Maintaining a good DIY yard takes hard work. The worst thing that can happen is putting in tons of effort and having things turn out poorly because of a lack of know-how. But, when you keep a few key things in mind, all your toil can pay off. Here are five ways to make your yard look beautiful.

Know When to Prune

Proper pruning is critical. It ensures that plants continue to look good in their space while being efficient in terms of consuming water, sunlight, and nutrients. Left out of control, plants will look untidy and lack the food they need to thrive. They could even grow to a point where they cause damage to the house and its systems. In addition to learning how to prune, it’s also important to know when to prune. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, pruning a plant while it’s dormant makes it easier for the plant to recover. This is key for ensuring that next year’s flowers grow properly.

Plant What Grows Locally

Many amateur landscapers struggle simply because they’re going against the grain in terms of what they’re trying to plant. They may be struggling to keep a plant alive that simply needs more sunlight than is natural in the local environment. 92% of homeowners incorporating plants into their exterior design are opting for plants that are native to their region, and it’s clear why. Native plants show a propensity to endure the area’s specific climate and conditions. If you keep this in mind as you plant, you’ll pick plants that require less hassle to maintain.

Mind Your Trees

Trees are beautiful to look at, and they help homes with cooling efficiency. While trees can live for hundreds of years, the first year says much about whether the tree will have a bright or difficult future. Old wisdom says that the best months to plant trees are ones that have the letter ‘r’ in their names. Heeding this advice will keep you from planting during one of the hottest, dryest months, when the tree will have to battle hard for survival. Additionally, protecting a tree’s roots through proper, well-planned planting is crucial. It’s worth it to bone up on how to make sure the planting portion goes exactly right. According to arborists, most trees are likely to survive if at least 60% of the root system is unharmed.

Be Consistent With Watering and Mowing

When taking care of a lawn, the most essential thing is consistency. How often a lawn and other types of landscaping need watering depends on a number of factors. However, once this has been determined, there’s nothing more important than sticking to a schedule. Irregular watering and mowing can cause all kinds of problems, including starving plant roots or contributing to the growth of fungus and other diseases. As far as cutting the lawn goes, leaving it too short or too long will cause damage — either from too much exposure to the sun or not enough access to the roots for sunlight or water. Determine the schedule that works best, and stick to it.

Automate as Much as Possible

While taking care of the yard can be time-consuming, technology has allowed it to become increasingly automated. Through automatic sprinklers, drip irrigation systems, and even robot lawnmowers, homeowners can take a ‘set it and forget it’ approach to their yard. By keeping regular maintenance as automated as possible, a landscaper can spend more time on unusual or difficult problems. There will be a heavy initial investment in terms of money, time, and brain power to get things set up, but having things like watering and mowing happen automatically will pay off in the long run.

With these key points in mind, anyone can get off to a good start in keeping the lawn beautiful. The key is to work intelligently!