How to deal with unsightly, lawn-smothering sand build up in your New Mexico landscape

Author: Victor Rodriguez; Published: Apr 11, 2011; Category: Landscape Maintenance; Tags: Landscape Maintenance, Sand Build-up, Yard Cleanup; No Comments

Click image to vlew slides.

The recent howling winds in New Mexico not only increase fire danger, topple trees and aggravate our allergies, they also bring lots of dirt and sand into our fragile landscapes. In the Albuquerque area, there are many construction sites that contribute to the sand problem. The build up of sand makes our landscapes look ugly and unkempt. It is important that we remove blow sand from around plants and trees because all that extra dirt can smother them. Sand build up on lawns will affect sprinkler coverage and cause undue stress on the grass. So what do we do?

Protecting your landscape from sand build up

Silt fence is common on construction sites. It is designed to minimize the amount of soil that leaves the construction site from wind or water erosion. Many states and municipalities require construction sites to mitigate dust that results from dirt work. If you live near a construction site that produces a lot of dust you should ask the developer to install sand fencing if they have not already done so. Even then, you may have to install sand fencing around your own yard as a temporary measure until construction is finished. We have installed mile upon mile of silt fencing and can help you.

Removing sand from lawns

Sand in lawns stresses the grass and over time reduces the efficiency of your irrigation system. The key to preventing sand build up on lawn areas is to remove it as soon as possible. You can rake or even sweep off the sand from the lawn in many cases. A high pressure hose or power washer can be used to wash out build up. In cases where sand has built up over time and the grass has grown up through the dirt, it may be necessary to remove the grass with a sod cutter, regrade the area and re-install the lawn. If you opt not to do anything, make sure that you raise your sprinkler heads so that irrigation coverage is not affected. Sand can be siphoned back into the irrigation system by low lying heads, clogging sprinklers.

Removing sand from gravel mulch beds

Blowing sand in graveled areas increases weed problems, suffocates plantings and can infiltrate drip irrigation systems rendering them useless. At the very least, you should shovel away the sand from around trees and plants so that they don’t die. Also check the drip system to make sure it is not plugged up with sand.

Power washing or using a high pressure hose is an option that homeowners can use to remove sand from graveled areas. Often, however, the sand will be washed into the gravel, leaving behind a layer of dirt that weeds love. A better solution is to sift the gravel and physically remove all the sand. Depending on the size of the gravel, a home made screener, using a wooden frame and some type of wire mesh, will produce adequate results. This is very time consuming and labor intensive.

If the job is too big for the do-it-yourself approach, it may advisable to hire a landscape company to clean your gravel. Because of the time and labor involved, there may be a point where the cost of screening the gravel and the cost of removing the gravel and starting fresh may be the same or cheaper. Areas with smaller gravel, such as crusher fines or gravel chips will need to be replaced as they cannot be screened. For larger areas we have an industrial sand screener that can be loaded with a tractor. Call us for pricing.

Removing sand from your landscapes will help to protect your plantings and lawns from future problems. If possible, protect your landscape with silt fencing. Remove sand from your landscape as soon as possible to prevent build up. If the job is too big for you, consider hiring a landscape contractor. Let us know how we can help.

Tips for your spring yard cleanup from a professional cleaner-upper

Author: Victor Rodriguez; Published: Mar 16, 2011; Category: Landscape Maintenance; Tags: Landscape Maintenance, Spring, Trimming Trees, Yard Cleanup; No Comments

Spring is a busy time for planning and reinvigorating our landscapes. There are many aspects to this work that may demand more time and energy or experience than you have available to deal with effectively. Why not reduce your burden and enlist the help of an experienced landscape professional? All it takes is a phone call, and The Hilltop will have a crew at your place tidying up so you can enjoy your yard this spring and summer.

But if you are a die-hard do-it-yourselfer, here’s a little checklist of things that you may want to include in your spring chores.

Leaves and trash

Clean up all the leftover leaves and trash that have accumulated in the landscape over the winter. Cleaning up litter removes hiding places for bugs that can attack your plants later. Add the leaves and other organic debris to your compost pile.

