by leesonlandsca1 | Apr 14, 2022
Although many commercial properties in Baton Rouge want a beautiful green lawn for a professional exterior appearance, the process of choosing your grass is often not as simple as buying a bag of grass seed and hoping it takes. All of the various types of turfgrass available in Baton Rouge have different considerations in terms of their benefits and challenges.
Knowing what you want to achieve with turfgrass at your business property – beyond a vibrant green lawn – is helpful in choosing the grass that meets your maintenance capabilities, budget, and desired appearance.
How to Choose the Right Grass for Your Lawn
The majority of all grass seed in Baton Rouge is warm season grass. This is grass that grows best during high heat and low water conditions in spring, summer, and fall, then goes briefly dormant during the winter. Cool season grass does the opposite, making it unsuitable for most uses in Baton Rouge due to average high temperatures.
The other factors you will want to consider when selecting grass include:
- Soil Quality and Growing Conditions – By assessing the amount of sunlight and water, as well as soil composition and pH, you can determine which grass will grow best. Bermudagrass does not tolerate shade and needs full sun. St Augustine grass and bermudagrass both tolerate drought and centipede grass does well in acidic soils that have a high pH.
- Maintenance Needs – The amount of mowing, fertilization, aeration, and other maintenance that grass needs varies between species. Centipedegrass is often considered the easiest to grow while some types of bermudagrass and zoysiagrass tend to be higher maintenance, so you will ideally either have a landscaping team or a budget for professional lawn care at your commercial property.
- Space Usage – Some grasses are more ornamental and fragile, such as zoysiagrass. Others are ideal for heavy traffic and hard use, such as bermudagrass which is a common choice for athletic fields and golf courses.
- Appearance – Another important choice, especially when you want to create a professional look, is the appearance of your lawn. Bermudagrass creates a thick dark green blade, centipedegrass has a lighter color and medium texture, zoysiagrass creates beautiful growth that looks high end, and St. Augustine grass is coarse with a blue green color.
For assistance in choosing the right grass for your lawn, Leeson Landscaping is a landscaping and lawn care company in Baton Rouge that is experienced with commercial landscaping. Once we know the look you wish to achieve at your commercial property, we can use our expertise to help you choose the right turfgrass, as well as provide all the maintenance and care it needs to grow and keep your property looking professional. Get more information on our commercial lawn care services to get started.
by leesonlandsca1 | Apr 7, 2022
Like any flower, tree, or shrub in your landscaping, your lawn requires all of the right components to grow well. It needs ample sunlight, the right amount of water, and nutrients. But the other important factor that Baton Rouge lawn care experts will use to help grass reach its full potential is soil quality.
Dirt has many different characteristics, and the soil at your property can be far different from that neighboring property. If you added soil to your lawn area or beds during the landscaping process, this adds additional differences. Understanding these characteristics of your soil is important for determining which turf will thrive in your yard and how to best maintain your lawn.
Characteristics of Soil in Baton Rouge
There are many different standards by which soil scientists classify soil. The various characteristics make certain soils the right choice for different purposes. For instance, when starting seeds, fine and lightweight soils are best to help germinating plants get the water they need. For trees and shrubs that need good draining soil, the soil should have a higher percentage of sand in it.
But these differences in soil can also determine how well grass grows in your yard:
- Soil Composition – Soils consist of a mixture of silt, sand, and clay. The ratio impacts drainage, nutrient retention, and propensity for compaction.
- Concentration of Organic Matter – Decomposition of natural elements creates nutrient rich soil, which is why compost is often recommended for gardens. The soil that your lawn grows in may be formulated with natural elements or can incorporate organic elements over time by absorbing decaying plants and animals.
- Soil pH Level – pH describes how acidic or alkaline the soil is. Soil with high alkalinity limits nutrients in the soil while soil that is highly acidic can start to burn away the roots of your grass.
- Compaction – Compacted soil leaves little room for nutrients and water to spread and makes it difficult for roots to grow down deeply.
- Salinity – The amount of salt in soil will affect how well the dirt will retain water and nutrients, although salinity that is too high can be damaging to turf.
- Cation Exchange Capacity – Each particle of silt, clay, and individual nutrients in soil has an ionic charge that is either positive or negative. Opposite ionic charges will attract like magnets. The right balance of nutrients to soil will ensure the right ionic exchange.
Balancing all of these different factors is key to getting a lawn that is both resilient and looks great. Because many of these characteristics are not easy to either monitor or adjust without the right equipment, working with a professional lawn care company in Baton Rouge is the best way to perfect your lawn.
Leeson Landscaping can ensure that your turfgrass and soil have everything they need with our extensive experience with lawn care and landscaping in Baton Rouge. Contact us today to learn more about our lawn care services for residential and commercial properties in your area.
by leesonlandsca1 | Mar 31, 2022
Large trees that provide ample shade offer several benefits around your home or business property. The shade provides relief from heat when outdoors, particularly in the warmer summer days in Baton Rouge. The tree can also shelter your property from sunlight, meaning more efficient cooling and moderate protection from wind and rain as well.
