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common
questions Do you offer free estimates? What forms of payment do you accept? Do you and your crew do most of the work yourselves or do you subcontract much of the work?
Why
should I hire a professional landscaper? My lawn was invaded by voles this past winter. What can I do to repair the damage? I had a new lawn installed last summer. Should I power-rake it this spring? What about aeration? Do you offer free estimates? Yes, the initial
consultation and estimate are provided at no charge and with no
obligation to you. We frequently encounter people who have a good idea
of how they intend to use their yard and what the overall layout of
the
yard should be. Where help is required is in refining the details of
the plan. Often we can help you work out those ideas as part of the
initial estimate. However, if you are needing more help in sorting out
the basic layout of the yard, you may want to consider our design service.
We currently accept
only cash or cheque.
Do you and your crew do most of the work yourselves or do you subcontract much of the work? At
Earthworks we have
always tried to complete as much work as possible “in house”. This
means that you only need to talk to one person if you have questions
about any of the work being done on your yard. The person you dealt
with for the estimate or design is the same person working alongside
the crew, making sure the job is done right. If there is any work that
can not be completed by our crew, we consult with you before bringing
in a sub-contractor.
Why
should I hire a professional landscaper?Professional landscaping is one of the few investments you can make that is guaranteed to appreciate over time. A well designed and properly installed landscape can add significantly to you property value. Your investment with a landscape professional ensures proper plant selection and placement, resulting in reduced maintenance costs and greater enjoyment of a yard that truly fits your lifestyle. My lawn was invaded by voles this past winter. What can I do to repair the damage? Voles
were very active in newer suburban areas again this winter.
Fortunately, the damage isn't permanent. The voles burrow under the
snow to eat the blades of grass but general don't damage the roots, so
the grass will sprout again from the roots. If the damage consists of a
lot of "tracks" across the lawn, it should recover quickly on its own.
But if they were especially active there may be larger areas of damage.
Anything larger than a 12" by 12" area will recover more slowly and can
be assisted with a lawn dressing. A small amount of topsoil or peat
moss mixed with grass seed will help these areas fill in more quickly.
Whether you add seed or not you must not let these areas dry out.
Without the covering of grass, the roots are more likely to dry out and
get burned by the sun. The mulch that the voles leave on the surface is
unsightly, but leaving a small amount on the damaged areas will help to
protect the roots until the grass can recover.
No, you should not. A light
raking with a flexible fan rake is all that is needed. Power-raking is
only required every 3 to 5 years to remove accumulated
thatch, especially if you bag your grass clippings through the summer
months. More frequent power-raking can be damaging to the grass. While
routine power raking is not recommended, regular core aeration
(plugging), if done properly, is a good idea. Plugging combats
compaction, allows water and nutrients to penetrate the root zone and
can reduce the tendancy of thatch to develop.
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