Monthly Archives: August 2014

How to Talk to a Landscape Contractor #2

“Weed & Feed”

Welcome to our latest post of “How to talk to a landscape contractor” where we let you in on the definitions of common landscape contractor lingo. When we tell a customer that “Weed & Feed” needs to be applied to their lawn, we frequently get the question: “what is weed and feed?”

It is the commonly used name for a product that will kill most broad leaf weeds while simultaneously fertilizing the lawn.

What is Weed and Feed?

Weed and feed is an application process for lawns with dead patches and many weeds. First, check if your lawn has dead patches because of improper sprinkler coverage. You may need to take a look at your irrigation system if this is the case.

Next, your lawn may only have a few patches of weeds. In this case, it might be better to spot treat for weeds. Misusing weed & feed can actually result in more damage to your lawn! You should never apply more than twice a year. Contact your local lawn care professional with any questions you may have! Many lawn care professionals have different chemicals that can accomplish the same results.

How To Weed and Feed

The best time of the year is late spring; however, we will recommend that our customer also apply in the fall. It’s very important that you apply early in the fall. If night time temperatures drop too low, the application won’t work.

Apply weed & feed a couple of days after the last mowing. This way the weeds have a little growth to them which allows the weed killer to attach itself to the weed. The best practice is to water your lawn heavily on the nights before the application.

In the morning after application, apply a light watering. The water also allows the weed killer to attach to the weeds. This is the one step you don’t want to miss.

Next, shut the water down for 2 days. This allows the weed killer to burn up the weeds. After 2 days do another heavy watering. By failing to apply water after 2 days, you run the risk of burning up your grass. The water allows the fertilizer to release into the soil.

Once this process is complete, go back to your normal watering schedule. Within 10 days you’ll see the fertilizer working and all of the weeds should be gone. If there are still some remaining weeds, apply a small a amount of weed & feed on the remaining weeds. There is no need to apply weed & feed to the entire yard again.

Contact a licensed landscape contractor with questions or concerns. Even though many home owners apply weed & feed on their own, it’s important to follow the application process and to check what type of grass you have. Weed & feed will burn up several different types of grass. If this process seems to hard or you’re not a “green thumb” feel free to contact your local gardener.

Should I Weed and Feed during the drought?

In the current California drought, properly weeding and feeding your lawn is a huge luxury. If you are concerned about water usage, you should consider re landscaping with a drought-tolerant landscape. Properly done, a drought tolerant landscape can stand out and look very nice. Many Orange County landscapes are turning to this environmentally friendly alternative.

Or, you can completely avoid the need to weed & feed with the installation of synthetic turf. Our modern synthetic turf looks way better than the AstroTurf of the past, lasts, and helps with water conservation. Summer is a bad time to weed and feed anyway, because of the likelihood your yard will burn. Best to wait it out until the beginning of fall or even late spring.

You have the knowledge of a licensed landscape contractor!

Now, if anyone asks “what does weed and feed mean?” You have a very complete answer for them. They’ll probably think you’re a landscape contractor and hire you on the spot! Okay, maybe that’s a little crazy, but if it does happen, be sure to point them our way.

TRU Landscape Services, your Orange County Landscape Contractor is just a phone call away: 1-866-487-1359

True Landscape Services

The other day a customer was telling me that they couldn’t find our landscape company online. I was surprised because we have a pretty big web presence for a landscape company. It turns out that the customer had been typing in “True Landscape Services” instead of “TRU.” It was an honest mistake, and makes sense because “True” is a word, and “TRU” is not. Instead, it’s simply an acronym for Tobi Robert Ulemek, the name of the business owner.

How do you spell our company’s name? True, or TRU?

Clarifying an Honest Mistake

An honest mistake, but a crucial one. We still want people to be able to find our webpage, so I’m writing this blog. That way we can make sure something exists online to help people find our website even if they add an “e” to our company name. The misspelling makes sense, but it could cause a new customer quite a bit of confusion. There is apparently a “True Landscaping Company” but they’re located in Cleveland… It’d be a little inconvenient for them to work with a client’s landscaping in Orange County California. And vice versa actually. I wonder if anyone ever drops the “e” when searching for their company and finds our Orange County landscaping company instead!

We DO Provide “True Landscape Services”

Despite all that potential confusion, TRU Landscape Services can definitely be called a “True landscape company” for several reasons.

