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Greenhouse Design Options

A greenhouse can be a valuable tool for extending the ability to grow food beyond the typical season and/or for producing crops that commonly grow only in warmer climates. Given that a greenhouse can be a significant investment of time and resources, choosing a style and materials that will provide the most return on your investment is worth the small amount of research that it takes to consider the options and to choose the one that will best fit your specific location and budget.

Among the many styles of greenhouses that can be constructed, I am going to offer my thoughts on the most commonly used style, being the traditional greenhouse, and improvements that can be made to it. Then I will share what I consider to be the most useful greenhouse design, which is the partially buried style. While they can be a lower cost option, I am not going to review hoop houses (also known as high tunnels) due to the combination of their lower efficiency and reliance on less durable shorter lifespan polyethylene films (sheet plastic) as a roof covering. From a preparedness perspective, you would need to keep what I would consider an impractical amount of polyethylene film on hand for numerous repairs and replacements of the roof covering.

As a clarifying point, I am going to be evaluating greenhouse options from the perspective of someone who lives in a climate that commonly experiences winter daytime temperatures below freezing and nighttime temperatures that are well below freezing. I will be focusing on these climates since those who live in more temperate climates face far fewer challenges with greenhouse design considerations, other than good ventilation and exhaust capabilities. After determining the size of a greenhouse that you need for supporting your food production, you will want to carefully consider what style of the greenhouse will best fit your location and offer the most return on investment.

For more info about patio construction visit ghlandscaping.com

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How do I maintain Lawn thatch? by G&H Landscaping

Preventing thatch build up is just as important, if not more, than thatch removal. Thatch prevention begins with the type of grass used. Grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass tend to be very aggressive cultivars. Mixing some Kentucky Bluegrass with a less aggressive grass such as Perennial Rye Grass will cut down on the increased thatch accumulation. You should test your soil periodically to monitor nutrient and pH levels. Core aeration is an important preventative maintenance practice for thatch control. It provides alleviation from compaction and improves air movement into the soil. It also increases the microbial activity and helps to break down the thatch. Fertilization should not be so heavy that it builds the thatch at a rapid rate. Only use fungicide or pesticides as needed. Use a pesticide that does not reduce the earthworm population because they are natural aerators.

If a thick layer of thatch is already existent in your lawn, be sure to bag your grass clippings to prevent any further damage. Grass clippings contain vital nutrients needed for your lawn, but if the thatch is more than 3/4 inch thick, they could cause more harm. If your thatch is 3/4 inch thick or more, you may want to look into renting a vertical mower to break up the thatch. The rotating blades that are perpendicular to the turf surface slice into the thatch, bringing up organic debris. Be careful when using the vertical mower not to remove more thatch than necessary. You shouldn’t remove the thatch when the turf is weak or under stress from heat or drought. This increases the change of injury to your lawn and decreases recovery. Cool season grasses’ thatch should be removed during late summer or early fall. At this time, you can also aerate, fertilize, and overseed.

To learn more about Landscaping visit G&H Landscaping

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Lawn Fertilizer by G&H Landscaping

Lawns need certain nutrients in order to thrive and need your help to get them. They need a steady supply of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and key nutrients. Too much or too little of these nutrients will cause your lawn to look coarse, sparse, yellow or stunted. The most important nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Nitrogen is part of the lawn fertilizer that helps all the green parts of the grass. It promotes strong growth and dark green leaves. Too little and the lawn looks yellow and stunted. Too much and you have rapid, weak growth and delayed maturity. The best organic sources of nitrogen are blood meal, fish emulsion, and manure.

Phosphorus is a calcium phosphate mineral ore that is used by grass and other plants. Lawns need phosphorus in lawn fertilizer to help it grow, mature and develop hardy roots. Too little phosphorus and the grass will have a red, purple or gray cast to it. Too much phosphorous and it can interfere with the lawn's absorption of other nutrients. Sources of phosphorus are bonemeal, superphosphate, and rock phosphate.

Potassium is also used in lawn fertilizer to help grass complete photosynthesis, strengthen plant tissue and protect against diseases. Too little and the lawn yellows and falls victim to plant diseases. Too much and magnesium and calcium will not get absorbed. Sources of potassium are greensand, wood ashes, seaweed and muriate or sulfate of potassium.

Other ingredients of lawn fertilizer are not as necessary but still useful. Magnesium assists in photosynthesis and is a key ingredient in chlorophyll. Sulfur helps build proteins as well as amino acids and vitamins. Too little sulfur will turn grass a pale green. Calcium is needed to fortify grass cell walls and for normal cell division. Too little still stop growth. Zinc is also needed for grass cell division. Not enough zinc and your grass will be yellow and thin looking. Iron is needed for protein and enzymes. Leaf blades will be a streaky yellow without it. Manganese assists the grass enzyme system. Too little manganese and grass growth become stunted. Copper is an enzyme activator for the grass. Too little copper causes a red brown gummy substance to ooze from the grass. Boron improves absorption of the other nutrients. Not enough and the grass will have small leaf blades with dead spots.

