Author: Petalon Landscape

Useful Advice from Experienced Arborists

When cold winds and frigid temperatures give way to balmy spring breezes in the Bay Area, it’s time to take stock of the tree inventory on your commercial property. At Petalon Landscape Management, Inc., our trusted tree care professionals work closely with a local network of ISA-certified arborists. We have put together a handy checklist to help you ensure your trees make the most of the warmer weather.

We offer comprehensive commercial landscaping services throughout the Bay Area, including in San Jose, Santa Clara, Gilroy and Morgan Hill (South Bay), Hayward, Fremont, Pleasanton, San Mateo, Redwood City, and Palo Alto. Let us help you tick off all the items on this spring tree care checklist.

Follow These Tips to Help Your Beautiful Trees Grow, and Stay Strong

Start by inspecting your trees for winter damage, pruning away dead branches, and preparing each tree for healthy growth. Then, feed your trees with sustainable fertilizers and lock in moisture with a fresh layer of mulch. These are just some of the steps our professionals take to safeguard your trees and shrubs.

Here’s a more detailed spring tree care checklist that our team uses for your arbor care needs:

• Inspect your trees. Spring is the perfect time to perform a close inspection of your trees. The branches are often bare, or have sparse foliage, so it’s easier for arborists to spot cracks in the bark, broken branches, and pest infestation. You can also perform your own inspection and let us know if you notice any signs of trouble. We’ll take preventive action to safeguard the health and welfare of all the trees on your property.
• Prune dead branches. To make way for spring growth, it’s important to prune away diseased, unsafe branches. It’s a good idea to prune before the weather turns hot, to avoid the spread of pests and diseases. This will also spruce up the appearance of your trees, helping your commercial property make a great first impression.
• Remove debris. Do you see branches, leaves, and other debris accumulated around the base of your trees? This detritus may contain harmful bugs that can make your trees sick. With our seasonal cleanup services, a healthier landscape is in the bag!
• Feed your trees. Slow-release fertilizer gives your evergreens and deciduous trees the nutrients they crave after the deprivations of winter. Spring deep root fertilizing promotes healthy root growth, improving tree health and vitality.
• Plant new trees in the right spots. Trees need access to adequate sunshine and moist, nutrient-rich soil to thrive. Do you need assistance with tree selection and placement? We have you covered.
• Add mulch to assist with weed control. Adding up to 4 inches of mulch around the base of each tree can hold the right amount of moisture and limit weed growth.
• Use smart irrigation solutions to hydrate your trees. Our landscapers can evaluate your existing irrigation system and perform necessary repairs. Alternatively, you may decide to install drought-friendly irrigation systems that deliver water directly to the root system, without wasting a precious drop. Moist soil holds nutrients better and makes it easier for trees to get the nourishment and water they need to grow.

Contact us today to discuss a detailed spring tree care checklist specific to your commercial property. Call Petalon at 408-453-3998 for tree care and landscape management services in the Bay Area, including San Jose, Santa Clara, Gilroy, and Morgan Hill (South Bay), Hayward, Fremont, Pleasanton, San Mateo, Redwood City, and Palo Alto.

Protect Your Landscape Against Pests and Disease with IPM

You want to protect your commercial landscape from damage due to insects and pests. Keeping your lawns, trees, shrubs, and seasonal flowering plants healthy, pest-free, and attractive will add charm and value to your property. While this is the number one reason why it is important to consider using integrated pest management (IPM), there are many other advantages of taking this comprehensive approach to pest control.

Learn Why Bay Area Commercial Properties Choose Integrated Pest Management

Petalon Landscape Management, Inc. offers pest evaluation and control to customers throughout the Bay Area. Here’s why it is important to consider using integrated pest management for your commercial landscape.

1. Pests and disease affect the life of your flora. Boring, defoliating, sucking, and disease-carrying pests can make your trees and plants sick and potentially dangerous to people and the environment. Our landscaping pros can spot the negative impacts of unwanted pests and take the right steps to preserve your landscape.

