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Author: Petalon Landscape

Commercial Lawn Care for Fall and Winter

Tips from Our Landscape Maintenance Experts

commercial lawn careHot summer weather, insects, disease and increased foot traffic can take a toll on your grass. To prepare it for the chilly months and the next growing season, follow our recommended commercial lawn care advice for fall and winter.

Fall and Winter Lawn Maintenance Guide

  • Clear the leaves: In addition to making your property look shabby, fallen leaves tend to starve your lawn of sunlight and moisture. Leaving them on the grass could also result in dead spots which will encourage weed growth in spring.
  • Mow to the correct height: As grass can continue to grow until the first frost, it is important to mow regularly and to the right height. Keeping it too long encourages mold and fungi. Cutting it too short, on the other hand, damages the root system.
  • Change the watering schedule: Continue to water as required. Your lawn typically needs around an inch of water every week. Your irrigation schedule will depend on the amount of rain you receive. A rain gauge will help you keep track.
  • Aerate the soil: Fall is the ideal time to aerate your lawn. This loosens the compacted soil, helping your grass roots receive oxygen, water and fall fertilizer in preparation for the growing season. Spring aeration, on the other hand, can increase weed growth.
  • Weed control: Like your grass, weeds also absorb all they can during fall. This makes any weed control treatments more effective and saves you the effort in spring.
  • Feed your lawn: The application of a slow-release fertilizer provides essential nutrients for the grass to grow deep roots and build strength for the chilly winter months. However, fertilizing at the right time is critical and your lawn care company can help with that.
  • Seed: Spread seed all over the lawn to encourage lush and healthy growth in spring. Be generous around any unhealthy and bare spots.

Timely fall and winter lawn maintenance can make a huge difference come spring. At Petalon, our lawn care specialists remove dead grass, expertly prepare the soil, and patch with sod or reseed to restore your lawn’s healthy appearance.

Count on our full-service commercial landscape management company to ensure your business location is always fresh and inviting. Our weekly gardening and seasonal cleanup programs keep your property looking its very best.

Property owners and managers across the San Jose and East Bay areas, including in Fremont, Milpitas, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin and Danville depend on our proven landscaping solutions and outstanding customer service.

Call 408-453-3998 or contact our landscape management company requesting a quote for commercial lawn care in fall and winter.

Bay-Friendly Certified Staff

Ryan Valentine, Petalon’s Sr. Account Manager is now Bay-Friendly Certified

Creating and Maintaining Sustainable Landscapes Just Got Easier

bay friendly certified staffWith our expertise in environmentally-friendly landscaping, we help you maintain an attractive property while lowering your water usage. Committed to learning and adopting the latest drought management techniques, Petalon is happy to announce that our Senior Account Manager, Ryan Valentine is now Bay-Friendly Certified. From storm water management to water conservation, irrigation, plant selection and care, soil health, and more, we offer a range of services to keep your commercial property looking great throughout the year.

What Does the Bay-Friendly Certification Mean?

 Based on 7 key principles, ReScape California’s Bay-Friendly Training & Qualification Program offers a systematic process to creating a healthy landscape with minimal impact on the environment and natural resources. More importantly, it helps us address many of our clients’ landscaping concerns such as:

  • Lowering water bills
  • Reducing risks associated with some landscaping chemicals
  • Complying with storm water regulations
  • Creating suitable habitats for bees, birds and other pollinators, as well as beneficial wildlife

With this new certification, we now have enhanced capabilities to design, build and maintain water-efficient landscaping that will achieve your conservation goals. Our flexible approach enables us to adapt what we have learned and apply it to varying client needs, including residential properties and business premises, institutional campus playgrounds, areas for growing food, city parks, and so on.

Conserve Water with Low-Maintenance Landscapes

Are you considering drought tolerant landscaping? Exploring smart irrigation systems that will help you avoid water penalties? We offer customized landscaping and irrigation solutions to meet your unique needs and budget. Many of our clients who have made the switch, enjoy significant savings and sustained curb appeal.

