At C&C Lawn and Irrigation we get this question a lot. Clients will ask our staff when should they plan to install a landscape project, especially one containing shrubs, trees, and flowers. There are more than a few factors that can determine when is the best time to install a landscape.

Do you have the luxury of an irrigation system or will watering be done manually?

An automatic sprinkler system will make watering so much easier and for most of our clients that have one, we suggest that this factor alone will greatly improve the chances of the landscape surviving if they wish to plant at anytime during the year.

We are in the business of installing landscapes. That means we don’t take time off due to it being dry. This is Texas right? Dry is normal. I have yet to tell somene that has an irrigation system that they need to wait until Fall or early spring to install.

Now if your installing massive amounts of flowerbeds filled with plants and there is not an irrigation system being installed as well, this might be an instance where you might want to wait until its not a drought or heat stressed time of year. Watering manually can be accomplished and you may come out just fine, but to water plants correctly and give them plenty of H20 you will find yourself spending a lot of time moving hoses, sprinklers, and doing a LOT of monitoring.

Hot weather is a main concern when installing plants. Extensive heat will stress plants out if care is not taken to avoid heat stress.

Try to plan and get your plants put in the dirt early in the morning or late in the day and not during the hottest part of the day. Easier said than done. Again we do this all day every day and it just cant be avoided sometimes for us.

Soon after putting your plants in they are going to need water. If they are going in at the hottest point of the day and you go to water everything in a hurry hitting the leaves and not really watering in thoroughly, damage can occur. The leaves can get burned and can wilt if exposed to water during hot periods. The root balls need to be watered in and try to avoid blasting the plants with your hose or even the irrigation system spraying all over them.

Freezing temperatures will injure or kill plants if installed right before a hard freeze. You should keep in mind the forecasts for any freezes predicted to stay in the clear when planting.

The cold can be just as damaging as the heat or worse. Sensitive plants put in the ground say the day right before a freeze is almost a guarantee some plants will be injured or affected. While the fall is a great time to avoid stressing plants from the heat, a good freeze will wipe them out overnight. Check the forecast and avoid planting the same week as a freeze is predicted.

Some of your more sensitive plants you wish to incorporate in the design, you may hold off on these until spring or wait till the threat of freeze has passed. It is important to know the cold hardiness of what you are installing as well as how they handle the sun.

Are you prepared for the future maintenance of what you will be installing? If we are able to dodge what I’ve mentioned above, sometimes all it takes is ourselves to destroy what we have created.

Basic knowledge can go a long way of what you are putting on your plate. With landscaping in Bryan Tx you may think we are out of the danger zones of extreme heat and cold like other parts of the country, but if you cant take care of what you design it will be failed from the start.

Maintenance, water, and timing are all playing a major role in the success story of your landscape. Think through your plant varieties and choices, stick with what does good in our area, and research the ongoing maintenance required to keep everything looking great in your investment.