Landscaping a yard start to finish How to landscape a yard start to finish. First step you start by prepping the area which includes grading the area, removing trash, and trimming trees or shrubs. Then you bring in whatever machine’s to do whatever the person wants done to their yard. Next you would speak to the homeowner to find out if they would like any changes added to what work they already want done, if they don’t then your prep work for the yard is done. If they want changes you do the changes and then it’s time to move on to your next step. Your second step would be to start hauling in topsoil and try to dump it as close to the area you’re working in. if that isn’t possible then you need to bring in another machine to move it to the area you’re working. Next topsoil should be spread four to five inches thick, grassy areas topsoil should just be raked threw. However non-grassy areas get around five inches on top. Where there is a water runoff area topsoil should be spread seven to eight inches thick, so it won’t erode as fast as normal with water running through it. Third you would need to have more topsoil brought so that you can spread it out with the machine and make it level. Once you are done spreading the topsoil with the machine most landscapers use a hydraulic power rake for their machine, this cuts raking time in half by not doing it by hand. Then one or two people will follow behind the machine and rake out the machine tracks, and also do where they can’t get with the machine. A standard size yard usually take around two hours to do with a rake. Fourth you would proceed to spread granulated lime that neutralizes the soil, so that the acids in the soil won’t kill the seed. Then you would spread fertilizer which feeds the lawn and gives you dark green grass. If you don’t spread the fertilizer evenly when grass grows it will grow in strips of different color green. Next you would spread your grass seed, there are all different kinds of grass seed for example; direct sun, all shade, or mixture of sun and shade.
Most landscapers use the mixture of sun and shade unless specified otherwise. Finally once all your lime, fertilizer, and seed are down you would spread the straw. The straw hold in the moisture for the seed to take root. Depending on the size of the yard you can either shake it out by hand or use a machine called a bail chopper. A bail chopper is a machine that has sharp teeth and shoots it out a hose. After all your straw is laid you will water your lawn just enough to dampen the straw so the straw doesn’t blow away. Most landscapers d the first watering for the homeowner, after the job is complete it is the homeowner’s responsibility to water the grass.