When hiring a landscaping company, it’s important to recognize that making a phone call is only the first step in ensuring a polished yard. There are both pre- and post-service tasks you can do in order to help your landscaping company do the best job they can and keep your yard looking great. Keep reading to find out what those tasks are.

What to Do Before the Landscaping Company Arrives

You can help your landscapers successfully care for your yard by ensuring that they have unhindered access to it. You can do so by picking up your yard equipment prior to their arrival. By picking up items like hoses, children’s toys, and patio furniture, you will both help the workers focus on your yard and protect your belongings from being unintentionally damaged. If your pets spend time outdoors, be sure to clean up after them too!

If your yard requires grading, which is common with new builds, there are extra pre-arrival tasks you can do to ensure successful landscaping. You should cut any weeds in your yard that are taller than three inches and water the clay along the foundation of your house for at least two weeks prior to the final grade. This will remove any potential air pockets and allow the clay to settle so there is less of a chance that the final grade will settle after installation.

What to Do After the Landscaping Company Arrives

Once you’ve paid to have a landscaping company transform your yard from overgrown and overrun to polished and pristine, you’re going to want to keep it that way. For the first few weeks after new plants and shrubs are installed, be sure to water them as directed. Water the roots and surrounding areas gently, and be sure that you’re not overwatering them. You want the roots to be saturated, not suffocated.

If you’ve had new sod installed, you should water it immediately. In order to ensure the water penetrates all areas of sod and the soil below, be sure to water evenly. This needs to be done in the first couple of weeks post-installation so that a root system can be established and the sod will be able to flourish.

While these tips are meant to encourage a successful landscaping experience, you should always speak with the company you’ve hired about what they suggest you do before and after services. Having this open line of communication will protect you and your family; the workers; and, ultimately, your yard.