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Homestyle
Manuals |
Homeowner's
Manual |
Note: |
| Homeowner's Manual Contents |
| Warranties
|
| Getting started |
| Nursery stock |
| Trees |
| Shrubs |
| Flagstone walks and patios |
| Sod lawn-care and watering |
| Lighting |
| Miscellaneous |
| Sprinkler System Operation |
All plant materials are guaranteed to be alive for one full year from the date of completion or will be replaced one time at no additional charge.
Sprinkler components
and labor are guaranteed for two full years
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In the beginning...
After two weeks...
Then...
Follow the directions in your sprinkler clock manual and reduce the settings
for each of the zone run times to half the time.
As time goes by...
After a month, attempt to water every other day and work on decreasing zone
times until you have the proper combination for your yard.
On your own...
Now is a great time to go back and re-read your owner’s manual.
Watering
Plants die from too much or too little water. Improper watering is usually the reason for 95% of the mortality rate. It is important to provide plants with the correct amount of water as outlined in the following general watering instructions.
NEW PLANT WATERING
Drip systems:
Most drip systems have emitters that water the plants and misters which water flower beds. We find when using the drip system, if you are sustaining the flowers in your beds, your plants are usually receiving adequate amounts of water.Emitters are the components that plug into the sprinkler system usually at the base of the plant. Emitters are pressure regulated (putting out the same amount of water anywhere on the drip line) and allow for different flow rates, a little less for shrubs, a little more for trees.
Misters:
Misters are the portions of the drip system (looks like a long black pencil) that puts out the very fine spray in the vegetable garden or flowerbeds.
LATE
FALL WATERING
Watering
during the late fall will give your plants an opportunity to store water for
the coming winter. Water heavily with the drip system or hand water with root
feeder adapter, saturating the soil around the plants.
Most plant losses occur over the winter from too little water. With cold windy weather comes winter die back or, if the desiccation is severe, it can result in the death of the whole plant.
We emphatically recommend watering your evergreen trees, junipers, perennials and any small ground covers with the garden hose. Choose a warmer day and water trees for 10 minutes, shrubs for 3 minutes and perennials and ground covers for 1 minute.
Fertilizing
It
is best to fertilize trees and shrubs anytime between February and July. Fertilizing
trees after July will result in new growth that tends to die back over the
winter. An application of a granular tree and shrub food once a year is usually
sufficient for your plants. Using a bedding and bulb food on perennials and
annuals every other month during the growing season will give added vigor.
Pruning
An expert should prune trees unless you know what you are trying to accomplish with each cut made. The following are terms with general descriptions:
Crossing branches - two branches rubbing together causing a wound to the bark of the tree. This situation, left untreated, will allow a point of entry for disease and insects. The branch causing the problem should be removed.Broken branches should be removed as quickly as possible.
Diseased portions of the tree such as blights and cankers are usually most noticed by discoloration of the bark in the affected area.
Thinning out is the removal of a portion of the interior branches to allow more sunlight to penetrate the center of the plant (very necessary for healthy fruit trees) making for a more productive tree.Heading back is the cutting back of the outer extremities of the top portion of the tree. This is a more drastic method of controlling height and is often used to protect power lines from tree limbs. This is the least favorable way of controlling tree size.
Recent information discourages the use of pruning paints as they seem to retard the healing process. Mother Nature does a good job of healing these exposed wounds with little outside help.
Staking
Stakes should be left on trees for at least one full year but no longer than two. Aspen may need a full two years of being staked due to small root balls and more of a tendency to be blown over. Watch for disease or insect problems in the areas that are secured by a strap. If any problems are noted remove the strap immediately.
Pruning
Pruning is one of the most important steps in the care and maintenance of your plants. It is also the most neglected! We recommend you prune on a yearly basis for increased vigor, foliage, flowers, and disease resistance. The following are some guidelines to help you keep your plants happy and healthy:
Spring
Flowering
Shrubs
should be pruned back by about 1/3 to1/2 of their current height after flowering.
Do not prune these plants in the winter or you will not receive
flowers in the spring. The following is a partial list of the plants that
fit into this category:
| Almond,
flowering |
Pussywillow |
Snowball bush |
Summer
Flowering
Plants that flower
from very late spring, summer or fall, and plants that have very inconspicuous
flowers can usually be pruned in the winter when foliage is off the plant.
Pruning back to 1/3 to 1/2 is a good general rule to control growth size.
The following are some of the more common plants that prune best when leaves
are off:
| Althea
(Rose of Sharon) |
Hydrangea |
Spirea
: |
Grasses
and Plants of Borderline Hardiness
Grass plants are beautiful additions to the winter landscape. If you choose
to keep the grass foliage and plumes through the winter, be sure to water
heavily; this type of foliage is still pulling water from the roots. When
you prune the grass plants, cut them totally back to the ground.
Borderline hardy plants such as Nandina or Butterfly Bush ‘davidii’, to name a couple, require pruning to the ground also. The temperature fluctuations and the winter desiccation will usually kill plants like these if not drastically pruned.
Roses
The enemy of roses here in Colorado is our fluctuating winter temperatures
and long periods of dry weather. Roses consequently should be pruned back
to about 6” from the ground. Pruning should take place in the late fall
and the portion left should be mounded with wood mulch or a type of protective
covering. Don’t forget to water rose plants in the winter.
