Mulch Madness: A Comprehensive Guide to California Landscape Mulching

Mulch Madness: A Comprehensive Guide to California Landscape Mulching

Maximize the Potential of California Landscapes with Mulch

Mulching is a game-changer for California central coast landscapes, offering a multitude of benefits that every gardener and landscaper should take advantage of. From controlling weeds to conserving moisture, mulch is a versatile tool that enhances the beauty and functionality of outdoor spaces. In this Guide to California Landscape Mulching, we’ll explore the key benefits, various types, and effective methods of using mulch in California landscapes.

Control Weeds and Conserving Moisture

Mulch is a gardener’s best friend when it comes to controlling weeds and retaining moisture. By applying a layer of mulch, you can reduce the growth of unwanted plants, particularly annuals, by up to 90%. This not only keeps your landscape looking pristine but also saves on landscaping labor costs and reduces the need for toxic herbicides.

Moreover, mulch plays a vital role in conserving soil moisture, helping you cut down on irrigation expenses. In regions like San Luis Obispo County, where water conservation is crucial, mulching can significantly reduce the amount of water needed to keep your plants healthy.

Promote Soil Health

Mulching is not just about aesthetics; it also promotes the overall health of your garden. As mulch decomposes, it enriches the soil with essential nutrients, improving its organic matter content and providing a source of sustenance for beneficial organisms. Additionally, mulch reduces soil compaction and insulates plants from extreme temperatures. This insulation effect can lower soil temperatures by up to 10 degrees, which is especially beneficial for young plants and trees.

Reduce Soil Erosion

Erosion is a significant concern, especially on slopes. Mulch acts as a protective barrier that keeps the soil in place during heavy rain and wind, reducing the risk of erosion. By deflecting the impact of raindrops, mulch minimizes stormwater runoff and helps maintain the integrity of nearby creeks and waterways.

Enhance Aesthetics

Beyond its practical benefits, mulch adds a finishing touch to your landscape. A well-maintained mulch layer creates a clean, uniform appearance that ties your garden together. It provides a polished look that complements the natural beauty of your plants and hardscape features.

San Luis Obispo custom residential landscape design build MadroneChoose the Right Mulch Material

When selecting mulch for your California landscape, consider the style and design of your garden. While bark and wood products are common choices on the Central Coast, there are various other options to explore. These include stone, such as colorful rocks and gravel, as well as sheet mulching using materials like newspapers, cardboard, and plastic sheeting.

Recycled organic mulches, such as wood chips, compost, leaves, pine needles, and grass clippings, are eco-friendly choices that reduce the need for long-distance shipping. Using mulch from local tree trimming operations is not only sustainable but also contributes to maintaining the usefulness of these by-products.

Consider Fire Safety

In many coastal California communities, wildfire safety is a paramount concern. It’s essential to be mindful of the combustibility of organic mulch. Research conducted at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension has shown variability in mulch type combustibility. To reduce wildfire danger, it’s recommended not to use any organic mulch within five feet of homes located in wildfire-prone areas.

Determine the Right Amount of Mulch

To maintain the benefits of mulch, aim for a 2- to 4-inch layer in your planting areas. Regularly inspect and refresh mulched areas as needed. Keep mulch at least two to three inches away from plant stems and trunks to prevent moisture-related issues. For trees in lawns, create a mulch circle around the base, with a diameter of about 2 feet for each inch of trunk diameter.

Embrace the Power of Mulch

Mulching is a versatile and cost-effective practice that enhances the beauty and health of California landscapes. It saves time and money, promotes soil health, prevents erosion, and adds a finishing touch to your outdoor spaces. Make the most of mulch to create thriving, sustainable gardens that are both visually appealing and environmentally responsible.

If you have any questions about our mulching services or want to learn more about our maintenance program, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or (805) 466-6263.

Landscape Moisture Manager: Greener Plants AND Lower Water Bills

Landscape Moisture Manager: Greener Plants AND Lower Water Bills

Paso Robles Youth Arts Academy’s lawn curb strip was slowly dying off. After four weeks of Moisture Manager treatment by Madrone Landscape, the curb strip is green again!

Beating the Summer Heat: Landscape Resilience with Moisture Manager Application

Summer brings soaring temperatures, along with the potential for parched lawns and burnt plants. While increasing watering might seem like the solution, it’s not always practical and can even run afoul of water conservation efforts. In this article, we explore a quick and affordable solution to conserve water and keep your lawn and plants green: moisture management.

Going Beneath the Surface: How Moisture Management Works for Your Landscape

Moisture management starts at the plant roots. Much of the moisture in your soil evaporates before your plants can make use of it. Moisture manager applications change the game by reducing water requirements. They create a protective film around plant and turf roots that attracts and captures water molecules, storing them on the root and soil surfaces. These droplets are then gradually released into your lawn, ensuring efficient water utilization.

