An extreme example of erosion threatening property values.

Typically by this time of year, Charlotte area landscapers are concerned with stress to plants and landscape caused by drought and intense heat.  This year, the weather has been dramatically different, with at least some rain nearly every day in July. While the typical school of thought is more water=good for plants and grass, this much precipitation – this quickly has its own adverse affects.

1. Soil Erosion – the most obvious downside to wet weather can be soil erosion.  Bare earth and dirt washed away subtly changes the slope of your landscape, which can create additional problems down the line. Ground cover shrubs and vines can help alleviate excessive erosion, but it’s important to keep an eye on developing patterns in your property.Left unchecked, erosion can not only destroy your landscape, but threaten your building structures as well, damaging foundations, and encouraging conditions that lead to flooding
2. Ponding – Standing water on your property creates a number of issues.  You can literally drown plants and grass, and invite blight and disease. Additionally, standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitos and other pests.Typically, it begins with a small puddle that if ignored  can affect structures like houses, apartments and businesses.
3. Weakening Root Systems – The hidden cost of too much water is under the ground.  With excessive water readily available, new and recently transplanted vegetation is not encouraged to develop deep, healthy root systems.  While these plants may look great today, when water is less plentiful, they won’t have the roots necessary to extract moisture from deeper in the earth, where moisture can be retained for longer periods of time. This creates a need for additional irrigation to supply water to a shallow root system in times of drought.

Water Management in both drought and wet conditions extends the life-cycle of your plants. Keep them, healthy to protect your asset value and minimize your ongoing maintenance, irrigation and replacement expenses.

For an assessment of your property, contact the team at Environmental Design Landscape. We can help protect your existing landscape investment and assist in planning your next project to maximize your asset values.