While landscapes do provide a host of aesthetic and functional benefits to us, they do require maintenance in return. At their core, landscapes are organic, meaning that they will constantly be growing and changing. In order to retain their health and desired appearance, intervention is required.
Due to the sheer variety of combinations that emerge from having different features and conditions, landscaping maintenance can be a tall order. To give property owners an idea of the range of mandatory tasks, we have written an introductory guide here. In this article, we shall cover 6 main activities that need to be performed to ensure the health of your landscape.
Pruning & Shearing For Hedges
A hedge is a boundary formed by closely grown shrubs, bushes or trees. While traditionally used as a demarcation of space or a natural fence to separate properties, a hedge can also be designed to mimic a shape for aesthetic purposes. Over growth of hedges is a common occurrence when regular maintenance is not carried out. In this case, hedges may begin to obstruct pathways or lose their original shape.
To keep hedges healthy, proper pruning is required. As more buds grow on the external surface of hedges, sunlight is increasingly blocked out from the interior. Consequently, without sunlight, the interior will suffer, resulting in failing health. Pruning helps to remove excessive growth on the exterior, thereby creating gaps for sunlight to reach the interior.
Pruning is also essential for the removal of dead, diseased or damaged stems. When these stems are left unaccounted for, the interior of the tree becomes a ripe environment for insects and diseases due to decay.
Finally, shearing is used to maintain the desired shape of hedges. A type of pruning technique, shearing involves removing large amounts of plant material in order to shape the plant. In particular, landscape professionals practice keeping the base of the plant wider than the top. This is done to ensure that all parts of the plant receive adequate sunlight.
