – Broad-leaved evergreens require very little pruning. These plants can go several years without pruning except for some light cosmetic pruning to keep them neat. If too much wood is removed from these plants at anytime, summer or winter, the amount of fruit or flowers is reduced the following season.