Whether beginning a new landscaping project or renovating existing grounds, finding a good landscaping team is made easy thanks to the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA).
CLCA’s Find My Contractor Search is an easy way to find someone in your area and you can also enter a name to see if they are a member of the CLCA.
Here are the important questions to ask when hiring a landscaping team:
Are They Licensed?
If your project costs more than $500, the contractor must be licensed by the state of California. To verify a license, use the California State License Board’s Instant License Check or call them at (800) 321-2752.
Contractors must demonstrate a minimum level of competency and financial responsibility to be licensed. All CLCA member-contractors meet this requirement.
Many of California’s cities and counties require business licenses. The Department of Agriculture requires landscape firms applying pesticides in California to have a pest control license.
Are They Insured?
Workers’ compensation insurance protects you in case a worker employed by a contractor is injured on your property. General liability insurance protects against not-so-natural disasters. These policies typically offer a minimum coverage of $300,000 to $1 million for residential and at least $1 million for commercial work.
Are They Certified?
CLCA Certified Water Managers must pass a written test and complete a rigorous year-long field performance test that documents their ability to use water wisely.
Landscape Industry Certified Technicians must pass a rigorous written & “hands-on” examination demonstrating a thorough knowledge of installation, maintenance and irrigation.
Pacific Vista Landscape Services is proud to be a member of the CLCA and licensed, insured, and certified! Contact us today for a free consultation on your next landscaping project!
Trees add value to your property and are a great investment when improving your landscape. Not only do they add immense beauty, fruit, flowers, shade and more, they also help clean the air that we breathe. Planting trees should be a priority for all communities. Choosing the right tree for your property depends on several different factors.
Luckily, the Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute located at Cal Poly in California, has a data base that will help you select the proper tree for your location and your needs. You can search the site by entering your zip code and the attributes of the tree that you want here: ufei.calpoly.edu/index.lasso
Planting Your Tree
Once you have selected the tree that is best for your property, it’s time to plant! Like everything else, there is a right way and a wrong way to do this. Following the correct planting steps is important to growing a healthy tree.
First, make sure you select the right location in your yard for your tree. Make sure the tree you are planting has plenty of room and will not outgrow its location. Then determine that the soil in which you are planting is compatible with the tree you have chosen. Also, make sure that your tree will have the right amount of sun and shade that is recommended for your particular type of tree.
Prepare a hole that is twice as wide as the root ball (some landscaping experts recommend a wider hole, up to three times as wide.) A wide hole will insure fast growth of the tree. The depth of the hole should be determined by the height of the root ball. The right depth will prevent settling.
Remove the plastic or wire basket and/or burlap from the root ball.
Add a starter fertilizer and fill around the root ball with the soil you removed for planting.
Deep water the tree, and water each day for seven days; then water twice a week for week two, and once a week afterwards.
Care and Feeding
Mulching
It is important to know that mulching is very important to the health of your newly planted tree. Mulch acts to retain water, preventing the roots from drying out, and provide protection from the heat and cold. It keeps weeds away from the tree roots and prevents compaction of the soil around the tree. There are different types of mulch available.
Watering
For newly planted trees, water right after planting. Not enough water will damage a tree, but over-watering is harmful as well. The proper amount of watering can be determined by feeling the soil around the tree. The soil should be moist but not soggy. Allowing the soil to dry for a short time between waterings, is good for the tree because it allows the soil to oxygenate.
Consider a drip system with smart controller to efficiently water your newly planted tree and landscape, saving water and money. There are rebates available in many counties throughout California to help implement these systems.
After the first two years, the root structure of the tree should be well established and will not need the kind of monitoring that a newly planted tree requires.
Pruning
Care must be taken when pruning newly planted trees because poor pruning can damage a tree for the rest of its life. The pruning of these young trees should be done to remove remove dead or broken branches. More aggressive pruning should wait until the tree is two to three years old.
Signs of a Healthy Tree
Is There New Growth: If you have had your tree for a year or more, there should be new growth appearing each year.
Check for Dead or Broken Branches: Since dead and broken branches invite insects and make the tree more susceptible to disease, they should be pruned off. Hint: If a branch is green underneath the bark when scraped with your fingernail, it is alive.
Check the Tree’s Bark: The bark should be intact. If it is loose or peeling, there is probably a problem. The truck should not have large cracks or holes and should be free of fungi.
Examine the Leaves: Leaves should be the appropriate color for the season. Wilting of the leaves indicate stress caused by too little or too much watering, or too much or too little sun. Evergreens should not have bare patches without needles, and deciduous trees should be full of leaves in the blooming season. Areas where leaves are missing can indicate damage or disease.
A proper tree care program will allow fluid growth patterns and wind penetration. This will condition your trees for long term healthy development. All of our pruning practices are based upon the International Society of Arboriculture industry standards.
Our Pacific Vista Landscape Service professionals will provide your property with a complete inventory of all trees and organize these trees on a multiple year tree care plan. We will place the trees on an appropriate plan to best suit a given species.
Contact us or call us today! 661-222-7525
The most dramatic scenes in landscape are driven toward the sky by the majestic trees that surround us. Because trees bring value and beauty to your property, we take our arboriculture service seriously.
One of the most important aspects of our services has been tree care. Trees serve many purposes from stimulating a view to deterring your eyes from some non-attractive scenery; they absorb noise and pollution while cleaning the air we breathe.
Trees in an urban environment are susceptible to many forms of stress including; wind, rain, disease and pest damage. These stresses can be minimized by implementing a routine maintenance program for trees.
Tree Care
A proper tree care program will allow fluid growth patterns and wind penetration. This will condition your trees for long term healthy development.
All of our pruning practices are based upon the International Society of Arboriculture industry standards.
Trimming & Pruning
Our trained professionals prune all trees in accordance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 Standards. This ensures that you get the finest quality tree care available.
Removals & Stump Grinding
Our crews are highly trained, professional arborists who are experienced in difficult and hazardous removals — and do not take chances at your expense.
Tree Management Planning
Our staff will provide your property with a complete inventory of all trees and organize these trees on a multiple year tree care plan. We will place the trees on an appropriate frequency to best suit a given species.
Southern California Landscaping Professionals
Call us at 661-222-7525 or contact Pacific Vista Landscape Services today for all your tree service needs! We also provide landscape installation, maintenance programs, irrigation systems, pest control and serve both commercial and residential clients.