Plants and tree trimming

Most trees and shrubs benefit from annual pruning. It keeps them in shape, gets rid of dead and diseased wood and encourages new growth. But not all trees and shrubs should be pruned early, especially some of the flowering ones. Pruning them early in the spring would mean losing some blossoms. But sometimes it’s easier to prune when you can see the shape of the plant, before the branches are covered by leaves. Trees and shrubs that are in need of a good shaping could sacrifice a few blooms to be invigorated by a spring pruning.

So generally prune flowering trees and shrubs after their spring bloom. If you’re not sure about pruning there are many resources on the web. You may need an expert tree trimmer to handle the bigger trees on your property.

Irrigation system check

If you have an irrigation system, do a thorough check up of the system. Check drip irrigation systems to ensure they are not clogged up. Check that all the valves are working properly as well as backflow prevention devices. Inspect lawn sprinklers for even coverage. This may be the time to add or move a sprinkler head to get rid of that annoying dry spot in your lawn.

Lawn care

After a long winter your lawn needs to be mowed, aerated and fertilized. It’s a good time to patch in or reseed bare spots.

Check the mulch

Walk around your yard and look for bare spots in the mulched beds. Add mulch to areas that are thin. If you have gravel mulch in your beds rake the beds to even out the gravel.

Till the Garden

Till up your garden and add compost or other organics. You can start many vegetables and flowers from seed at this time. Start making plans for your vegetable or flower garden.

Plan summer landscape projects

Spring is a great time to plan ahead for your big summertime projects. If you don’t want to do-it-yourself, you can arrange for a designer to come for an on-site visit and meet to discuss your garden’s problems, potential and what you would like it to be. Whether it’s starting from square one or rehabilitating existing plantings, a landscape professional will be able to recommend the best course of action.

Did I miss anything? What’s your favorite or worst springtime chore? Please comment below.

How much is that yard cleanup estimate gonna cost me?

Author: Tom F.; Published: Feb 16, 2011; Category: Landscape Maintenance; Tags: Affordable Landscaping, Landscape Maintenance, Residential Landscape, Yard Cleanup; 2 Comments

While lining out my men for a residential clean up job, the next door neighbor walked over and said he had noticed the Hilltop truck and wanted to know what kind of landscaping his neighbor was having installed. New pond, BBQ, or perhaps a waterfall?

“No,” I replied, “we are cleaning his yard.”

“You work for Hilltop don’t you?” he asked.

“Yes sir, I do,” I said.

He took a step back and said, “So you work for a large company and yet you are cleaning yards? I don’t get it. Must be hard up for money.”

I informed him that we were the maintenance division and that this is what we do. Laughing he said “Ok, then how much would you charge me to do my yard?”

I said, “Well, show me what you want done and I’ll get you an estimate.”

“How much is it gonna cost me to get an estimate?” he asked.

“Nothing. Our estimates are free,” I explained.

So we proceeded to walk around his yard, and he showed me what he needed done. I told him to give me a minute and I would return with an estimate. A couple minutes later I returned and showed him the estimate and told him that I would go back to the office and have it written up, and that, if he wanted, I could email it to him. He asked if I was kidding.

“Nope. Dead serious,” I said.

He asked if I had a minute, and went into the house and returned with his lap top, he showed me an email estimate he had “wasted his money on.” He informed me it had taken a week, and that it cost him $75 to get the estimate, although that amount would be deducted from the final bill.

“Then you come in, and just walk around, no tape measure, no computer, no calculator, just a note pad then figured it out in five minutes sitting in your truck, and it was free, and cheaper. How can you do that?” he asked with a noticeable sense of frustration. I laughed and told him that I had been working for Hilltop for almost 26 years, and that I had done thousands of jobs, and that much experience makes it possible for me to figure out pretty quickly how much time and how many men will be needed to complete a job.

Then I threw in that residential yard cleaning was not “rocket science.”

“Well, I’m sold,” he replied. “When can you start?”

“How’s tomorrow?” I asked.

He searched the back of his eyelids for a second.

“OK, sounds good! Do I need to sign anything?”

I shook his hand, and said, “That’s all I need. Besides I know where you live.”

Fortunately, he smiled to indicate he understood that was a joke.