Monthly Archives

December 2023

Dec 11
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Watering will save your new cedars!

By | Planting | No Comments

Water is the key

It’s pretty sad but I have to say it, newly planted cedars (Thuja occidentalis) require frequent watering after planting. That’s the only way they can establish and thrive. And it sounds so simple and obvious you could be forgiven for thinking I’m wasting your time with this blog post.

And yet, it happens over and over. Every season I’m sent in to catalog and remove dead cedars from multi-family (strata) sites. Then, once the rejects are hauled off to the dump and turned into soil, I visit nurseries to buy new specimens. More time, more labour and more money.

Then comes the hole digging and planting. Obviously, not every site is easy to dig up so the labour involved in this step can be huge. Also, Red Seal Vas doesn’t come cheap but this isn’t about me. I want you to think about watering.

Proper planting

Every time cedars I planted die, I second-guess my planting technique. I always remove burlap before planting but people don’t like that because it voids nursery return agreements. Potted cedars are easier but you still have check the roots, planting depth and water each tree in properly.

Once I’m done, I beg the owners to please water the cedars. After all, you wouldn’t breast feed your baby for just a few days. My wife breast fed for years. Unfortunately, people are busy. And it shows when I show up on site months later.

Night and day

It’s clear what happened here and, shockingly, this is the owner’s patio where they play with their kids and legally smoke copious amounts of marijuana.

Other people on the same site try harder. These specimens look decent so obviously they listened to me. This gives me some hope and stops me from second-guessing my planting technique. It was always about proper, frequent watering. Young cedars are thirsty so water them for at least one year. But don’t drown them. If you’re not sure about moisture levels, stick your finger in the planting hole.

Conclusion

Water your newly planted cedars well and frequently!

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Dec 10
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Are you still stressing over fallen leaves?

By | gardening, Mulch, Tips | No Comments

David Hobson’s opinion

This past October I travelled to Waterloo, Ontario to cheer on my son’s soccer team. They played in the youth U15 nationals, representing British Columbia.

Now, since they only played one match a day and the team didn’t hang out with parents, I had plenty of time to hang out.

I visited the St. Jacob’s farmer’s market, Canada’s largest outdoor farmer’s market. Safely absorbed by the market crowds, I bought a copy of the Waterloo Region Record newspaper. In it David Hobson wrote about fall leaves and how he deals with them “How about those leafs?” (Waterloo Region Record, October 7, 2023, section C8). Inevitably, this topic comes up every year so let’s see what David does in his own garden.

Easy does it!

David recommends bagging your leaves and leaving them outside exposed to the elements. By spring you should have layers of soggy, decomposing leaves you can add to your garden beds. He has done it for years and suggests you do the same. Start small. Even one bag of leaves is fine.

David doesn’t spread the leaves around in his own garden, except around shrubs where they get trapped and don’t blow away. Normally he makes a large pile of leaves, sometimes two metres across and just as high. The leaves should be wet for best results.

As the leaves begin to decompose, the pile shrinks by half. By early June he peels of compacted layers and adds them to his garden and vegetable beds. They stay there all summer and by fall those leaves are almost gone. They were used to build up soil just the way it happens in nature.

This is one reason I enjoy blowing leaves off multi-family complexes into woodland buffer zones. It’s good ecology and I cut down on green waste dumping charges.

If you like David Hobson’s ideas, try them out; and follow David online.

Stop stressing: blow it into one big pile and let it decompose!
Lawn Care Mastery online course only $5 until January 1, 2024
Dec 10
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Hedge screens: Prunus vs Thuja

By | Planting, Plants | No Comments

Ask Red Seal Vas

I won’t lie to you, not every client follows my suggestion. But it does happen on occasion. Like when a young couple approached me about creating a screen along their front sidewalk. I was at their house to cut their neglected lawn; more weeds than lawn. So they asked me about potential plants for their sidewalk edge.

Now, cedar hedging is very common. The neighbours on both sides have cedar hedges (Thuja occidentalis); and I’ve seen studies from the UK showing how hard they work keeping pollution away from the house.

But given our warming climate, many plantings are now struggling to establish and survive. (See also my blog from December 11 about cedars and proper watering.) That’s why I hesitated when the young mother asked me for a good suggestion.

