Author: Burkholder

landscaping pathway through greenery - landscaping design in wallingford - burkholder landscape

Fall Lawn Care Tips for 2021

Written by Burkholder on October 12, 2021. Posted in Landscape Ideas & Design.

The hot weather of summer has given way to the cooler temperatures of fall. And with fall comes time to keep your lawn maintained and prepared for winter. Homeowners have options for maintaining their lawns, and professional lawn care can elevate a lawn’s appearance and health to another level. Here are a few fall lawn care tips to help prepare your property for winter.

4 Fall Lawn Care Tips

Burkholder’s team members are landscape experts at lawn care and offer 4 recommendations for keeping your lawn in shape throughout the cold season and for enjoying your outdoor space.

Learn About Our Landscape Maintenance Services

1. Schedule Winterization

A major fall lawn care tip is to schedule winterization for your property, especially if you have a sprinkler or irrigation system. Winterization is important to keep your lawn, irrigation system, and other areas of your property healthy and functional by the time snow start falling. For irrigation systems, you want to schedule winterization in mid to late fall, before December. On an important note, you should get your irrigation system winterized before you experience several days of freezing temperatures (below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.) When temperatures are below freezing, the water in your irrigation lines can freeze, expand, and damage your sprinkler system.

Get your lawn winterized during the same timeframe: around late November to early December. Winter lawn fertilizer strengthens the roots and helps the grass survive cold weather. A winter lawn treatment keeps your turf strong and green through the fall and ready to perk up again once spring arrives. How your lawn should be winterized can depend on what grass type you have, so reach out to a landscape professional to determine the best winterization plan for your property.

2. Have Trees and Shrubs Mulched

Mulch keeps plants insulated, keeping soil cooler during summer and warmer during winter. In addition to protecting plants from extreme temperatures, mulch helps soil retain water and prevents weed growth. If you have trees on your property, you can even use fallen leaves as mulch. A landscape professional can ensure that your plants have proper mulching to protect them during the upcoming cold weather.

3. Trim Shrubs

Getting your shrubs trimmed in the fall will help prepare them for winter. All of the dead, damaged, or otherwise unwanted branches should be cut during fall so that the shrubs can maintain their shape in springtime. For certain species, trimming shrubs during the fall can even prevent the spread of diseases since the shrubs will have more energy to use on healing rather than growing new stems or branches.

4. Make Your Lawn a Gathering Place

No list of fall lawn care tips would be complete without mentioning how to make your landscape hospitable for family and friends to gather during the cool months as well as all year long.

Have a Custom Firepit or Fireplace Added

A firepit makes a great addition to a backyard if you want to enjoy cool autumn nights outside with friends and family. Firepits are often the centers of attention and make great spots to gather and enjoy others’ company. The heat from the fire makes outdoor gathering in winter temperatures feasible, and seating such as chairs or benches can help accommodate large groups. You can even incorporate other features such as tables for fireside dinners or a speaker system for more entertainment options. Firepits can use propane, natural gas, or be wood burning.

Install Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting is popular as a safety measure, but lighting also creates the opportunity to enjoy your outdoor space even when the days get shorter. Different types of lighting create different atmospheres as well. An outdoor lighting designer can help you decide what types would meet your needs.

Contact Burkholder Brothers for Fall Lawn Care Tips & Services

Do you want to ensure your lawn is as healthy and beautiful as ever this fall? If so, contact Burkholder. Burkholder Brothers Landscape has been designing and maintaining beautiful landscapes for Main Line residents for decades. We have a team of highly experienced and qualified landscape professionals to keep your lawn vibrant, healthy, and valuable. In addition, our account managers will work with you to turn your dream landscape into a reality. For more fall lawn care tips or information on our services, request a free consultation today.

Burkholder Brothers Highlights 2021 Landscape Lighting Trends

Written by Burkholder on September 28, 2021. Posted in Landscape Ideas & Design.

People love to spend more time outdoors in the summer and fall, having a refreshing swim in a pool or hosting an outdoor barbeque. With outdoor lighting, homeowners can create a pleasing atmosphere to enjoy their outdoor space day or night. Thanks to new and advancing technologies, your outdoor lighting can be more customizable, atmospheric, and safer than ever. Here are a few of the 2021 landscape lighting trends that can enhance your landscaping.