Count on our full-service commercial landscape management company to ensure your business location is always attractive and inviting. With our weekly gardening and seasonal flower planting programs, your property will look vibrant throughout the year.

Property owners and managers across the San Jose and East Bay areas, including in Fremont, Milpitas, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin and Danville depend on our sustainable landscaping solutions and exceptional customer service.

Call 408-453-3998 to request a quote or contact our Bay-Friendly Certified team online.

Water Management Techniques for 2018

Top Water Management Techniques for 2018

Save Water, Save Money 

Water Management Techniques for 2018According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), using native and drought-tolerant plants for landscaping can significantly reduce your water usage. Proper timing of irrigation controllers, converting from spray to drip systems and using mulch in your planter beds can also greatly improve your landscape’s water efficiency. To follow local water-use restrictions and avoid fines, our Bay Area irrigation experts recommend the following water management techniques for 2018.

Tips to Achieve Your Water Management Goals

  1. Plan your landscape wisely: Water-smart landscaping and irrigation management can help boost your conservation efforts. Always develop your landscape plan before designing the irrigation system. Divide your landscape into water-use zones. Select plants according to their water needs. Replace regular grass with a low-water-use varieties. Space plants keeping in mind their size when fully grown, to reduce competition for water.
  2. Consider drought-tolerant landscaping: A xeriscape garden uses little water and can be just as stunning as a regular landscape. It involves keeping turf areas to the minimum and selecting water-saving (or drought-tolerant) plants that are suitable for your climate. For example, Manzanita, Milkweed, the Western Redbud and Pipestem Clematis need very little supplemental water and add beauty to your garden.
  3. Switch to drip irrigation: Traditional sprinkler systems lead to over-watering and wastage. A drip system, on the other hand, delivers a controlled amount of water just where it is required. This allows you to be sparing with native and water-wise plants and provide more water to the plants that need it. By switching to soaker hoses and microsprays, you can extend watering times for plants while preventing soil erosion and nutrient runoff. High-efficiency “heavy-droplet” sprinkler nozzles that direct more water to the roots of plants and grass are also a water-efficient option.
  4. Conduct regular water controller audits and maintenance: Routine monitoring, maintenance and repairs of irrigation systems will prevent landscape damage and water wastage. An annual review of your irrigation system can help reduce water loss throughout the year.

Water Management with Drought-Tolerant Landscaping and Irrigation

Water conservation is the foundation of Bay Area landscaping today. With drought-tolerant landscaping and proper irrigation management, your savings can total 30 percent or more. The Petalon team provides comprehensive services for drought-resistant landscaping and irrigation system design and installation. You can recoup your initial investment through significant savings on water use every year.

Owners and property managers across Northern California including those in San Jose, Fremont, Milpitas, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto/East Bay, Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Danville, CA enjoy the benefits of our proven water management practices.

Call 408-453-3998 or contact us online to book our services and learn more about water management techniques for 2018.

Ensure the Right Winter Care for Fruit Trees in Northern California

Tips to Improve Tree Health and Yield

Although your fruit trees might lie dormant until spring, they need protection from cold temperatures, pest infestations, rodent problems and any type of damage to the tree’s structure. Simple measures like cleaning out fallen leaves and using dormant-season sprays, for example, help to deter pests and fight disease. Here are some expert tips on winter care for your fruit trees in Northern California.