Safe, Effective, and Easy: The Moisture Manager Product

The product used for moisture management comes in liquid or granule form. It’s both kid- and pet-friendly and doesn’t contain any toxic ingredients that could lead to runoff or groundwater contamination. Erik Gorham, Madrone’s Operations Manager, explains that applying the granules with a whirl spreader and immediately irrigating the treated area can yield visible improvements in turf color and seed germination in just one to two weeks.

Partnering for Plant Health: Year-Round Soil Moisture Management

Madrone, with its focus on water conservation, plant health, and aesthetics, offers a comprehensive approach to moisture management. The landscape maintenance teams can collaborate with homeowners and property managers to develop a year-round soil moisture management program. In cases of dry winters, Erik suggests establishing an application schedule where the crew visits two or three times a year to maintain optimal moisture levels and break the drought cycle in plants.

Saving Water, Money, and Maintaining Beauty: The Advantages of Moisture Management

Whether you’re a homeowner or property manager, there are numerous benefits to Madrone’s moisture management services. Their detail-oriented staff not only helps you save on your water bill but also ensures a beautiful, lush landscape year-round.

Contact Us for a Resilient Landscape

To discover more about Madrone’s maintenance services and how moisture management can benefit your landscape, reach out at [email protected] or call (805) 466-6263. Don’t let the summer heat wither your plants; instead, let moisture management keep them thriving.

Fertigation: Fertilize and Irrigate All in One

Fertigation: Fertilize and Irrigate All in One

Set it, forget it. Give plants the nutrients without all the hassle.

We’re all familiar with irrigation. It’s been a means of maintaining landscapes and growing crops for thousands of years. Applying controlled amounts of water helps supplement natural rainfall and contribute to soil moisture from groundwater.

Fertigation combines fertilization and irrigation, serving as a nutrient delivery system for landscapes. It can be used via drip irrigation, spray nozzles, and heads.

Madrone Operations Manager Erik Gorham has provided fertigation services for almost a decade. He uses the EZ-FLO products to treat a wide variety of landscape issues. To start the process, our trained Madrone team first installs a dispensing system in the valve box connected to the main line of a pre-existing sprinkler system. The unit then feeds both drip and sprinkler zones by micro-dosing the landscape with every irrigation. “You really can forget about it, because part of our landscape maintenance program includes filling the unit with fertilizer every four to six weeks,” Erik shares.

We use Red Frog Compost Teas as part of our organic fertilizer program. The compost tea improves soil and plant health by improving nutrient availability and retention in the soil. “Biology feeds the plant,” explains Erik. “Typically, what plants need is in the soil. But if your soil is depleted, the worm castings offer an excellent soil amendment that is safe around children and pets.”

Savings on labor and energy costs can quickly offset the initial investment in a fertigation system. A homeowner who lives in an area affected by drought or water restrictions may prefer fertigation because they can better manage the nutrients and water supply going to multiple parts of the growing area as well as increase water efficiency. It also gives them the ability to add nutrients directly into the root zone that may be otherwise difficult to access.

Erik sees it as an affordable investment to every landscape. “You chose your plants carefully. Help them mature more quickly and stay healthy by using this easy fertilizer system all year round.”

Learn more about our maintenance services. For more details, contact us at [email protected] or (805) 466-6263.

Five Questions to ask Before Hiring a Landscape Maintenance Contractor

Five Questions to ask Before Hiring a Landscape Maintenance Contractor

Top tips for selecting a landscape maintenance team

From weekly or seasonal maintenance to event preparation or landscape enhancements, here are the top questions to ask to ensure you hire a licensed landscape maintenance team who will meet your needs.

1. How long have you been in business? What kind of insurance and licensing do you have?

A company that has been in business ten years or more is likely a reliable, trustworthy contractor. Whether you are a homeowner who needs weekly maintenance or a commercial property owner who needs pest control, check the company’s portfolio to see whether they have expertise on projects like yours.

Madrone Landscape has been in business for over 40 years. We offer weekly gardening services for residential clients in North San Luis Obispo County and estate maintenance for the broader San Luis Obispo County, Northern Santa Barbara County, and Southern Monterey County. We also offer high quality commercial, municipal, and HOA maintenance services for all of San Luis Obispo County.

For additional consideration, ensure that your landscaping company has workers compensation insurance, general liability insurance, bonded workers, and appropriate state licensing. For weed, pest, and disease control, your maintenance contractor will need to be spray certified.

Madrone Landscape has workers compensation insurance and general liability insurance. Our landscape maintenance crews are bonded, and we maintain a California state landscape contractor license.

