You have just moved into your brand-new home. The interior of your house is nothing less than a work of art. But, the exterior, including your yard, tells a different story.

Often, new homes present many landscape challenges as most of them do not have grass when you move it. If you do not have the budget to hire a professional landscaping company, you will have to start the landscaping process yourself from scratch.

This article will help you turn your dream of having a beautiful yard into a reality.

1. Test the Soil

If you are starting the process from scratch, the first step that you should follow is to get your soil tested. This will help you determine the pH value or fertility of the soil. It is also used to determine the fertilizer requirements of the potential plant you will bring in.

2. Sod vs. Seed

Usually, you have two options available to make your lawn look more appealing and beautiful: use sod or seeds. The former is a piece of thin material with grass growing on it. Buying this means paying for professionally-grown grass. If you are buying seeds, you will have to plant and sprout the grass on your own – or you may hire a professional for it. Rolls of sod spare you the hard work of planting seeds and the birds and animals eating them. If you’re looking for faster results and are stress-free, you may consider buying rolls of sod.

3. Dig Carefully

When it comes to digging a planting hole, you will have to give your undivided attention to the process.

When digging a hole for the plant, make sure that you dig the space that is wider than the root ball of the plant as this will allow the roots to grow comfortably. The planting depth, however, should be equal to the root ball’s height. Now plant the root ball carefully. Once that’s done, apply an almost 2″ to 3″ layer of mulch around the base. The mulch will not only prevent weeds from growing, but it will also allow the soil to preserve moisture.

Another important thing that you have to take care of while digging is to be mindful of the wires and utility pipes running through your lawn. You cannot possibly know the exact location of these pipes and wires. Luckily, there are utility companies that offer the services of marking the location for free. Call your utility company to get the desired information. Also, if you are digging within 12″ to 18″ of the location, use your hands to dig so that you don’t cause huge damage in case you hit a pipe/wire.

4. When to Plant

The best time to plant trees and shrubs is from October to April. In case you are facing a problem of frozen or waterlogged soil, don’t plant. If you are planting container-grown plants, you can grow them anytime during the year. However, if planted in winter or autumn, they’d need less watering.

The Final Word

Landscaping your yard and caring for and growing your garden from scratch is indeed a challenging task. However, with adequate planning and proper steps, you can grow a beautiful lawn and garden on your own.