First off, we’re a licensed, bonded, insured, and certified landscape contractor by the California contract licensing board (#894221). That means you, the customer, are protected. It also means our company has the knowledge and experience to do things right the first time!
Our free landscape construction estimates are honest (and true). We competitively price our products and services and will never try to cheat you on cost or quality. Honesty is one of our highest priorities.
Our hardscape construction elements are straight and true too. You’ll be impressed and happy with just how well made those finished elements are.
Lastly, we’re “tried and true.” Living and landscaping in Orange County California for over 25 years, TRU Landscape Services is an experienced local landscape company you can trust.

We don’t like working with dishonest people either! So no matter whether you need us for low voltage lighting or a stamped concrete patio with an outdoor fireplace, we want to be a company you can trust. Why deal with dishonest contractors when you can work with just one “true landscape” company? Woops, I meant “TRU Landscape Services.” Honest mistake…

For an estimate, call 1-866-487-1359

Orange County Concrete Fire Pits

Need the right addition to your landscape? Consider installing a fire pit. Our Orange County Concrete fire pits provide a focal point for outdoor gatherings. They are built from quality materials, and look great. Read more to see our last concrete fire pit installation.

Earlier this week we finished a North Tustin Landscaping project that transformed our customer’s backyard. In the previous landscape blog we showed some pictures of the completed Orange County Stamped Concrete Patio. In this blog, we’ll be moving into another area of the backyard landscape, the fire pit area.

The patio area surrounding the fire pit is dark stained stamped concrete

Fire Pits Balance Design and Functionality

This rectangular fire pit includes a poured in place concrete cap with stucco siding to match the home. Square and rectangular fire pit designs are becoming popular. We also build traditional round fire pits. Other style options include variations in sidings from veneers to stack stone to stucco. We can also color the fire pit’s concrete cap to match your backyard landscape.

Concrete fire pits should be built by licensed contractors. Why risk your landscape construction on an unlicensed contractor? Our certified landscape crews will safely install the fire pit gas line, and use top quality materials and careful construction practices.

Fire Pits aren’t just beautiful, they’re also practical. For one, the fire pit’s poured-in-place concrete cap can be used as a as a table. And of course, a built-in gas fire pit will provide warmth and light to any outdoor gathering. Warmth and light.

Fireglass is one option for your fire pit’s filling.

Fire Pit Fillings: from sand to fireglass

Many new fire pit owners chose unique fillings for their fire pits. We supply everything from lava rock or sand to our custom American Fire glass. It all depends on what your landscape design needs.

As you can see, tumbled fire glass can be chosen to match any color scheme of furniture or otherwise, so it is often a good option for homeowners with an existing color pallet. In this way, each element of your landscape will work in harmony. Using different construction techniques, fillings, and surrounding patio materials, Fire pits can be constructed to match any shape, style, or color of landscape.

Concrete Fire Pit Installation

Outdoor Living with Fire Pits

There are many benefits to using built in fire pits. Fire is striking!

Few other landscape elements will have as much impact (especially at night) as a fire element.
Concrete fire pits are also very low maintenance (especially when properly constructed). They start with ease and eliminate the need to gather and throw additional wood onto the fire.
Your neighbors probably don’t have one. You’ll easily be able to one up the Joneses with a sick new pit. They’ll be jealous and probably move away out of sheer envy.

The Difference of a Landscape Remodel

So the finished area looks pretty nice, right? It’s a completely useable space with matching outdoor furniture, some expertly finished stamped concrete, and of course the styled Orange County concrete fire pit. It’d be easy to step out your back door, put your feet up, and relax. But only a few weeks before these pictures were taken, the backyard landscape was a mess!

Before TRU Landscape Services arrived, the backyard was a messy dusty garden with scattered dry planter beds. The whole yard was a slope, and was difficult to navigate if you were walking through it. Tree stumps and struggling old plants made it look depressing. Mounds of dry dirt were lumped along the corners of the rotting planter beds. After demolition, leveling and grading the yard, we built the fire pit form. With that in place, our crews finished the stamped concrete patio and the fire element. The finished outdoor living area looks totally new!

What used to be a completely unusable space was transformed into a totally unique and inviting patio area. If you’re ready to do the same for your backyard landscape, call TRU Landscape today and ask about the option of installing your own Orange County Concrete Fire Pit!

1-866-487-1359

For even more information on this backyard landscape project, see our page on the topic: Orange County Concrete Landscaping