2. Do you have specialists on staff? What services do you offer?

Professional landscaping firms will employ experts with degrees in landscape architecture and horticulture. They should have expertise in landscape irrigation, as well as a thorough knowledge of the type of plants you have growing in your landscape design.

Homeowners, commercial property owners, and HOAs all require different services for different properties. Ensure the company you hire provides the services you require. Traditionally, maintenance projects may include mowing and editing, irrigation repair, fertilizing, dead-heading, and mulching. Larger projects may need specialized maintenance at different intervals throughout the year. Consider whether you need seasonal maintenance, event preparation, and/or regular landscape enhancement.

3. How do your maintenance crews practice sustainability? Do you offer alternatives to chemicals?

If sustainability is important to you, be sure to ask about alternatives to fertilizer and chemicals. Companies at the forefront of landscaping will employ methods such as compost tea fertilizer, integrated pest management, and organic fertilizers, ensuring your yard is a safe and healthy place for your family.

At Madrone Landscape, we are known for sustainable practices. We focus on plant health and the effective use of water. Our Healthy Gardens program introduces organic methods to fertilizer and weed, pest, and disease control.

4. Can you provide us with an estimate? How do you communicate with clients?

A professional landscape contractor will provide you an estimate tailored to your individual needs. After visiting your project and listening to your wants and requirements, they will ask you questions to determine your exact needs. 

Once you’ve accepted your estimate, your contract ensures you know what to expect on each visit, from weekly maintenance to seasonal maintenance, plant replacement, and irrigation repairs.

At Madrone Landscape, each contract is different—just like each project. Madrone Landscape provides a customized written estimate for each project. Once we’ve discussed your estimate, we put together a landscape maintenance contract specifically for you. Our Maintenance Manager, Coner Boaen, is the one point of contact for our maintenance clients.

Check with your landscape maintenance contractor to see whether they will have an account manager assigned to you. Will they call you to schedule appointments, or simply send notices in your invoice?

5. Will you provide references?

In addition to checking Yelp to see how the company ranks, ask for references, including addresses. Check the properties to see if they are maintained at the level you expect for your own property, whether residential or commercial. Madrone Landscape recently was awarded “Top-rated Local” for ranking in the top-five landscape companies in the state for customer satisfaction.

We are happy to provide a list of references for you to call and testimonials for your review!

Do you have additional questions? Call us at the office and ask for Coner Boaen, Maintenance Manager at (805) 466-6263.

How, Why, and When to Cut Bunch Grasses

How, Why, and When to Cut Bunch Grasses

Tips for Bunch Grass Cutbacks on California’s Central Coast

In the Central Coast California Landscape, bunch grasses are a common landscape element. In some cases, huge swaths of showy grasses can be a bold botanic display of texture, movement, and glowing color. A bunch grass is a perennial grass that forms clumps as it grows. They can be as small as six inches or as large as eight feet tall, usually selected for their foliage and seed head plumage. On the central coast, most species are maintained by a significant yearly haircut to prepare for the next year’s growth.

When to Cut Bunch Grasses

Most bunch grasses are cut back so they look green and fresh for the next growing season, as well as to clear out dead foliage and debris for plant health. While some grasses don’t need to be cut back every year, others benefit from being cut back twice or more per year. For yearly cutbacks, the rule of thumb is to cut back after the last hard frost. Winter foliage can be attractive even if it is brown, and it protects the plant crown from frost damage. If the grass is particularly frost sensitive, the timing should be as late in the winter as possible.

In San Luis Obispo County, we tend to be split our grass cut-back timeframes between the beaches (Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Cambria, Los Osos, etc.), the coastal valleys (San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Edna, Nipomo, etc.) and North County (Paso Robles, Templeton, Atascadero, Santa Margarita).

Ryan maintains decorative grass
San Luis Obispo County Grass Cutbacks by Region

Grass cutbacks can start earliest on the beach zones because they have almost no frost and grasses start to grow even in the winter. December-January is good for most grasses along our beach towns. With the lack of frost, many more species of grass can be grown, such as Pennisetum setaceum rubrum, a beautiful Purple Fountain Grass. “Some grasses won’t show as much winter browning, so skipping their yearly cutbacks from time to time is acceptable. Because the growing season is so long, the window to cut back grasses is also more forgiving. Cutting browning grasses as late as March or April is better than not cutting them at all.”

In the coastal valleys, February is a great month to cut back grasses, but it can happen anytime between January and March. There is limited frost, so grasses such as the Purple Fountain Grass may wait until March, but most grasses are completely safe for a February cut. This zone is very similar to the beaches, but it may take a little longer for the grasses to green back up, hence the later cut.