See Our Outdoor Lighting Portfolio!

Top 2021 Landscape Lighting Trends

These 2021 landscape lighting trends highlight new landscaping technology developments and homeowners’ changing interests. For example, smart lighting gives homeowners more control over their lighting, while LED bulbs save money.

Smart Lighting

Outdoor lighting has gotten “smarter” over the years. Smart lighting gives you greater control of how your property is lit through control systems in your home or on your mobile phone. With a few smart bulbs and switches (or an app for greater convenience), you can create a unique atmosphere and mood in your backyard by doing the following:

Dim or brighten specific lights as needed
Sync the lights to music for a pleasant party atmosphere
Use motion sensors to create unique lighting effects

You can also program smart lighting systems to activate at certain times. For example, you can turn them on while away from home for added security. This feature is handy when the house has lighting zones that you can control individually.

LED Lights

LED lights have become another of the more popular landscape lighting trends. LED bulbs are energy-efficient and long-lasting, saving you money and maintenance in the long run. You also have a variety of bulbs to choose from.

Color-changing bulbs: Color-changing bulbs help create atmosphere for any event, such as a romantic dinner, backyard sports party, or a family get-together.
Retro bulbs: If you prefer the glow of halogen lights but still want the efficiency of LEDs, some LED lightbulbs can provide a vintage glow like incandescent bulbs.

LED lights can be used in a wide range of lighting designs, such as festoon or string lighting (especially popular with structures like pavilions or decks), accent lighting to draw attention to particular landscape features, and other outdoor light fixtures.

Pathway and Stair Lighting

A common outdoor lighting use is pathway lighting. Pathway lighting helps illuminate paths to make them safer by highlighting tripping dangers such as icy patches or uneven ground.

New exterior lighting designs around entryways or stairs have been growing in popularity in 2021. One specific trend is hiding lights in plants or underneath entryway stairs and pathways, or even built into the ground. Installing lights under the stairs or in stair walls provides enough light for safety while giving your house a contemporary look. Also, hiding the lighting sources keeps the landscaping feeling natural while maintaining safety and aesthetics

Other kinds of outdoor lighting that have become popular trends over the past few years include the following:

Outdoor lanterns for walls or entryways
Various wall lights
Pendant lights or string lights
Floor lamps for decks, patios, and gardens

All of these options are great ways to add character to a home while also getting all of the other benefits from outdoor lighting.

Contact Burkholder Brothers for Outdoor Lighting Services

Enhance your outdoor residential lighting with Burkholder Brothers. Burkholder has a team of experienced, passionate landscapers who have served Main Line area residents for decades. We provide a comprehensive set of services, such as outdoor lighting design, outdoor kitchen and fireplace installation, landscaping, and more. Our team works with you to create a beautiful, immaculate landscape and ensure that your landscape will be maintained and continue looking great. If you want to implement landscape lighting trends into your home, request a free consultation with Burkholder Brothers today!

Manicured lawn | Professional turf care | Burkholder Brothers

Fall Grass Planting Tips

Written by Burkholder on September 13, 2021. Posted in Landscape Ideas & Design.

While every homeowner wants their lawn to be lush and vibrant at all times, some issues like drought, disease, and pests can lead homeowners to need new grass planted on their properties. With fall just around the corner, the time to plant fresh grass is now. We will share some advice on fall grass planting, such as why fall is an excellent time to plant grass, which grass types you should plant, and more.

Learn About Our Turf Care Programs

Why You Should Plant Grass in Fall

Many homeowners struggle with figuring out the best time to plant grass seed for their lawns. Generally, planting grass or sod in early to mid-fall is ideal. The cool temperatures and relatively frequent rainfall will provide enough water for your grass to prevent damage by excessive heat or dryness. In addition, by planting in the fall, you will ensure that the roots have enough time to develop before winter.

