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Kim Todd, Extension Landscape Specialist

Terri James, Extension Educator - State EMG Volunteer Program Coordinator

SLIDO.COM #L163

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You are the manager of your landscape

Highest

Lowest

Water

Turf

Earth

Gravel

Pavers w/ sand joints

Concrete

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What do you HAVE (to manage)

What do you NEED (to manage)

What do you WANT (to manage)

What CAN you change?

Anticipate the best

Prepare for the worst

Be happy in the middle

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Seasons are constant

Many recommendations are based on seasonal data

Comparative from year to year

Specific dates and weather events are unpredictable

Timing can be off

Too early/too late can cause damage

Some management is constant

Some management ignores seasons

A simple categorization

Attention can be focused

You may not have all categories

Easier to wrap your hands around it

Easier to prioritize a weekend task

Categories can change

What’s in each category can change*

Categories can change

What’s in each category can change*

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Category first

Season as an overlay

Adjust adjust adjust

Set priorities

Weather or season dependent

Your time and capabilities

Environment

Soils and slopes

Water

Woody trees, shrubs, vines

Herbaceous perennials

Annuals

Turf

Wildlife

Hardscape and constructed elements

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What (kind of soil) do you HAVE?

Clay

Sand

Silt

Loam

Improve structure + composition

Compaction

Compost

Other popular additives

Fertilizers

Cover crops

SOIL TEST!

Resources

• EC 1267 -- Properties of Landscape Soils

EC 1275 -- Plant Nutrients and Soil Fertility

Soil Test -- https://youtu.be/cVOycVZfFDI

Good Soil -- https://youtu.be/n_9MdCZl-0k

Solving Soil Issues -- https://youtu.be/vtWmj90brio

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What (slopes) do you HAVE?

Degree and direction

Stability and cover

Accessibility

Neighboring slopes

Impact on your property

How much (water) do you HAVE and get?

Drainage and runoff

Location

Quality

Protect, direct, preserve

Keep rain water on your property

Redirect downspouts

Rain barrels

Use inputs correctly

Clean grass clippings + inputs off hard surfaces

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Bioswales

Rain Gardens

Ponds

Year-round management

Pond should be at least 60 percent shaded

Fish and critters add to the management

Chemicals to keep the water clear?

Control of algae

Control of weeds

Control of unwanted aquatic critters

Plants in the water

Irrigation

What kind of irrigation system do you use?

Hose and sprinklers

Underground system

Soaker hose

How much water are you adding to your landscape through your preferred irrigation system?

When are you irrigating?

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Conserve water

Mulch…

Hardwood mulch

Straw

Leaves

Pine needles

Grass clippings

Compost

Cover crops

Inorganic

SLIDO.COM #L163

3/12/2018

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The BONES of your landscape

What (trees and shrubs) do you HAVE?

Identify to understand needs, pests, lifespan

Age and condition

Quality when planted

Previous management impacts

Location

Contribution to current and future landscape

Is it yours—or ‘theirs?’

Impact on or of other categories

Companions and zones

‘Attitude’

Manage WHAT it is for WHERE it is

Compaction and soil damage

Foot & vehicular traffic, construction

Water

Low and slow

Drought and wind and competition

Nutrients

Look and see and soil test

Mulch

2”-3” AFTER watering

No mulch against trunks or stems

Watch ‘mulch pizza’ formation

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Irrigation

Newly planted trees & shrubs need regular watering

Weeks after planting Watering frequency

1-2 Daily

3-12 Every 2-3 days

Until established Weekly

Establishment time & watering volume for newly

planted trees

Caliper (inches) Root establishment

time for trees

(years)

Water applied

during each

irrigation (gallons)

1 1.5 1-1.5

2 3 2-3

3 4.5 3-4.5

4 6 4-6

5 7.5 5-7.5

6 9 6-9

https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-

garden/trees-shrubs/watering-new-trees-

shrubs/index.html

What do you HAVE (to prune)

Cut it twice—or NOT!!

Safety

Dead/diseased material

Manage disease and pests—sometimes

Aesthetics

Size and form

Desired appearance

Produce strong plant (training)

Renewal

Rejuvenation

Influence fruiting

Plant category + season + timing

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What do you NEED (to fertilize)

What needs what and when?

