All plant material will be guaranteed for one full year from date of installation. To ensure proper growth conditions of your newly installed plantings the following care should be provided:

1. Water new plantings at least once daily for a period of 10-15 minutes, depending on exposure to sun.
2. Water between the hours of 5:00 am – 8:00 am.
3. Upon establishment of plants root system, watering times may be cut down to 5-7 minutes daily.
4. In periods of extreme drought and heat, plants should be watered additionally between the hours of 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm in order to cool down root system and prevent plant rooting from drying out.
5. While significant amounts of rainwater may substitute for your daily irrigation, we do not recommend that you rely on this as sole irrigation. Plants must be watered in order to remain healthy.
6. Please be advised that areas with heavy shade do not require as much water and should be handled on an individual basis. Too much water will destroy your plants in shady areas.

Great Lakes will not guarantee any plant materials installed unless all guidelines are followed. All materials that die within the guarantee period will be replaced at no charge. The following conditions will nullify the guarantee:

1. Acts of nature (i.e., floods, fire, or lightning).
2. Physical damage.
3. Lack of watering.

All dead materials should be reported to Great Lakes Landscape Design immediately. A representative will come out to assess the situation and determine the proper course of action. If guidelines are not followed properly and it results in death, plants will not be guaranteed. Note: Any work not paid in full upon completion voids all guarantee of plant material and labor.

If you have any questions about your plants, please call us right away.

To ensure maximum growth conditions of both sod and seed, the following guidelines must be followed:

1. Water sod/seed at least once daily for a period of twenty (20) minutes.
2. Water between the hours of 5:00 am – 8:00 am.
3. Lawn should be cut within two weeks of installation, assuming full adhesion has occurred.
4. In periods of extreme drought and heat, lawn should be watered additionally between the hours of 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm in order to cool down root system of sod and prevent plant rooting from drying out.
5. To maintain a quality green lawn we recommend daily watering for a period of 15-20 minutes in the early morning hours.
6. Follow up with lawn fertilization one month after date of installation.
   1. We recommend a minimum of four (4) applications per season. Apply between April and November.
7. Please be advised that areas with heavy shade do not require as much water and should be handled on an individual basis. Too much water will destroy your lawn in shady areas.
8. While significant amounts of rainwater may substitute for your daily irrigation, we do not recommend that you rely on this as sole irrigation. Lawn must be watered in order to remain healthy.

Sod will not be guaranteed unless an underground irrigation system is present. Sod is extremely perishable and if not watered properly will die. Please understand that you MUST water sod every single day, regardless of rainfall.

As you know the current weather conditions are extremely dry and grass and plant materials are struggling to survive. As a result we have put together some watering tips for you to follow to ensure that your plant materials can survive. Water is essential for plants to grow and develop, and it carries minerals from the soil to the leaves. It also acts as the raw material from which plants manufacture food. Below you will find some information regarding the root systems of different plant materials:

Plant Type Minimum Root Depth

Annuals & Groundcovers 2” – 4”

Turf Grass 4” – 6”

Perennials 12” – 14”

Shrubs 18” – 24”

Trees 24” – 60”

While your sprinklers may be sufficient for grass areas, groundcovers and perennials, trees and shrubs have a deeper root system that require a lot more water. It is a good idea to deep-water trees and shrubs by using your garden hose and holding it at the root system for a period of 1-2 minutes. Do this twice a day during periods of extreme drought. For other plant materials such as annuals, perennials, groundcovers and grass, they should be watered additionally between the hours of 2pm and 6pm in order to cool off the root system and prevent rooting from drying out. It is best to water several hours before sunset to give the leaves time to dry before dark. If you water too late in the day the plants are left wet at night, fungi and related diseases set in.

In addition to watering more, you may want to have fresh mulch added to your beds and around trees to keep moisture from evaporating and prevent over drying. If you should need any fresh mulch, please feel free to call us to be added to our schedule.