Portuguese laurels

Prunus lusitanica are very nice laurels with glossy leaves; they grow fairly fast and tolerate shearing. What we’re finding on our multi-family (strata) sites is that they tolerate summer heat much better; and establish better than cedars.

They also cost much more than cedars. Luckily, this young couple has the means to pimp out their newly built house. They paid and had the laurels installed. Obviously, the screen isn’t as tight as with cedars but that might be a good safety feature. There is an obvious screen but it will be difficult for pedophiles to hide behind it.

Next spring I will establish a deep edge between the laurels and the lawn for easier lawn care work and for nicer definition. As it is right now, I really like the laurels. I’m glad the owners went with my suggestion. I’m always happy to help!

Prunus lusitanica in front, neighbour’s cedars in the background.

Prunus lusitanica

Conclusion

If you need a hedging screen, definitely consider Portuguese laurels. They’re nice and glossy and they tolerate shearing and summer heat. But they will cost you more than cedars.

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Dec 09
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People love trees on YouTube

By | Training, Trees, Videos | No Comments

Closest thing to viral

People love watching tree videos on YouTube! I found that out recently through my humble YouTube channel: West Coast Landscape Pro. Normally I post short videos of my work and things I see in the landscape; and I’m lucky to get one hundred views. So, imagine my surprise when one of my tree posts hit 4.6 thousand views and generated seven subscribers. That’s like Christmas for my channel.

Don’t leave stubs

The message is clear: don’t leave stubs on trees. Make nice cuts at the branch collar. In the video, the branch collar is a clearly visible raised section between the branch and trunk. Just beware that not every tree shows clear branch collars.

When you leave stubs the tree can’t cover up the wound. Eventually, the stub dies and it can act as a vector for disease to enter the tree. Once it’s inside, it’s hard to save the tree.

Also, always use a sharp saw to do your tree pruning work. In the video I’m using a brand new Silky Big Boy hand saw and it’s super sharp. It’s so sharp, it puts a smile on my face. Thank you Japan.

Impact

Not only did I get 4.6 thousand views, I also got comments. So I did what you are supposed to do: I replied to all of them. One especially was interesting, showing how even one short video can have slight impact on people.

After watching the video, one viewer promised to treat trees better when she goes camping and scours the area for firewood. She can now make decent cuts that the tree can over time cover up. I can only imagine what really goes on around camp sites.

Clear upsell

You can support my channel by viewing and subscribing; and by purchasing merchandise through my companion website: redsealvas.com. I appreciate your support. Also, remember to leave your comments so we can all learn something.

Dec 04
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A Christmas gift for homeowners and landscapers

By | Education | No Comments

Holidays!!

With barely three weeks away from Christmas, I feel like all homeowners and landscapers should be rewarded. To thank you for reading this blog, I’ve dropped the price of my online course to just $5 until January 1, 2024.

If you don’t know the background, I will share a little bit here. In my twenty-five seasons in the landscape industry, I’ve seen my share of lawn care mistakes. I’ve made them; and I’ve tried to correct them in others. Then it hit me: why not assemble the biggest mistakes in one course and make it available to a wider audience.

Learn from other people’s mistakes

Obviously, landscape apprentices work with me all year and they learn from their mistakes. But why not learn quickly from other people’s mistakes? My Lawn Care Mastery 101 online course covers the biggest mistakes people make. And sadly, some experienced workers could benefit from a refresher.

This past summer I witnessed an experienced worker run over a tree stump. He had been doing it every week and somehow he cleared it every time. And then he didn’t. You can read the details in my course but I should mention that bent mower shafts are expensive to replace; and the affected mower is never quite the same. Which is why I always recommend only running your mower over green grass. Lawn care should be stress-free. The goal is to create a beautiful lawn for your home or for your clients, not to cause hundreds of dollars in damage.

Colliding with fixed objects kills your blade and bends the shaft.

Biggest mistakes

My course covers the biggest mistakes. Some are horrific like bending your mower shaft or scalping your lawn down to dirt. Other mistakes aren’t as critical because grass grows back in one week or so. If you cross your mow lines one week, you will get a chance to make corrections the week after. If you run through my course you won’t have to worry about mistakes. And it will only cost you $5. Check it out and get ready for next year’s lawn care season.

Happy holidays!! I appreciate every single reader of this blog. And check back soon because I will be giving away copies of my latest e-book in January 2024.

Lawn Care Mastery 101: biggest mistakes online course ONLY $5