Caring for Your Fruit-Bearing Trees in Winter

  • Clean out dead leaves: They are likely to have insect eggs or fungus spores that are damaging to the health of your trees.
  • Mulch: Replenish the layer of mulch under the trees before winter. Mulch will help rainwater penetrate to the roots and prevent soil erosion. Maintain a three-inch layer to prevent run-off and discourage weed growth.
  • Pest control: Apply dormant oil sprays to control pests, minimize fungal infection, and curb the spread of certain diseases. These specially formulated oils are effective against soft-bodied insects such as aphids and mites, some insect eggs, as well as scale. Depending on the type of tree, its age, and overall health, your arborist may also suggest wrapping the tree trunk. This provides added protection from rodents and certain pests.
  • Pruning: Removing dead, decaying, diseased, and obstructing limbs will improve light penetration and encourage healthy growth. Knowing when and how much to prune trees is important to ensuring strong growth. Dates, apricots, cherries, and plums each have different pruning schedules and requirements. Young trees will need different care than mature fruit trees.
  • Examine tree structure: Damaged tree bark and limbs require timely, professional attention in order to preserve overall tree health.
  • Plant new trees: Winter can be a good time for planting new fruit trees. The type of soil, amount of sunlight and growing space are important points to consider before you plant. As well, you must determine whether the new tree will need a partner for pollination to bear fruit.

Fruit Tree Management Services

Properly maintained fruit trees can provide a bountiful harvest. If you are looking to increase the yield of your existing trees or plant new ones, we can help. The Petalon team provides comprehensive services for fruit tree management. We take care of preparing the planting site, fertilizing, mowing, trimming, pruning, pest control, and weeding.

Orchard owners and property managers across Northern California including in San Jose, Fremont, Milpitas, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Palo Alto, CA trust us with their fruit tree maintenance requirements.

Call 408-453-3998 or contact us online to book our services and learn more about winter care for fruit trees in Northern California.

HOA Landscaping Services to Meet Common Challenges

Tips to Manage Expectations, Curb Appeal and Your Budget

Landscaping services can take up a large part of your HOA’s annual maintenance budget. A well-kept landscape is critical to your business image and helps ensure homeowner satisfaction. However, balancing shrinking budgets with board and homeowner expectations can be difficult. Here are some tips to help resolve your HOA landscaping challenges.

Top 3 Challenges Resolved by Expert Landscaping Services 

  • Balancing homeowners’ and board members’ expectations: While managing the budget is the board’s top priority, property owners are typically more concerned about aesthetics. An experienced commercial landscaper can advise you on cost-effective ways to maintain curb appeal. For instance, a varied and colourful water-saving landscaping design and efficient irrigation management will significantly reduce your maintenance efforts and cost.
  • Differing opinions on plant selection and placement: If only everyone could agree on colors and plant choices! The bigger your HOA, the more difficult it is to reach a consensus on landscape design and seasonal plantings. While it is important to get input from everyone involved, ultimately, you must choose plants that are best suited to your local climate and soil conditions. Sunlight patterns also impact the choice of your landscape design. An experienced HOA landscaping project manager can help you find the right balance between aesthetics and cost-efficiency. They will consider varying opinions and the ideal growing conditions to present attractive and functional options that will appeal to the board and homeowners.
  • Dedicated landscape maintenance service: Ongoing maintenance is important to ensure healthy plants, trees and lawns. This can be a lot to handle when you have several other condo maintenance responsibilities to fulfill. Hiring professionals who provide year-round condominium landscaping services will make the job easy and efficient. Annual landscape maintenance plans are more budget-friendly compared to individual services.

Award-Winning Landscape Management Services

Petalon’s professional HOA landscape maintenance team provides customized service plans tailored to your specific needs. From mowing and pruning to fertilization, disease management, and seasonal cleanup, you can count on an attractive and tidy property through the year. The site crew is always clearly identified, and we plan and communicate all work to avoid any conflict with community activities. Ongoing awards and membership to several industry associations further validate our commitment to excellence.

Condo managers across the San Jose area, including in Fremont, Milpitas, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto, CA depend on us for quality commercial property maintenance.

Call 408-453-3998 or contact us online to request our services and find out how we can resolve your HOA landscaping challenges.

Considerations for Hiring Condominium Landscape Contractors

Tips to Enhance Your Property’s Appearance and Value

Well-manicured grounds deliver a great impression of your condominium property. From creating attractive seasonal displays to maintaining their lush and vibrant look, an experienced landscape management company can help you maintain curb appeal. How will you choose the right condominium landscape contractors to achieve this goal? Here are some key considerations when making this hiring decision.

