CHARLOTTE – Your new landscape may look spectacular for the first year, but it could revert to being lackluster shortly thereafter without pest control, plant feeding, routine watering and pruning.

A professional landscaping makeover can greatly enhance the beauty and even the value of any home. If you want your landscape to continue to flourish, you will need a maintenance plan. Now that you have invested in creating a beautiful outdoor environment, it is time to protect that investment. Don’t drop the ball. Spot applications of weed and grass killer on the difficult areas of your beds is a great start.

Below Are 5 Additional Tips to Keep Your Landscape Looking Fresh:

1) Pruning: Many plants need pruning in order to grow properly and to maintain their shape. When your plants have grown too much, cut the leaves to eliminate that cluttered look.

2) Divide and Conquer: Perennials will occasionally need to be divided and replanted to keep them healthy. Plants that return year after year usually come back bigger, but not necessarily better.

3) Insect and Disease Protection: All types of pests can feed on trees, shrubs and plants in an ornamental landscape. You or a professional should identify where and what insects and diseases are active and may present problems to your garden. Spray applications and/or soil injections are the typical solutions.

4) Plant Feeding: Plants do gain nutrients through sunlight and watering but that’s only part of it. Plants also have a basic need for nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium year-round to ensure they stay healthy.

5) Fresh Mulch: Cleaning out plant beds and adding fresh mulch helps to protect plants from drought conditions and extreme temperatures while at the same time giving the garden that fresh, bright appearance.

Having a professional-looking landscape that will make you proud involves a balancing act between how plants look when they are freshly planted and how they will look full-grown.