Garden Services & Landscape Management
Garden Services & Landscape Management
This domain tests recurring care: turf, soil fertility, integrated pest management, pruning timing, seasonal cleanup, and winter snow and ice service. Questions often ask what you would do first or why a practice is wrong.
Turf and fertility
- Mow at 3–3.5 in. and follow the one-third rule; keep blades sharp.
- Soil test before fertilizing. Apply nitrogen in split doses, generally 2–4 lb N/1,000 ft² per year.
- Minnesota law restricts phosphorus in lawn fertilizer: no P unless establishing a new lawn or a soil test justifies it.
- Return clippings, aerate compacted areas, and overseed late August to mid-September.
IPM and pruning
- Identify the pest or disease before acting; use thresholds and cultural controls first.
- Read and follow label rates; protect pollinators by timing and avoiding bloom-time sprays.
- Prune oaks in the dormant season, not April–July, to reduce oak wilt risk.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after bloom; remove dead wood anytime.
Winter service
- Clean up beds, cut back perennials, and mulch after soil cools.
- Snow contracts should define trigger depth, response time, and placement areas.
- Calibrate salt spreaders and use Smart Salting practices; over-application damages turf, beds, and water.
Worked example
A 5,000 ft² lawn needs 1 lb N/1,000 ft². Total N = 5 lb. With 20-5-10 fertilizer, product = 5 ÷ 0.20 = 25 lb. That product also supplies 25 × 0.05 = 1.25 lb P₂O₅. Unless the lawn is new or a soil test supports phosphorus, choose a phosphorus-free product instead.
Traps that cost marks
- Scalping turf or mowing too short in summer.
- Fertilizing just before a heavy rain.
- Pruning oaks during the spring risk window.
- Over-salting walks and beds.
- Treating before identifying the problem.