Trees native to Baton Rouge also offer many beautiful options with lush green leaves, bright fall colors, and dynamic shapes that are valuable additions to your landscaping and curb appeal. These are some of the best shade trees to consider for your property in Baton Rouge.
Fast Growing Shade Trees for Your Yard
One drawback to many shade trees is that they can take some time to grow to maturity and start providing adequate shade. Shade trees tend to be larger which is why they work well for shade, but native Louisiana oaks, for instance, can take several decades to grow from a sapling to a shade tree. This is not ideal when you want to introduce natural shade to your landscaping.
Instead, these fast growing trees give you a range of aesthetic options, sizes, and shapes for a tree that will provide extensive shade and enhance the appearance of your property within just a few years:
- Willow Oaks – One of the oaks that does grow quickly, a willow oak has bright green leaves similar in shape to the willow tree. The leaves turn a rusty red color in the fall. Once established, a willow oak can grow up to approximately 2 feet per year to reach a full height of 70 to 80 feet.
- Sycamore Tree – A beautiful tree native to the south, a sycamore tree grows approximately 2 feet a year until it reaches a majestic height of up to 100 feet with leaves that spread 40 to 70 feet, offering plentiful shade.
- Slash Pine – For evergreen shade, the slash pine produces long needles and bunches of pine cones. It has a medium growth rate averaging 1 to 2 feet and can reach a height of 80 feet.
- Weeping Willow – The weeping willow is an easily identifiable shade tree with its graceful trailing branches. As a young tree, it grows quickly, increasing its height by up to 10 feet per year until it reaches 50 feet making it a great tree for fast shade.
- Drummond Red Maple – The red maple has bright green leaves in the summer before turning to a brilliant red color in the fall. Also known as the swamp maple, this native maple is hardy and does well in Baton Rouge where it grows up to 2 feet per year and can reach a height of 60 feet.
- Blackgum Tree – Prized for its fall color with bright red leaves, the blackgum tree is a hardy shade tree that can survive many environments. It has a fast growing rate and can get up to 80 feet.
- Fan Tex Ash – For a smaller shade tree in more confined spaces, the fan tex ash reaches a height of about 35 to 40 feet. Its golden yellow leaves provide beautiful colors in autumn.
With a wide variety of shade trees that grow well in Baton Rouge, you have many options for customizing the shade in your yard. You can choose from a large tree like a sycamore oak or pine to provide the widest possible area of shade or a maple or blackgum tree for its autumn colors. Alternatively, combine trees for a unique landscaping look and optimal shade.
For beautiful landscaping, Leeson Landscaping can incorporate a range of shade trees on your property, from planning to planting to pruning your shade trees to help them reach their full potential for beautiful shade. Contact us to learn more about our Baton Rouge landscaping services.
by leesonlandsca1 | Feb 26, 2022
Flowers are a standout in any landscaping plan. Planted in flower beds, blossoming in pots, or lining a walkway – wherever you plant them, they bring beautiful color and interest to a property.
When choosing which flowers to plant around your home or business, native Lousianna wildflowers are always a good option. They are well adapted to the local climate and more likely to thrive. Wildflowers are also beneficial to the local environment, including the other plants in your yard, because they attract bees, birds, and other helpful insects.
Which Native Wildflowers to Plant in Your Yard
The good news is that many wildflowers that grow naturally in our area are also among the most beautiful flower species. Local favorites for landscaping include:
- Scarlet Sage – As the name suggests, these flowers are vibrant red. Several showy blooms will grow from a single stem that can reach up to 18 inches. Scarlet sage has a long blooming time and will bring color to your garden from early spring to late fall.
- Louisiana Iris – Irises are always showstoppers, and the 5 species native to Louisiana are no exception. Colors include deep purple, lavender, red, and blue. These wildflowers naturally grow in swamps, and will thrive near water features in your yard.
- Gaura – Also known as beeblossom, guara blossoms are compared to butterflies perched on twigs. The original color is delicate white, but breeders have also developed bright pink guara as well. This flower is drought-tolerant, grows rapidly, and blooms throughout the summer.
- Louisiana Phlox – These wildflowers grow close to the ground for a beautiful carpet of flowers in your beds. They bloom in spring with petals ranging from purple to blue, and let off a light frangrance. Phlox will attract bees and butterflies to your garden.
Baton Rouge landscaping company Leeson can help you determine which of these wildflowers and others will create the ideal look around your home or business. Whether you prefer a carefully manicured look or a more natural garden, we use our eye for detail and botanical knowledge to combine wildflowers and more exotic species at your property for a beautiful landscape. Contact us to learn more about our gardening and landscaping services.