Quick release lawn fertilizer is usually a dry granule that dissolves fast and works quickly. Slow release lawn fertilizer has their nutrients locked in beads that dissolve slowly. This type of fertilizer can last for months. Combination fertilizer gives the best of both worlds.

Organic lawn fertilizer is not man made but comes from something that was once alive. The best organic materials are manure, fish emulsion, and sewage sludge. The nitrogen release is unpredictable and the smell is off putting.

Synthetic lawn fertilizer is man made chemicals. They are easier to apply, readily available and cheaper than organic lawn fertilizer. There is a risk of burning the grass if too much is used and over time they can damage the soil structure. You must wear gloves and clothes to cover every part of your body and a face mask when applying this fertilizer.

 For more information about Landscaping visit G&H Landscaping

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Whether you need a simple shrub replacement, lawn renovation, sprinkler installation or service, a full property maintenance program or a complete landscape or backyard makeover, our professional staff has the knowledge and experience to make it happen!  

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From the smallest to the largest project, either residential or commercial, our goal is to exceed our customer’s expectations.  We pride ourselves in using only the highest quality products available in the industry, and back all of our work with a written guarantee!

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Bermuda Grass! by G&H Landscaping

Bermuda grass is a warm season grass and is the best choice for warm climates. It can handle drought conditions better than cool climate grass and better than most other warm season grasses. This grass tends to grow long roots that can find moisture in the soil.

Bermuda grass is also a top choice for high traffic areas in lawns. It is durable and traffic resistant. This grass will only work for high traffic lawns in warm climates.

You can also buy Bermuda grass plugs from lawn care supply centers. These plugs are used to replenish a yard in a warm season climate. They are aggressive growers so Bermuda grass is perfect for fixing a patchy yard. Bermuda grass does not produce a good lawn from seed, so it is much better to buy sod or plugs.

The mowing height for Bermuda grass is only 1/2". You should mow this grass when it is 1" tall.

Bermuda grass likes a pH range of 5.0-7.0.

Bermuda grass is susceptible to thatch as it sends out shoots above the ground. As they shoots go out they create thatch while also keeping grass clippings from reaching the soil and decomposing.

Bermuda grass (cynodon dactylon) has deep roots, find to medium texture and likes to creep all over the lawn. It grows best in fertile soil but will adapt to other soils. It is an attractive looking grass that handles heavy foot traffic well. It repels most diseases and tolerates drought and heat.

Bermuda grass grows aggressively and spills over onto sidewalks and driveways. It is prone to thatch and may look dead from winter to spring. It needs regular watering and frequent fertilizer feedings to retain its color. Popular cultivars are Cheyenne, Tifdwarf, Tifgreen, Tiflawn, Tifway and Turcote.

Bermuda grass is also known, as a weed in lawns not planted with it. It can spread very quickly if left unchecked. This grass can quickly choke out fine textured grasses. To stop the spread of this grass in your lawn, rake up your lawn clipping after mowing. Even little parts of this grass can regrow into mature plants.

Bermuda grass is best for the southeast Atlantic states, Deep South and Gulf States, the California coast and southwest desert. The states are North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, California, Nevada, and Arizona.

For more information about Landscape Design visit G&H Landscaping

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Landscaping Planning – Tips For Gorgeous Garden Landscaping

If you have a home with a little space for a garden, you must be proud and glad about having one. Having a garden around the house makes the life pleasant and it definitely needs a good garden landscaping. It is really fun to do garden landscaping, as it boosts up the creativity to refresh your garden and rearrange the existing plants. If you are freshly making garden landscaping, you need to exert much effort to bring the ultimate exquisiteness to your garden, in such a way that it does not involve any replacements anymore.

Once you do a layering to the beds in the garden landscaping, it would bring extraordinary magnificence to your garden. Usually, guests are drawn towards the yards of a home and definitely make a small tour inside the home, visiting all the areas, including the wonderful garden. When the garden landscaping is well planned and fits your household, you can certainly lift your face among your neighbors and friends. A pretty garden is always envied by everybody, who do not own one.

Layering is the most essential step to design your garden landscaping. Decide the plants, creepers, and flowers which can ornament your garden, since they have a big deal in giving the best impression. You will have some taller and shorter plants in your collection. They have to be planted with some proper arrangement in the garden landscaping. It is wise to make a blueprint before you start your action. Rough sketch usually helps a lot in making the work simple. Further, you can plan with your sketch, how to easily manage your garden in the long run.

When you layer the garden, you can have perhaps 3 layers. If possible, make the back row to face to the northern side and insist on planting the tall variety of plants at the back, so that it does not hide other short plants. When you buy the saplings, you may not know the exact height of the plant. Hence, enquire all the details of the sapling from the nursery people. The complete knowledge of the plants you plan t have in the garden landscaping will fetch you a gorgeous garden to be proud of. If you happen to see some plants grow taller than you expect, do a rearrangement to make it settle in the last row. A good garden needs the constant care of the owner, to make it fresh forever. The very look of the plants will exhibit the nourishment and care given to them.

