Foliage lives by one rule and one rule only: Grow or die. It doesn’t take long before nature takes a good run at turning your lovely gardens and landscaping into sprawling overgrowth. Often when it’s reached that stage, you’ll need to do more than just a quick once-over with the lawn mower or hedge trimmer.
Still, taming your landscaping needn’t be an overwhelming task. The best way to rein in sprawling foliage is to rent power equipment that will cut the task down to size.
Late summer and early fall are the best times to address tattered and brown landscaping. Start with the big jobs first.
Exercise caution at every step, carefully planning each move, as older trees almost always carry hidden surprises. A rotten limb, a termite colony or even metal spikes put there by a previous owner may trigger a serious accident. Spikes in old trees can be quite dangerous should your rented chainsaw make contact with the metal. This could cause the chainsaw to jerk backwards towards your chest or face, so take care to examine trees before hand for any sign of metal spikes.
Don’t let your landscape grow out of control. You’ve undoubtedly seen those beautiful potted arrangements turn into sprawling houseplants. Just imagine what that looks like on a larger scale. Untamed landscaping often creates serious safety issues for residents and may put your roof at risk, too. Be merciless when it comes to old, ugly or diseased foliage. Even if your grandpa planted that sapling 40 years ago, it may need to go. Replace mature plants that are past their prime with new, healthy plants.
If noxious weeds have taken over, you’ll likely need to apply some muscle to the job. Thistle plants can reach a towering height in the span of just one season. One thistle bloom will quickly seed an entire field, and next spring you will have a very unpleasant task ahead of you in controlling these thorny plants.
Here’s the best landscaping tip of all: Rent the equipment. Why? Think about it. If you use a chainsaw once a year, does it really make sense to buy one? You can tame your foliage the easy way and leave the power equipment tune-ups to the professionals. Happy landscaping!