Frequently Asked Questions

General/ Tips

Lawn Maintenance

Landscaping & Design

Pest Control

Irrigation

Winterization

What are the best trees to plant in Kansas City?

Kansas and Missouri can support a great variety of tree species, so when you’re considering bringing new trees into your landscaping there are other factors to consider besides whether it’s a native tree. Consider how much water it will need, how much fertilizer and maintenance, the aesthetics you’re going for, and the impact it could have on the existing landscaping. Some splendid trees to consider include Eastern red cedar, oak, or ginkgo trees.

What time of day should I water my lawn?

The best time to water is early in the morning. If you wait until midday, much of your water will evaporate instead of soaking into the ground to give your grass the drink it needs. If you water too late in the evening, the water is more likely to cling to your grass blades which can lead to rot.

Should I mulch every year?

If you’re mulching properly, it’s a good idea to do it yearly. But you have to make sure you’re adding the right amount of mulch so you don’t suffocate your plants.

Should I bag my grass clippings?

We generally only recommend that someone bag clippings when they are dealing with some kind of a disease in their lawn. Bagging isn’t good for the environment, and mulching your clippings is good for your lawn. It’s important to note that a side-discharge mower is NOT the same thing as a mulching mower. If you’re using a side-discharge mower and want to mulch your grass clippings, run over your piles of clipped grass multiple times to mulch them.

How often do I need to water new plants?

You’ll want to give your plants a good drink immediately when they’re planted. For the first week, water them daily or every other day as needed. From the second week onward, you’re good to decrease your watering to two or three times per week until dormant season. If it is extremely hot and dry, you will want to water them more often just like with any existing plants.

What time of year do I seed my lawn? 

Most Kansas City lawns are cool season grass, so the best time to plant is about a month and a half before the first expected frost. This should help the grass grow throughout the fall and continue to grow come spring.

What time of year do I aerate my lawn?

The best time to aerate your lawn is usually the same time that you want to seed it. In the Kansas City area, that’s typically early autumn since we mostly grow cool season grass. Early spring is also a good time to aerate because spring is a growing season for cool season grass.

What types of fertilizer should I use?

With fertilizing, things can seem complicated. Some fertilizers are for leaf growth, others for flower and fruit growth. Fertilizer can be organic or inorganic, which is another factor to consider. Before knowing what kind of fertilizer to use, you would want to perform a soil test in early spring to assess pH and acidity. Once you have the baseline information of your soil, take into consideration the grasses or plants you’re growing. Fertilizer comprises different values of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Different ratios of these nutrients provide different results, but for lawns in particular we favor a high nitrogen-to-potassium ratio for boosted leaf growth.

How often should I mow my lawn?

About once a week is a good rule of thumb for how often to mow a lawn. If you try to lengthen the time between mows by cutting it shorter, you’re actively harming your lawn. You shouldn’t cut more than a third of the blade of grass when you mow if you want optimum lushness.

Does landscaping improve soil drainage?

If your landscaper knows what they’re doing, it can. Sometimes drainage issues can’t be fixed without something like a drain tile, but clever landscaping and shaping of the ground surface can help water drain away rather than soaking into the soil. Drainage solutions are one of our specialties!

What are the best trees to plant in Kansas City?

Kansas and Missouri can support a great variety of tree species! When you’re considering bringing new trees into your landscaping, there are other factors to consider besides whether it’s a native tree. Consider how much water it will need, how much fertilizer and maintenance, the aesthetics you’re going for, and the impact it could have on the existing landscaping. Some good trees to consider include Easter red cedar, oak, or ginkgo trees.

How can I get a green lawn?

You can “fake” it by laying down some fresh sod, or you can work with experts like us to come up with the right fertilizers and lawn treatments to bring a livelier hue to your existing grass.

Does landscape lighting add value?

There are many studies that show homeowners prefer a house with customized, well-designed landscape lighting. In fact, many people experience a property value increase of 20 percent after investing in lights. With more Americans than ever before living in HOAs, it’s a no-brainer that neighborhood landscape lighting will provide a boost to your overall value.

What is the best lumens for landscape lights?

Every HOA community has different needs, so the ideal lumens is going to vary. Typically, you’ll want ground lights, such as those for marking paths, to be around 100 lumens; wall lights would be anywhere from 50 to 185 lumens; flood and motion sensor lights are typically 700 lumens; and underwater lights range from 200 to 400 lumens.

How much does landscape lighting cost?

As with most customized services, there is no surefire way to know what you’re going to spend on landscape lighting until we’ve looked at the neighborhood and assessed your needs.

What is landscape irrigation?

Landscape irrigation is the application of water to landscaping by man rather than nature. AKA, rain isn’t irrigation, but your sprinkler is. Proper irrigation keeps your lawns and gardens thriving, but takes careful management from experts like us.

Does an irrigation system add value?

Yes. Irrigation systems offer energy efficiency and save time for homeowners. With any other system like this, proper maintenance will be necessary to ensure it functions for the long term. Luckily, we’re experts at maintaining irrigation systems as well.

How much does yard irrigation cost?

As with most services we provide, there’s no way of knowing what something will cost until we’ve gotten our eyes on the neighborhood. Factors such as the size of your HOA, number of homes, existing features, micro-climates, and materials needed will all affect your total cost.

