Middle Georgia Landscaping: A Few Fall Site Prep Tips
Every rainstorm leaves your yard a soggy mess? Or perhaps you are staring at some raw land and not sure how to proceed with winter on the way. You would be hard pressed to have spring landscaping put down good roots if it is just going to wash away.
There is no better time of year than fall to put your property in order for what is to come. We at Safe Site Services have been doing sitework and landscaping in Warner Robins and throughout Middle Georgia for 10 years now. Should you wish to discuss a project, we can be reached at (478) 309-7332.
We will outline why timing is of the essence and what site prep entails in this part of the country.
The Case for Prepping in the Fall
After a hot Middle Georgia summer has taken its toll on the soil and the crews, the ground is generally dry enough to put to work when fall rolls around. The cooler weather is an aid to installation, clearing and grading. You also have fall rains coming up to lay bare any drainage issues.
Then there is the matter of practicality. Do your work in the fall and new plantings or sod have a chance to form root systems ahead of the growing season. Put off the prep and you will find yourself mending things in the spring as opposed to reaping the benefits.
Drainage Comes First
Water is the source of most landscaping that does not make it in our area. With the way Middle Georgia soil retains moisture, a heavy rain will pool in the low places and erode slopes or put an end to new plantings. One should know where the water is going before so much as a piece of sod is put in.
Some of the things to put under the microscope this fall:
- Water left standing for a day after a rain
- Any soil being washed from garden beds or slopes
- Runoff headed for the foundation of the home
- Bare ground at the end of a downspout
- Clogged or overgrown drains
- Soft, muddy patches in low spots
A French or trench drain will remedy these in most cases if put in right. It takes a certain knowledge of the local soil to get the grade and the path of the drain correct, something we do on a daily basis.
Clearing and Grading
With the water situation in hand you can turn to shaping the land. Dry and firm ground is preferable for equipment and yields a neater job, making fall a sound choice for grading and clearing.
It is not just about having a level lot. Done properly, grading provides a solid footing for concrete, driveways and retaining walls while putting in place the slope required by your drainage plan and moving water clear of structures. For those with raw land, getting the brush and debris out of the way means you are in position to put in features when conditions are right.
Erosion Control
Soil that has been freshly graded is exposed, and in a Middle Georgia rain it will not remain so. We are particular about erosion control; topsoil loss is the last thing one wants after shelling out for the work.
You can forestall it with a few moves:
- Put in seed or sod to anchor the soil
- Build a retaining wall on ground that is steep or shifting
- Let runoff go to a planned drain, not an open slope
- See to it bare areas are covered until they are permanently so
Retaining walls deserve special note. They keep the soil in check but also put some structure to a yard that might otherwise run downhill and provide flat space on a sloped lot.
Leave the Installed Features for Later
When the site is stable, drained and graded, you can put in the finishing touches like a pond cleanup, seeding, concrete or a complete landscape.
As a full service outfit we see to projects from the raw land to the installed landscaping. That way the final features and the drainage and grading are all in concert rather than cobbled together by different crews.
Permitting
Rules of the locality vary. In our 10 plus years in Warner Robins, Macon, Milledgeville, Cordele and the rest of Middle Georgia we have become well acquainted with the permitting as well as the rainfall and soil that dictate a project. It is a familiarity that precludes surprises and keeps a job on track.
Let us put you to work
We are licensed and insured and will give you a free estimate for residential or commercial work. If this is the fall you put your mind to a landscaping project or some needed drainage and grading, call (478) 309-7332 and we will make the plans.