Best Types of Grass for Fall

If you need or want to revitalize your lawn with new grass during the fall, you will need a cool-season grass species, like the following:

Kentucky Bluegrass: Kentucky bluegrass is a fine-textured, dark-green grass that withstands cold winters and hot summers and spreads fast, making this species a great choice to fill in bare spots.
Perennial Ryegrass: Perennial ryegrass germinates and establishes quickly. This species has a dark green color, medium-fine texture and is suitable for erosion control.
Fescues: Fescues are a popular grass choice (mainly mixed with other grasses) due to their ability to thrive in the shade, tolerate heat and drought, and grow quickly.

Fall Grass Planting Tips

Now that you know why you should plant new grass during fall and which grass types you can plant, here are a couple of tips on how you should go about planting and seeding your lawn.

Repair Bare Spots

One of the best things you can do for fall grass planting is cover up any bare spots on your lawn. Over the summer, your yard has likely dealt with kids playing, parties, and other outdoor activity. Heavy foot traffic and dry, hot weather can leave bare spots in your lawn, or areas that have exposed dirt without grass.

Take note of all the bare spots of your lawn, and use the fall (which has better growing conditions than summer) to cover these bare spots with grass before winter. These newly seeded patches need deep and thorough (and likely daily) watering. Try to prevent anyone or anything from stepping on the freshly planted seedlings until the grass is at least 3 inches high.

Overseed a Thin Lawn

Another good reason to plant grass in the fall is to correct a thinning lawn. In addition to bare spots without grass coverage, you may also see areas of your property where the grass is thin. Overseeding, which is planting grass seed directly into existing turf without tearing up the turf or the soil, can make your lawn thicker and enhance color before winter.

Ensure your lawn is regularly watered until the seeds are established and the grass has grown at least 3 inches. An irrigation system will help ensure the amount of water your property receives is consistent to facilitate proper and healthy growth.

What to Do Once Your Grass Is Grown

Here are a few tips for what happens after your new grass has been seeded.

If your cool-season grass has yet to sprout after roughly two weeks, your lawn might need reseeding.
Make sure your lawn is fertilized in early fall and again 6 to 8 weeks later.
Once your grass is tall enough to mow, focus on watering deeply and less frequently than when the grass was still germinating.

Contact Burkholder Landscape for Overseeding & Turf Care Services

Do you want to revitalize your lawn with fall grass planting? If so, contact Burkholder Landscape. Our team of passionate, certified landscape professionals has years of experience in turf care. In addition, we offer many services that will benefit your lawn, from plant health care to irrigation and more. For more information on our services, request a free consultation today.

Lawn Watering For Different Grass Types

Written by Burkholder on August 11, 2021. Posted in Landscape Ideas & Design.

Keeping a lawn watered is vital and seems simple enough on the surface. But yard and grass care encompass many factors that, when understood, that can help ensure your lawns’ watering needs are met. One factor, grass type, can significantly impact when and how you should water your lawn. So to help keep your property beautiful and healthy, here are tips on lawn watering for different grass types.

What Are The Different Grass Types?

To ensure that your watering efforts are most effective, you will have to know what your grass type is. Grass types break down into two categories based on the temperatures each seed thrives in: cool-season and warm-season grasses. Most of the grass types in Pennsylvania are cool-season, but many homeowners (particularly in southeastern PA) have warm-season grass seeds in their lawn instead. If you are unsure which grass type you have, reach out to one of our landscape professionals.

Determine Your Grass Type

Tips on Lawn Watering For Different Grass Types

Once you know your lawn’s grass type, you can better understand how to water your lawn properly. We will share some valuable advice on how much water you should use based on grass type, how to tell when your yard needs water, and the best time of day to water.

How Much Water You Should Use

A common issue for homeowners is how much water to use when watering their lawns. Lawn watering for different grass types requires knowing how much water each grass type requires.

Cool-season grass: Cool-seasons grasses, for the most part, need moderate to high amounts of water, and their drought tolerances are mixed, with some being great (fescue) and others less so.
Warm-season grass: Warm-season grass types generally require less water than cool-season grasses while also being more drought-resistant on average.

The majority of yards need around 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week. Watering can come from rainfall or homeowners manually watering lawns, and can occur in a single watering session or small spurts throughout the week.