Ryan maintains decorative grass

North County of San Luis Obispo County is much different than the rest of the county. The Santa Lucia Mountain Range separates it from ocean influence, making it much colder in the winter. For that reason, the cutbacks occur later to wait for the hard frosts to subside. In addition, most grasses in north county don’t start pushing new growth until April. February through April is the window for north county grass cutbacks, with March being an ideal month. While April is okay, cutting back the grasses after the spring flush should be avoided. While grass species are more limited in North County due to the cold, the explosive growth of the hot summer and the seasonal look of brown winter plumage can be stunning.

The bottom line for timing of grass cutbacks is to maximize the aesthetics and health of the plants. You want to minimize the downtime of a cut back bunch grass stump by waiting until the plant is just about to push new growth. Fine-tune the specific timing for your zone and grasses over the years to maximize your enjoyment of these versatile plants.

 
How to Cut Back Bunch Grasses
  1. Use sharp shears, pruners, hedgers, or bladed weed whackers to cut all blades and chutes as close to the ground as possible without damaging the crown of the plant.
  2. Hand pull any loose debris or dead plant material to prevent crown rot and allow for more air circulation.
  3. Pull back any mulch or debris at least 2” from the crown of the grass.
Ryan maintains decorative grass

Recommended Pruning Heights for Various Species

LOW: 2-4” tall dome as final product.
Grass Species: Festuca spp., Carex spp., Sesleria spp., Acoris spp., Juncus spp., Nassella spp., Melica spp., Bouteloua spp., Aristida spp., Calamagrostis spp., Muhlenbergia cappilaris, Ophiopogon spp., Stipa spp., Helictotrichon spp., Anemanthele spp., Pennisetum spp. (smaller varieties).
Non-Grass Species: Achillea spp., Zauschneria (Epilobium) spp., Nepeta spp., Teucrium spp., Coreopsis spp., Thymus spp., Erigeron spp., Salvia spathacea.

MEDIUM: 4-8” tall dome as final product.
Grass Species: Muhlenbergia rigens, Muhlenbergia dubia, Miscanthus spp. (small to medium varieties), Pennisetum spp. (larger varieties), Leymus spp.,
Non-Grass Species: Penstemon spp. (smaller varieties), Artemisia spp., Origanum spp.,

HIGH: 8-12” tall dome as final product.
Grass Species: Miscanthus spp. (larger varieties), Muhlenbergia dumosa, Cortaderia spp., Kniphofia spp.
Non-Grass Species: Penstemon spp. (larger varieties), Salvia spp. (some smaller varieties), Gaura spp., Lavandula (smaller varieties), Ribes spp., Perovskia spp., Eriogonum (smaller varieties).

 

Carex divulsa (LOW)

Muhlengergia Rigens (MEDIUM)

Interested in landscape maintenance, including bunch grass cutbacks? We are currently taking maintenance projects with a $400/month minimum. Fill out our Maintenance Request Form or contact us at [email protected] or (805) 466-6263.

Meet the Team: Cory Meyer, Certified Arborist

Meet the Team: Cory Meyer, Certified Arborist

How long have you worked at Madrone?
Since 2014. I met Rick when we were both volunteering for the Atascadero Native Tree Association (ANTA) circa 1990. I was working in parks for the City of Atascadero, and when I retired in 2013 Rick asked if I’d be interested in doing work for Madrone.

What is your favorite thing about working at Madrone?
It’s a great company to work with. The employees are committed to quality, and they care about the environment.

Over the years, Cory has stepped in for Santa Claus at Madrone holiday parties.

What do you enjoy most about your job/specialization?
I started getting into plants when I was about 21 years old. I grew to be interested in trees when I moved to Atascadero in 1985 because of the oaks around. Once I started volunteering with ANTA, I became really interested in preserving trees around the area. I really enjoy being able to preserve our oak woods in the area. Also, watching tree planting projects I’ve been involved with and seeing the growth of the trees I’ve planted over the years is very satisfying.

What is your favorite Madrone project and why?
I don’t know about a favorite. They are all interesting to me. I might be consulting on how a design or construction can least impact the existing trees in the area, troubleshooting trees that don’t look healthy and providing a diagnosis, or working around the oak trees. I love it all.

What is your favorite, or least favorite, plant and why?
Valley Oak are my favorite oak trees – they’re the largest growing oak tree in North America and they can last for several hundred years. My least favorite is the Ailanthus – the tree of heaven. It’s not a native and it’s extremely invasive.

What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of work?
I play a game called pétanque. It’s like bocce only it’s a French version involving tossing rather than rolling. Also, pétanque can be played on different terrains. I also like to volunteer with Atascadero Land Preservation Society (ALPS).

Give us a fun fact about you!
I have four desert tortoises as pets. The way that they can exist and hibernate through the winter without food or water is very interesting to me. They are very low maintenance and can live 80-100 years if property taken care of.

Our arborist services are available at any phase of your project – in design, during construction, or with maintenance. For more details, contact us at [email protected] or (805) 466-6263.