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How should I care for my landscaping?

 

 

Van Metre wants to help you maintain the beauty of your home, both inside and outside. To help make that happen, we installed a starter landscape package for you which includes the following:

  • Sodded yard
  • Evergreen shrubs for year-round color
  • Mulch beds. 

A newly sodded yard needs to be watered regularly and should stay saturated until established. In the summer months, this is typical—at least—for a solid month. Your grass may need to be watered as frequently as every other day. Watering must start immediately during the spring, summer, and fall months. Your lawn lies dormant from December through March and will not require watering during this time. The first time you water, It is essential to soak not only the sod but the soil underneath the sod. You can check moisture levels by lifting up a flap of the sod—several inches deep, the ground should be moist but not muddy. Corners and edges tend to dry out easily so those areas might require hand watering. In approximately two weeks, as long as proper water conditions are maintained, the sod should knit to the soil underneath. 

Newly planted trees and shrubs need extra care until well-established. Trees and shrubs need to be watered in hot weather every other day, and in cool weather once a week. During dry, winter months, watering shrubs may not be necessary. The trees in the landscaping package are most likely wired and staked; do not remove these stakes within the first 12 months of settling on your new Van Metre home. 

Lastly, your lawn has been fertilized. Van Metre recommends fertilizing it three times a year. For concerns about grading or drainage, feel free to contact our customer care department.