You can also include some water feature in your garden, like a small fish tank in a dappled shade, or a tiny pond with water flowers, or an elegant waterfall with some appealing rocks, pebbles, plants, etc. garden landscape includes the pathways, decking, little steps, good lighting or artificial lighting. Make sure to have enough sunlight for your garden and frequent checking for the nutritional needs is also important. A well-planned garden landscaping will not be a nest just for the birds, even for all of your family members, at the leisure time.

For more information about  landscape design visit http://www.ghlandscaping.com

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Landscaping For Energy Efficiency – G&H Landscaping

Conserving resources and using less energy has never been more popular than it is now. Of course, we all want to do our part to help improve the environment. Even more appealing, though, is the prospect of seeing the cost of those high energy bills drop appreciably. One means of reducing your energy consumption and lowering those bills is through intelligent landscaping. Landscaping is relatively simple and inexpensive and can save you a lot of money in the long run, as well as improve the value of your home.What Does Landscaping Do?A landscaping scheme specifically aimed at making your home more energy efficient will address a number of factors that influence residential energy use. 

If done correctly, landscaping can help reduce your summer and winter energy bills significantly. It can also protect your home from the elements, reducing damage from the sun and the wind that destroy your investment. An effective landscaping plan can also use less water and energy to maintain than your current setup. Keeping Things Cool During the hot summer months the ambient temperature of the areas surrounding your house makes maintaining a cool temperature indoors an energy consuming task for your air conditioning unit. However, well-placed trees can dramatically reduce the air temperature around your house. 

They can also provide shade to block your windows from the direct rays of the sun.Trees cool the surrounding air by a process called evapotranspiration. This is the process by which trees absorb and release moisture through their leaves. When coupled with the actual shade provided by the tree, the effects of evapotranspiration can often reduce the temperature in the immediate area of the tree by 9-10 degrees Fahrenheit. 

As a result, just a few well-placed trees around a house can reduce summer cooling costs by as much as 25 percent.Windbreaks and InsulationDuring the winter strong, frigid winds can buffet a house causing property damage and sapping a home of heat. Correctly positioned trees, shrubs or fences can provide a barrier against this onslaught, shielding a home. 

When the wind is blocked, temperatures surrounding the home begin to rise since the heated air is not being immediately whipped away by the cold winds. Shrubs around the home can also act as a layer of insulation, reducing further ambient energy loss. These two factors work together to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat a home, often by as much as 40%.As you can see, even very minimal landscaping aimed solely at reducing energy use without a focus on aesthetics can provide a very distinct benefit to a homeowner. 

A few hundred dollars spent landscaping now can save an owner hundreds of dollars each year on his or her utility bills. As an added benefit, these simple improvements to the property dramatically increase the value of the home and increase its marketability. A qualified landscaping professional can work with an owner to evaluate the property and determine the most energy efficient setup for that home.

To learn more about lawn care visit http://www.ghlandscaping.com

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Hardscaping your Landscape Design by G&H Landscaping

If you are looking for a way to improve the overall design of your garden, hardscaping is an excellent option to consider. As opposed to the softscape, or natural areas of your garden, the hardscape consists of a variety of elements that are carefully designed and constructed to complement the garden and home. Examples of hardscape elements include paths, bridges, shaded patios, trellises, retaining walls and arbors. The various hardscape pieces can be made from many materials including brick, stone, pavers and wood. The following paragraphs will outline more about the exciting possibilities of hardscape and how it can improve your overall landscape design.

With a wide variety of elements and materials that can be used for hardscape design there is an enormous amount of opportunity and possibility. Common uses include areas for moving, sitting and relaxing, and for complementing the landscape. Paths are often constructed to connect different areas of the landscape, such as the driveway to the home, or the patio to an arbor or pond. Patios and deck areas provide space to cook or relax and socialize in comfort. Retaining walls can beautifully separate different levels of the garden and establish a boundary between a garden and path or patio. A variety of material possibilities give you many options for blending and combining materials with your garden. Stone, wood, concrete, stamped concrete, pavers, and flagstone all have different textures, colors and qualities. Many of these materials, such as stone and wood, can elegantly complement one another and sit beautifully in your garden.

Hardscaping can improve the design of your landscaping in several ways. At a fundamental level, it helps to define spaces within the landscape and establish different functions within it. The various elements and materials can provide an accent and contrast to your garden and home, and changes in materials can help to dictate a flow of events and changes in function. For example, a stone path may lead through a wooden arbor and to a patio of pavers. Careful integration of the hardscape into the landscape will create functional spaces that enhance the aesthetics of the whole area. For example, good patio design may include a retaining wall to separate the patio from a garden, a unique material to establish the patio and its boundaries, as well as ample room for seating. Hardscaping enhances the design of your landscape while adding function, value and enjoyment.

For more info about landscape design visit G&H Landscaping