When Your Lawn Needs Water

Another essential piece of knowledge about lawn watering for different grass types is knowing when your lawn needs water. Your lawn will show a few different signs of needing water. For example, if your grass appears to be gray or dull green, that means they lack sufficient water. You can also walk on your lawn, and if your footprints remain visible for a while due to the blades of grass springing back slowly, your yard probably needs more water.

The Best Time to Water Your Lawn

Many homeowners water their lawns during various times of the day, but certain times are better than others. Early mornings are the best times to water your lawn. The cooler temperature and calm winds allow grass roots to absorb the water before evaporation. If you have to water later in the day, try to wait until the heat of the day has dissipated. Also, if you had rain, you may be able to hold off on watering your lawn until a later date.

Contact Burkholder Brothers for Sprinkler Irrigation Design and Installation

Lawn watering for different grass types can be complicated for homeowners to manage themselves, especially without an irrigation system. To make sure your lawn is watered and your grass is lush and vibrant, contact Burkholder Brothers. Burkholder works with each homeowner to design and install Sir Sprinkler irrigation systems to meets all of their watering needs. Our sprinkler and irrigation company also provides sprinkler irrigation system maintenance to help you save time and money. Contact us today for a free consultation!

sprinklers running on green lawn by a home and wooded area | How to Care for Your Lawn during Drought Conditions | Burkholder Landscape

Importance of Proper Watering

Written by Burkholder on July 26, 2021. Posted in Landscape Ideas & Design.

Everyone knows that watering is vital for healthy plants and trees, but some may be unaware of the right amount needed. Some homeowners can easily fall into overwatering or underwatering their plants, which causes plant health care issues. Understanding the importance of proper watering is crucial to keeping plants healthy and looking great. Below we discuss why proper watering is essential, common plant problems from over and underwatering, and what you can do to ensure proper watering.

View Our Sprinkler Portfolio!

What Is The Importance of Proper Watering?

Water is essential for transporting the nutrients plants pull from the soil throughout the rest of the plant (to the leaves, petals, and branches,). Plants also need water for two other critical processes: photosynthesis and transpiration. During photosynthesis, water creates carbohydrates and supplies energy to the plant, while in transpiration, water cools and maintains the plant’s temperature.

Common Plant Problems Due to Improper Watering

So now that you understand how and why water is vital to plants, you may be wondering about the right amount of water to give your plants. Determining how much water your plants need can be tricky because that depends on where you live, the weather, and the plant species in your landscape. One way you can determine how much water your plants need is by examining their appearance. Below are signs that indicate your plants have too much water or need more.

Signs of Overwatering

Plants that grow in soil that is too wet (overwatered) can suffer from a lack of oxygen or be prone to rot and diseases. Some signs to look out for that may indicate your plants are overwatered include the following:

Foul odor from the soil
Mildew, mold, or fungal growth on the plant or soil
Soft, mushy stem, and roots that are mushy, slimy, or black/brown/grey instead of white
Blisters on the undersides of leaves

Overwatering can be a common issue for homeowners as some may water their plants even after rainfall, or lack proper drainage.

Signs of Underwatering

Underwatering is the opposite problem, and too little water can hinder growth and make plants more susceptible to pests or diseases. Here are some of the common symptoms of an underwatered plant:

Slow, stunted plant growth or a failure to flower
Brittle, crisp stem
Lower leaves yellowing and curling

An important note is that some plant problems can be a symptom of either overwatering or underwatering, depending on your plants’ other issues. Those symptoms include the following:

Dropping leaves
Wilting
Browning edges (light, brittle leaves indicate underwatering, while soft, limp ones indicate overwatering)
Pests

Many of these issues may require checking soil moisture or examining other areas of your landscape, so contact a landscape and irrigation professional to figure out whether your plants are over or underwatered.

How to Avoid Over & Underwatering

Over and underwatering plants is a common issue homeowners deal with, but the importance of proper watering is keeping landscapes vibrant, lush, and healthy. To avoid problems that over and underwatering can cause, get a smart irrigation system for your home. An irrigation system can be fitted with different technologies, such as rain sensors and drip irrigation, to give all of your plants the necessary water for optimal growth. Irrigation systems also save you time and water, especially if you have a large yard and many plants.