How to Select Your HOA Landscaping Contractor

  • Condominium landscaping experience: One of the most important considerations is appropriate landscaping experience. You want a professional crew that understands the unique needs of your condo property. Long-standing experience in the industry means the contractor has a reputation to maintain, and customers who can verify the quality of service. Ask for references and be sure to check them out.
  • Creative landscaping ideas: Landscaping contractors who take the time to understand your property’s needs before suggesting any landscape enhancements will be thorough in their work, and deliver visible results. Local climate, soil condition, and sunlight patterns are some aspects they will consider when selecting plants and implementing landscape design.
  • Expert landscaping techniques: From identifying the ideal planting locations on your property to efficient watering practices, an experienced commercial landscaper can advise you on cost-effective ways to maintain curb appeal. Selecting drought-tolerant ground cover and efficient irrigation management, for instance, will significantly reduce your landscape maintenance efforts and cost.
  • Seamless landscape maintenance support: A healthy and vibrant landscape is the result of timely mowing, pruning, fertilization, disease management, and seasonal cleanup. This is a lot to handle when you have several other condo maintenance tasks to fulfill. Hire professionals who can provide you with year-round condominium landscaping services.

Trusted Condominium Landscape Contractors

Our professional HOA landscape maintenance team provides end-to-end service tailored to your unique needs. We combine decades of experience working with condo managers, and customize service plans to give your property an attractive, tidy appearance. We handle everything—fertilizing, mowing, trimming, pruning, pest control, weeding, and annual planting, taking the stress out of landscape management. Year-upon-year awards, and membership to several industry associations demonstrates our commitment to excellence.

Condo managers across the San Jose area, including in Fremont, Milpitas, and Mountain View, CA trust us with their commercial property maintenance requirements.

Call 408-453-3998 or contact us online to request our services or learn about important considerations for hiring condominium landscape contractors.

 

Drought Resistant Landscaping For HOAs

drought-tolerant-landscaping-bay-areaAlthough the rains have returned to California, homeowner associations in the Bay Area still desire the benefits of drought-resistant landscaping.

Water conservation is now common practice in our state. HOA managers and tenants realize that even when precipitation is plentiful, an earth-friendly landscape of native plants and shrubs using minimal irrigation is not an option, but a requirement.

A varied and colorful drought-resistant landscape also saves money while reflecting well on your HOA. It can be a strong selling point to prospective renters and buyers who appreciate an association that is mindful of the environment.

If you are a Bay Area HOA property manager or board member, Petalon Landscape Management invites you to meet with our team and discuss the wide-ranging benefits of a comprehensive, water-saving landscape renovation. We can design and install a landscape customized to your specifications.

The Elements of Drought-Resistant Landscape Installation

These are the basic steps Petalon Landscape Management takes when replacing traditional, water-wasting plants with a drought-resistant landscape:

  • Reducing or eliminating lawn areas and replacing with ground cover material and native shrubs and plants. Grass is easily the thirstiest element in your landscape. Simply cutting back on the size of a lawn is a huge water-saver that has a significant effect on your utility bills.
  • Installing cutting-edge irrigation technology that promotes efficient water use while adjusting for changes in weather. Smart controllers facilitate precise watering by measuring conditions such as soil moisture, slope, and temperature. Special sprinkler nozzles and drip irrigation are designed to deliver water more directly to plant and shrub roots.
  • Reviving your landscape with a program of regular maintenance. We offer planning and planting ideas for cost efficient replacement of older plants and trees. Our professionals use natural methods to mitigate plant damage by pests, keep your grounds fertilized, and make prompt repairs and adjustments to your irrigation system. The result: A more vibrant, healthier landscape.

A drought-resistant landscape is perfectly fine for pets, too. Ground covers such as dymondia work just as well as grass as a place for dogs to do their business.