LOOK AND SEE: Inspect trees & shrubs Color changes in leaves

Reduced leaf size

Early fall color

Overall reduced growth/vigor

Don’t forget a soil test

Rule out environmental (abiotic) stress before jumping for the fertilizers

Plant category + season + timing

Good planting techniques

Examine the roots – good roots good start

A $100 hole for a $10 plant

Consider planting in the fall

Staking only if needed and then only for 1 growing season

Mulching

2-3 inches of mulch on newly planted trees/shrubs

Keep mulch away from trunks

Extend the mulch beyond the drip line

Pruning

Right plant right place will help with pruning

Why prune?

Dead

Diseased

Shape

Size

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Trees and shrubs GROW! Know what their mature size will be!

New plants - Choose wisely

Know your environment

Light/shade

Ground slope, soil type, sidewalk, etc.

Where is your tree/shrub going to go?

What kind of management do you want to do on the plant?

Add diversity

Follow good design principles

Order

Unity

Rhythm

Scale

Balance

Emphasis

Resources

EC 1264 -- Planting the Landscape

EC1270 -- Signs and Symptoms of Unhealthy Plants

EC 1274 -- Mulching the Landscape

Go! Gardening Soil Test -- https://youtu.be/f0UXAo8R87M

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What (perennials and bulbs) do you HAVE

What (annuals) have you tried or do you WANT

Age and condition

Quality when planted

Previous management impacts

Location

Contribution to current and future landscape

Impact on or of other categories

Companions and zones

‘Attitude’

If they aren’t where you want them, can you move them?

Manage WHAT it is for WHERE it is

Flat, berm, depression, raised bed

OR CAN IT/SHOULD IT BE MOVED?

Just because you have it doesn’t mean you should…

Native, introduced, exotic, aggressive, invasive

Compaction and soil damage

Foot & vehicular traffic, construction

Compost as a topdressing

Water

Low and slow; based on plants’ needs

Understand symptoms of underwatering/overwatering

Signal plants

Drought and wind and competition

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Nutrients

Look and see and soil test

Is it a nutrient issue, a pest or disease? Herbicide damage?

Acceptable damage threshold

Acceptable management techniques

Weed control

Hoe hoe hoe—but not around shallow-rooted plants

Mulch

No more than 2” AFTER watering

No mulch against crowns

Watch ‘mulch pizza’ formation

Some natives & heat lovers fail in organic mulch

Resources

EC1266 -- Integrated Pest Management for Landscapes

EC1260 -- Landscape Diagnostic Guide for Problems Affecting Wood Ornamentals and Herbaceous Perennials

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What (variety of turf) do you HAVE?

Warm season

Cool season

Soil

Soil test

Reduce compaction

Topdress with compost

Improves drainage and soil texture

Provides organic matter

Can attract beneficial organisms

Mowing

Mow at 3-3 ½” all season

Do not remove more than 1/3 leaf surface at a time

Leave clippings-–eliminates need for one fertilization

Water

Test irrigation system for coverage (if you have one)

Ideal 1” per week

Cool season turfs can go dormant in summer & recover

Aerate turf – if needed

Thicken turf

Reseed or overseed

Spring

Fall

Dormant

Sod

Pests, Diseases, Insects, Weeds

Acceptable threshold to you

Know what you HAVE before you treat! – proper ID is important

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Turf Resources

Turf.unl.edu

EC 1269 -- Managing Turf and Landscape Weeds

EC1557 -- Integrated Turfgrass Management

EC170 -- Common Grasses of Nebraska: Rangeland, Prairie, Pasture (Including Grass-Like Plants)

Weeds of the Great Plains, Published by Nebraska Department of Agriculture

What (wildlife) do you HAVE?

wildlife.unl.edu

What (wildlife) do you WANT?

Good. Bad. Ugly

Know and understand what does what to landscapes

What is the damage or impact threshold you can ‘live with?’

Know your ‘options’ for control

Can you plant extra for bunnies or birds?

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Resources

EC 1279 -- Wildlife Damage Management for Nebraska Master Gardeners

I want to…

Environment and content of landscape

Microclimates

Soil -- type, slope, degree direction

Sun/shade -- patterns, length, season, density

Wind -- direction, speed

Water -- rain, irrigation, humidity, snow, fog

Temperature -- Hot, cold, extremes

Design intent

Function -- physical, mental, social

Management

Aesthetics

Resource efficient landscapes

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Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.