Contact Burkholder for Irrigation & Sprinkler Systems

If you want to keep your plants healthy through an irrigation system, contact Burkholder Brothers. We have years of experience designing, installing, and maintaining Sir Sprinkler irrigation systems for Main Line residents. Our sprinkler and irrigation company can consult with you to design an irrigation system that meets all of your plants’ needs. For more information on the importance of proper watering or our services, contact us today.

Technological Advancements Make Sprinkler Irrigation Systems More Appealing than Ever

Written by Burkholder on July 12, 2021. Posted in Landscape Ideas & Design.

As one of the hottest months of the year, July is appropriately designated as Smart Irrigation Month. The Irrigation Association has set forth the time to raise awareness of the benefits: social, economic, and environmental, of efficient irrigation. In our area, August is usually just as hot. Summer’s scorching weather causes us to be concerned about the health of our lawns, and many options exist today in sprinkler irrigation technology that make sprinkler irrigation system installation even smarter.

Check Out Our Irrigation Services

Sprinkler Irrigation System Advances

Irrigation systems have long offered a more efficient way to maintain the beauty of your landscape. As a property owner, you want your yard to be as beautiful and healthy as possible. With advances in home irrigation systems, maintaining the beauty and health of your lawn is easier than ever. Here are some of the newer sprinkler irrigation system offerings.

Advanced Controllers

Controllers are available to modify your watering schedule based on the amount of moisture in the ground or the weather forecast. Some controllers are even controllable by WiFi, so you have away-from-home access on your smartphone.

Smart Technology Advancements

If you are up to date with the latest technologies, you likely have some smart-home speakers like Alexa or Google. Some new controllers integrate perfectly with this technology to make your life easier. For example, you can issue voice commands through your phone or speaker, then let the controller handle your watering system.

Weather-Based Smart Irrigation Controllers

Now, you can even go one step further, and your sprinkler system can monitor the weather and water accordingly. Your sprinkler irrigation system will receive weather information and forecasts from your smart-home base and be programmed to respond accordingly. This will save you valuable time as your lawn essentially waters itself.

Sensors

Smart sensors can allow you to be even more hands-off with your lawn care. Some of the options include freeze sensors, which can detect when temperatures are freezing. This feature is helpful because using sprinklers during that time can cause hazards or freezing sprinkler heads.

Rain sensors are devices that can prevent you from watering during or right after rainstorms. The sensors work with your irrigation system and override instructions when rain/excess moisture is present when you have a scheduled watering time. As a result, water usage can be reduced by 35%, saving water and money.

Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation has been around for some time. This type of watering allows homeowners to consistently water gardens and landscapes without watering potentially weedy areas or other parts of the yard covered by the other sprinkler heads. In addition, drip irrigation is customizable so that all of your plants can receive the correct water flow rate for their health, and drip irrigation uses a lower amount of water than simply watering a flower bed with a garden hose.

High-Efficiency Nozzles

High-efficiency nozzles allow consistency in water coverage without using as much water. The lower rate of water pressure reduces runoff and potential soil compaction. Sprinkler efficiency is a significant concern right now in terms of conserving your water supply and staying environmentally conscious. Paired with the latest in smart technology, your sprinkler irrigation system will be as efficient as possible.

Rotating Nozzles

Smart technology integration is a primary focus for a lot of different areas in the marketplace. For example, connecting rotating nozzles to your smart-technology-enabled system will allow you even more customization for your yard.

Your system monitors your yard and works out how much water your yard needs. The nozzles can change the distance and aim of the spray. These nozzles are engineered to spray further and more accurately than ever before. With a new sprinkler irrigation system, you can have a more efficient way to water appropriately so that your grass and plants thrive.

Call Burkholder for Professional Sprinkler Irrigation Design and Installation

Pennsylvania landscapes are as varied as the people who own them. As a result, each landscape requires a unique irrigation system setup, from the pipes and sprinklers to the tech needed. A Burkholder specialist consults with each homeowner to determine the needs of their particular landscape, then designs an irrigation system that efficiently handles all of those needs. In addition to professional installation, our sprinkler and irrigation company also provides maintenance of the lawn and the sprinkler irrigation system so that homeowners can save money and enjoy their perfectly watered and manicured yards. Contact us today for a free consultation!

aeration and overseeding - maintenance1 - Burkholder

Is Overseeding Lawns in Spring Ideal?