Installing drought-resistant landscaping for HOAs need not be costly. Petalon Landscape Management can complete your beautiful landscaping project within your budget. Call 408-453-3998 today.

Summer Tree and Plant Care

Summer Tree and Plant Care, for Changing Seasonal Needs

seasonal-flower-plantings-fremont-caProper summer plant and tree care is important for the long-term health of your company’s landscape.

Petalon Landscape Management’s commercial clients depend on us to keep their properties looking healthy and vibrant all year long. When the weather turns warm, our staff will to meet the changing seasonal needs of your trees and plants.

We’re able to identify and find solutions when minor landscape problems surface in the summer. With years of experience as our guide, we take steps to make certain they don’t turn into major headaches in the fall.

Elements of Summer Tree and Plant Care

A program of summer tree and plant care by Petalon professionals considers these factors:

Watering 

Proper irrigation is a major issue in the summer. Overwatered landscapes are common in the Bay Area. Too much moisture robs roots of oxygen and can kill plants. A drought-tolerant landscape with shrubs, plants and flowers native to California requires minimal irrigation, even in hot weather.

If you wonder whether your landscape is adequately irrigated, check to see if plant or tree leaves are supple and even-colored. If they are brown and brittle, wilting or yellowed, you may need to adjust your watering schedule.

Climate zones

The Bay Area consists of several climate zones, so the landscaping needs of each Petalon client are varied. We take into account your location, altitude, and proximity to the ocean to customize a program of summer tree and plant care for you.

Pest damage 

Insects do physical damage and can cause disease in plants and trees any time of year. Telltale signs of infection include holes, spots or discoloration on leaves. Petalon first uses organic methods to deter pests or cure the disease and prevent it from spreading throughout your landscape.

Petalon clients often ask if planting trees and shrubs in the summer is OK. We recommend restricting planting to the spring and autumn. Planting in warm or hot weather may shock a plant or tree and root development, which is critical to successful transplanting, does not naturally occur during the summer.

Begin a program of summer tree and plant care by talking with a Petalon Landscape Management professional. Contact us online or call 408-453-3998 today.

Selecting a Hardscape Contractor in the Bay Area

Downtown San Jose: Cityview PlazaWhen it’s time to select a hardscape contractor in the Bay Area, consider these factors:

  • The type of project. Not every contractor performs the same work. Try to find one that excels at the kind of hardscape you want. For instance, massive hillside retaining walls require a level of expertise that could be different from building a simple walkway.
  • Do some research. As with any installation or renovation project, it’s best to take the time to research potential contractors. A contractor that has been in business for a long time is preferable to one that is just starting out. A reputable hardscape contractor should be licensed, bonded and insured. Business owners who have recently experienced a hardscape project are valuable resources. Ask them about their contractor and for a referral. Online sites Yelp and Angie’s List provide independent ratings and reviews of commercial contractors in your area.
  • Investigate the quality of work. Check out completed projects in person for workmanship and attention to detail. An established contractor should provide names of former customers. Signs that indicate that professionals did a project include adequate drainage, walls that are level with clean mortar lines, and structures such as pergolas that are sturdy.

We Are Full-Service Hardscape Contractors

Petalon Landscape Management began operating in the Bay Area nearly 40 years ago. We undertake many projects on referral by satisfied customers who know our commitment to building quality hardscapes with durable materials.

Petalon’s customers include HOAs of all sizes, retail locations, corporate campuses, developers, property managers, and public entities in the cities of Fremont, Mountain View, Walnut Creek, Danville, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, San Jose, Palo Alto, Livermore, and Pleasanton.

As a full-service commercial hardscape and softscape contractor, Petalon simplifies even the most complex projects for our customers. We do it all – irrigation overhauls, driveways, retaining walls, spacious patios and walkways, landscape renovations and maintenance. We also offer fully credentialed arbor care services.

Select a hardscape contractor in the Bay Area with a record of success in commercial projects – Petalon Landscape Management. Call 408-453-3998 today to speak to one of our representatives.