Perennials
Dead-heading (removal of dead flowers) and trimming off damaged parts during
the growing season will maintain longer blooming perennials. Late fall is
the best time to divide perennials.
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Flagstone is warranted for one year against chipping and cracking and will be patched if a problem occurs at no charge. Like builders in our area we are unable to predict whether you will have shifting and settling of soils. We can only take as many precautions as possible to limit settling damage.
We recommend that 2-3 months after flagstone has been installed you treat the surface with a water repellent (Thompson Water Seal or other product).To view some examples of Homestyle's flagstone work, go the the Flagstone Examples page.
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WATERING
New lawns require additional water until they are sufficiently established.
The more water you can put on your new lawn (to the point of runoff), the
quicker your sod will become established. The following is a good “rule
of thumb”:
NEW SOD
| 4
times per day |
Pop
ups |
Impacts
|
NEW SOD AFTER TWO WEEKS
| 4
times per day |
Pop
ups |
Impacts
|
DRIP SYSTEM (plants and trees)
| Twice
daily |
|
DRIP SYSTEM AFTER TWO WEEKS
| Twice
daily |
|
After a month
attempt to water every other day and work on decreasing zone times until you
have the proper combination for your yard.
At one time it was thought that watering for long periods was good for sod
and for deep root development. The facts are, that with our heavy clay soils,
water has a difficult time penetrating more than a few inches and we end up
watering the street. Today we know that it is more important to water frequently
for shorter periods of time.
Turf on the south face of a steep slope will require more bursts of water than a flat northern exposure. As you become more comfortable with your sprinkler system you will be able to adjust your zones up or down to meet the needs of your particular yard.
During dry winters it is very important with new sod to get out the garden hose and soak your sod weekly if possible. Watering at this time of the year will insure your sod getting through the winter and will speed up the time for the turf to get established in the spring. Do not use your sprinkler system in the winter months.
Mowing
Your first scheduled mowing should take place two weeks after sod has been
installed. Set your mower to the highest setting for the first cut. Your next
few mowings should include slowly dropping the height of your mower blade
until you arrive at the desired height of 2”.
FERTILIZING YOUR SOD
Your
new sod is high in fertilizer from the grower and will not need feeding for
about a month. Your first application should be done with a winterizer or
a new lawn fertilizer. We recommend a fertilizer blended for our area such
as “Fertilome, Colorado’s Own” or check with your local
nursery or garden supply.
Fertilizer applications should be applied every month through out the growing
season usually with a 20-10-10 blend or comparable followed by a winterizer
for your last application in the late fall.
Do Not Spill, Over-Fertilize or Apply Fertilizer on Hot Days or you will burn
your turf. Take care when applying to use a broadcast type spreader and always
sweep your walks after application to avoid nasty rust spots on concrete.
AERATION
& POWER RAKING
Sod growers recommend that your sod be power raked (removal of thatch) and
aerated (alleviating the soil compaction by soil plug removal) 1-2 years after
turf has been installed. This process is usually done in the early spring
and will allow the needed air to get to the roots. The traffic of kids and
dogs on your grass determines whether you will need this treatment yearly
or just on occasion.
LOW
VOLTAGE LIGHTING
Bulbs
may burn out from time to time in your landscape. Pathway, spots, and mushroom
light bulbs may be obtained from auto supply stores or chain stores (Home
Depot), which sell lighting. Spotlights may also be obtained from HomeStyle.
Lighting supplies are available from:
Ewing
8955 So. Ridgeline Road
Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
(303) 470-3928
ROCK,
BARK, SOIL PRODUCTS
Pioneer
Sand and Gravel (791-3535), Sante Fe Sand and Gravel (794-5960) are a few
suppliers on the south end of town that handle a complete line of rock, bark,
soil and landscape related products.
SPRINKLER
PARTS
Repair
and/or replacement parts can be purchased from Ewing Irrigation Products,
9105 Commerce Center Circle, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126, 303-470-3928.
SHIFTING
AND SETTLING
HomeStyle
is not responsible for settling along the foundation of the home. This situation
occurs many times due to faulty backfilling or pockets of air that drop when
we have heavy rains. HomeStyle is not responsible for shifting soils, which
may cause cracking in cement work or flagstone.
WATER/GAS/UTILITIES
Often
times when gas, sewer, water, cable, etc. are installed, they are not properly
backfilled and soaked to allow for settling. The settling of these trenches
may show up when the sprinkler system is turned on or after heavy rains. HomeStyle
is not responsible for the settling caused by faulty backfilling of other
parties.
Page 10—SPRINKLER
SYSTEM CARE AND WINTERIZING
We strongly recommend you have your sprinkler system blown out with compressed air. Having the system winterized will prevent the freezing and thawing of water pipes and protect the other components such as valves and backflow preventor. HomeStyle offers a sprinkler blowout in Oct, Nov, Dec.
To drain your sprinkler system, follow the directions outlined on the DRAINING PROCEDURES page. HOMESTYLE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SPRINKLER DAMAGE DUE TO CUSTOMER NOT DRAINING SYSTEM PROPERLY RESULTING IN FREEZE DAMAGE.
Once your system is blown out do not turn on until spring. Winter watering of your plants and turf should be done with the garden hose.
When turning sprinklers on in the spring (usually mid-April) reverse the directions on the Draining Procedure page.
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