Written by Burkholder on May 27, 2021. Posted in Landscape Ideas & Design.

Every homeowner wants to keep their lawn looking full and beautiful, but sometimes issues arise to make that difficult. Hot, dry weather, pests and disease, and many other factors can leave lawns looking thin and unhealthy. When those problems occur, overseeding is a solution that can help mitigate and prevent some of the issues homeowners face. But when is the best time to overseed a lawn, and why? Spring is an ideal time, and we will also show you the many benefits of overseeding lawns in spring.

Learn More about Overseeding Here

What is Overseeding?

Overseeding is the process of spreading grass seed over an existing lawn without turning the soil. Landscape professionals overseed for various reasons, from correcting a thinning lawn to adding more color or introducing enhanced grass varieties. While overseeding is an essential part of maintaining a healthy, lush lawn, like other landscaping processes, choosing the best time is crucial to success.

Why Overseed Lawns During Spring?

The best time to overseed your property depends on where you live, and for Pennsylvanians, that means overseeding lawns in spring. Spring brings favorable conditions for the new turf seeds. During spring, the soil retains moisture well enough and is warm enough to support germination. The weather is also more temperate than in summer, which is ideal for newly planted, tender grass to develop and grow. Grass will also get plenty of sunlight, since your trees will likely have fewer leaves than in summer.

If you decide to overseed your lawn during spring, reach out to a turf care professional as early as possible to give the grass the most time to grow before the hot, dry summer kicks in. Fall is another option for overseeding, as the environmental conditions needed for proper turf growth (cooler air, moist soil, sunlight) are suitable. Summer and winter are generally poor times to start overseeding, as the temperatures are too extreme and can be a detriment to the new grass.

What Are The Benefits of Overseeding Lawns in Spring?

Overseeding lawns in spring offers benefits to your property. As previously mentioned, overseeding is a good solution if your lawn suffers from thinning, whether from drought, insect, or disease damage. So if your grass looks thin and sparse or has patches with very little grass, overseeding can make your lawn thicker, fuller, and healthier.

The newly planted grass seeds can also prevent future issues. If a lawn looks bare, thin, or has a brown color, the grass may be stressed and vulnerable to pests and diseases. During overseeding, landscape professionals will use new varieties of grass that are healthier and more resistant to disease and that deal better with stress. So when a homeowner opts to have their lawn overseeded, those new seeds can prevent thinning or disease.

In addition to making a lawn fuller and healthier, overseeding is also a great way to have a uniform property without an entire renovation. Instead of having to renovate your current lawn with new sod, landscape professionals can add new seed, along with the proper watering and maintenance, and you can have a lush yard relatively quickly.

Contact Burkholder Brothers for Overseeding & Turf Care Services

Do you want to have a vibrant, healthy lawn? If so, contact Burkholder Brothers. Our team of passionate, knowledgeable landscape professionals has years of experience in turf care. Our professionals are certified and trained in best practices for turf care. We also offer many other services that will benefit your lawn, such as plant health care, irrigation, landscape design, and more. Our history is filled with many examples of working with Main Line area residents to beautify their properties. For more information on overseeding lawns in spring or our services, request a free consultation today.

Estate Landscape Management - Care - Large Estate with landscape maintenance package by Burkholder Brothers Landscape

When is the Best Time to Lay Sod?

Written by Burkholder on May 13, 2021. Posted in Landscape Ideas & Design.

When homeowners want to make their lawns healthier or more vibrant, one way they often choose to do so is to lay sod. Sod, also known as turf, is grass, commonly harvested into rolls, including a thin layer of soil. The rolls are held together by the root system or, in some instances, a thin layer of biodegradable material. You have probably seen sod rolls used on people’s lawns or other places such as golf courses or sports stadiums. If you want to have a healthy lawn quickly, sodding is a good solution. But when is the best time to lay sod? Spring is the preferable time for warm season grasses such as centipede, zoysia, bermuda, and St. Augustine, which become dormant in the winter. Below we discuss laying sod in different seasons.