What are the types of irrigation?

There are a lot of types of irrigation. There’s surface irrigation, localized irrigation, drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, sub-irrigation, manual irrigation—the list goes on and on. Some types are best suited for major agricultural needs, others work best for communities. Most neighborhood-scale irrigation would be surface, sprinkler, and drip irrigation. Our irrigation pros can assess your needs for best results.

How do I get rid of mosquitos?

You can be proactive with your mosquito treatment by ensuring there isn’t standing water near your homes or common areas (our irrigation expertise can help you prevent standing water, by the way). There are also a variety of natural repellents you can invest in, such as garlic-derived botanicals or citronella candles. For larger scale control, we can help.

How long does mosquito treatment last?

The treatment we use for mosquitos will last about a month. There is no way to 100% eradicate mosquitos, as they do serve an important function in the ecosystem. Our monthly treatments control the populations so they won’t affect you.

Do mosquito treatments really work?

Yep, they really work. Different companies will have different approaches to treating for mosquitos, but there are absolutely effective mosquito treatment options. Our treatments will let your entire community enjoy the beautiful outdoors all summer without being eaten up.

Is it safe to go outside after mosquito spraying?

It sure is! Nothing we put in your HOA community is going to be dangerous for the people living there. Some folks choose to stay inside and keep doors and windows closed during a spraying, but it isn’t necessary. Our mosquito treatments are effective against mosquitos and safe for people and pets.

What is the safest insecticide?

There are quite a few commonly used nontoxic insecticides people turn to for both indoor and outdoor use. Neem oil concentrates and diatomaceous earth are two options people can turn to. Sometimes folks choose to turn to other bugs that will leave their plants unharmed while eating the pests, like nematodes, ladybugs, and praying mantises. We can work with your community to determine the best product or products.

Is it safe to use pesticides?

It can be, but you always have to remember that by nature pesticides are toxic. They’re toxic to pests, humans, and pets alike. Most of that risk can be mitigated through proper education and suitable precautions. In an HOA community, you don’t want someone using pesticides on their own as it could create issues for neighbors.

Is vinegar a good insecticide?

In a pinch, vinegar is a great ingredient for a homemade bug spray to repel things like ants, mosquitos, and midges.

When is the best time to spray insecticide?

Generally, we apply insecticides during the cooler part of the day. The idea is to make sure the plants have time to dry before the temperatures get hot.

What is landscape irrigation?

Landscape irrigation is the application of water to landscaping by man rather than nature. AKA, rain isn’t irrigation, but your sprinkler is. Proper irrigation keeps your lawns and gardens thriving, but takes careful management from experts like us.

How do I winterize my system?

There are a lot of steps to properly winterize an irrigation system and it goes beyond just insulating some pipes and valves. Learn more about our winterization services.

What is smart irrigation?

You didn’t think they’d stop at smart phones and smart homes, did ya? Smart irrigation systems use sensors to monitor weather, soil conditions, evaporation, and plant water content to automatically adjust watering schedules. Traditional irrigation controllers operate on a preset programmed schedule and timers.

How often should I run my sprinkler?

The needs of your lawn and yard plants will vary depending upon the time of year and the weather. That said, most folks recommend sprinklers run only two or three times each week for about a half hour. If it’s arid out, rather than watering more often, you should just have your sprinklers running for longer than usual.

Does an irrigation system add value?

Yes. Irrigation systems offer energy efficiency and save time for homeowners. With any other system like this, proper maintenance will be necessary to ensure it functions for the long term. Luckily, we’re experts at maintaining irrigation systems as well.

How much does yard irrigation cost?

As with most services we provide, there’s no way of knowing what something will cost until we’ve gotten our eyes on the neighborhood. Factors such as the size of your HOA, number of homes, existing features, micro-climates, and materials needed will all affect your total cost.

What are the types of irrigation?

There are a lot of types of irrigation. There’s surface irrigation, localized irrigation, drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, sub-irrigation, manual irrigation—the list goes on and on. Some types are best suited for major agricultural needs, others work best for communities. Most neighborhood-scale irrigation would be surface, sprinkler, and drip irrigation. Our irrigation pros can assess your needs for best results.

What is winterization?

Any preparation done to protect against the damaging effects of winter counts as winterization. Spreading mulch around some plants, trimming, covering grills and patio furniture or moving them indoors, raking up acorns, wrapping some trees or shrubs, and moving potted plants indoors are all examples of winterization.

When should I winterize my lawn?

In Kansas City, we are mostly working with cool-season grasses. It’s best to winterize cool-season grasses with two separate applications of an appropriate fertilizer. One fertilization should be in the early fall, the second would be, typically, mid-November.

Should grass be left short or long for winter?

Part of winterizing your lawn is trimming the grass to the shortest point it’s been at all year. If you want to break out a ruler (which we won’t judge), you’d want your grass to be about 2.5 inches high. This will allow it to continue providing nutrients to the roots while preventing frost from matting up and killing the grass.

Should gardens be covered in the winter?

It’s a good idea to cover your gardens or flower beds with a layer of mulch. This protects the soil but doesn’t suffocate it.

Can’t find the answer to your question? 
Feel free to contact us, we’d be happy to help.