See our Turf Care Services

The Best Time to Lay Sod is During Fall

Early to mid-fall is generally the optimal time to lay sod on your property. One reason is that landscape professionals need to ensure that the planting area is watered and has enough moisture to support the newly planted sod. Fall tends to have more precipitation compared to spring or summer, which means you can ease up on the watering schedule. The cool temperatures of fall also make the conditions friendlier to laying sod. Even laying sod during the middle of fall allows plenty of the new grass to establish roots before winter dormancy.

Laying Sod in Other Seasons

Spring is the second-best time to lay sod, especially for grasses that thrive during warm seasons. Sodding during spring can be tricky, though, as you need to be sure that cold weather is genuinely gone to prevent freezing. The sod also needs enough moisture to maintain root health during spring, especially as the weather gets hot.

Sod can also be laid during the winter, although some people believe otherwise. While laying sod in the winter is possible, the sod can appear brown, leading some homeowners to think that the sod is dead. The new lawn can look dormant during winter, but the grass will regain color in the spring when temperatures warm up. Laying new grass in winter is a more viable option in the south, where temperatures are warmer than in northern regions. For Pennsylvania, early to mid-fall or spring is still recommended.

Summer is generally the most challenging time to lay sod. Summer brings sweltering (and dry, depending on where you live) weather. As a result, your lawn needs to be watered more frequently than if you opted to lay the new turf in the spring or fall, which may lead to overwatering, causing additional problems. The dry weather and risk of overwatering make it best to avoid laying new grass during summer, if possible.

Contact Burkholder Brothers for Sodding & Turf Care Services

If you want to lay sod and enhance your landscape with a healthy, lush lawn, contact Burkholder Brothers. We have years of experience designing and maintaining refined landscapes in the Main Line area. In addition to turf care and sodding, we offer other services such as plant health care, irrigation, landscape design, and more. Our passionate team of landscape professionals can make your dream landscape a reality. For more information on sodding or our services, request a free consultation today.

The Principles of Estate Landscape Management

Written by Burkholder on February 16, 2021. Posted in Landscape Ideas & Design.

Large estate management and care differ significantly from traditional residential landscaping. The scale of estate property management presents unique challenges. The properties are larger which increases the scope of work, but also, irrigation on such a large scale landscape, which can include large water features, valuable trees and plants, and an extremely variable layout, requires specialized design and installation. This system could even require extensive drainage systems. Pest management also has to be carefully planned and managed to be effective and also protect vulnerable plant and animal species. The key to having a successful estate landscape management project is to have a specific overall and focused approach for care and maintenance.

View Our Portfolios!

Principles of Estate Landscape Management

Due to the scale and complexity of managing large estates, knowing the goals and having a solid foundation of principles is critical. One of those principles is excellent communication. At Burkholder, we partner our clients with a dedicated account manager. This helps create proactive communication across the entire process and makes the relationship and work between both parties stronger and more manageable.

Another principle of estate care and management is regular maintenance and service. While all lawns and landscapes need routine care, recurring estate care is especially crucial. These consistent visits involve maintenance work and examining the health status of the plants, trees and shrubs. Some of the recurring services include the following:

Integrated Pest Management to manage all types of pests on the property without harming the ecosystem
Plant Health Care programs to ensure that proper fertilization and care is provided
Proper Pruning and tree support to ensure trees are healthy and safe for residents and structures
Maintenance of hardscape elements, including maintenance of pool and spa features
Smart irrigation system design and installation, with automatic timers and specialized zones to give proper care to all parts of the landscape

Seasons and weather conditions can have significant impact on recurring services and visits. Estate landscape management in the spring involves tasks associated with cleaning up after cold winters and preparing the landscape for spring blooms. Maintenance of irrigation systems is critical to ensure they are ready for the spring and summer conditions. Specialized turf care is performed for picture-perfect landscapes. Fall services prepare the landscape and plants for winter. Trees must be properly pruned for aesthetics, and to avoid the chance that weakened trees can be broken in winter storms and cause damage.

Contact Burkholder for Estate Landscape Management Services

Burkholder Brothers has served the Main Line area and communities for decades. Our experienced team of landscape professionals and account managers will work with you to ensure that your estate landscape is top-notch. Contact us today to see how our estate landscape management services can help you.