Here are some of the common insects that can damage your greenery:

• Boring insects: These bugs damage tree bark and heartwood. Common examples include bark beetles and carpenter ants.
• Defoliating insects: Insects like sawfly larvae and caterpillars feed on the leaves of trees and shrubs, damaging them.
• Sucking insects: Scale insects and aphids suck the sap out of your plants, robbing them of nutrients and moisture.
• Disease-carrying insects: Dutch elm disease, carried by the elm bark beetle, is one example of a disease carried by pests.

2. Chemicals used to treat pests can be harmful. Seasonal use of pesticides is often unnecessary and causes harm to people and the environment. IPM uses physical and mechanical pest control methods, biological controls, and minimally toxic products only when essential, rather than simply spraying according to a calendar schedule.

3. Increasingly, IPM is mandated by government agencies. With environmental protection in mind, governments at local, state, and federal levels are working towards more natural ways to control pests, and often mandating the use of IPM. It becomes incumbent upon landscaping service providers to educate customers about why it is important to consider using integrated pest management.

4. Property owners and managers want it! The efficacy, affordability, and eco-friendliness of IPM makes it a popular choice for Bay Area property owners and managers. At Petalon, we are happy to see that more customers are asking us about integrated pest management as part of their landscape maintenance contracts.

5. More than just chemicals. By depending on a qualified IPM service provider, you will ensure that your commercial landscape gets much more than a generous dose of toxic chemicals! Our experienced team at Petalon works with local ISA-Certified arborists to deliver the right attention, meticulous care, applying natural, proven techniques to keep your property safe from pests and diseases.

Benefits of Integrated Pest Management

Integrated pest management protects the natural enemies of harmful pests. It also minimizes the use of toxic chemicals that can make some people sick, so this widely adopted approach can preserve your plants naturally. IPM provides a long-term solution to pest control, which is why it is important to consider using integrated pest management for your commercial property.

According to the EPA, IPM is an eco-friendly approach to pest control. It takes advantage of understanding the lifecycles of pests to minimize hazards to trees and plants.

Contact us today if you would like to discuss why it is important to consider using integrated pest management for your commercial property. Call Petalon at 408-453-3998 for assistance in getting destructive and disease-carrying pests under control.

Enjoy Softer, Safer, and More Sanitary Surfaces with Less Maintenance

Many commercial property owners and managers are switching to artificial grass to save money, cut back on maintenance, and keep their properties green all year. Office buildings, apartment complexes, retail strip malls, schools, and HOAs can enjoy the look and feel of artificial turf. Learn more about why you should make the switch to artificial grass for your property.

Benefits of Installing Durable, Versatile Artificial Turf

For a variety of reasons explained below, artificial grass can be better than natural grass. Let our artificial turf pros help you select the right brand, length, and color to blend into your commercial spaces.

Petalon Landscape Management, Inc. has completed artificial turf installations all over the Bay Area.

Here are the key reasons our customers are glad they chose synthetic grass in high-traffic and difficult to maintain areas:

1. Conserves water: It can cost hundreds of dollars to water your lawn. If you irrigate your property, a lot of the moisture is lost to runoff and evaporation. While there are many ways to conserve water with smart irrigation systems, artificial turf eliminates the problem altogether.
2. Environmentally friendly: Besides saving water, artificial grass can protect the environment in other ways. Unlike real grass, artificial turf doesn’t need fertilizers or pesticides to thrive. Keeping these chemicals out of nearby streams and ponds has a positive impact on local wildlife and human health. Additionally, artificial turf is made from recycled materials that would otherwise end up in landfills.
3. Saves money, time, and hassle: If you’re wondering why you should switch to artificial grass, consider how much time and money you can save. You won’t need to purchase fertilizer, pesticides, or equipment to care for the areas covered by synthetic grass. Further, artificial grass lasts for years, without requiring essential tasks like reseeding or soil aeration when you have natural grass.
4. Low maintenance: It’s easy to hose down the grass to keep it clean. Your property maintenance team can focus on other tasks while the artificial grass can just sit there and look pretty, all the time!
5. No puddles or bare spots: Before installing artificial grass, our crew will smooth out the ground to help eliminate low spots where water may accumulate. We’ll also create irrigation channels to ensure proper drainage of rainwater.

Interior and Exterior Artificial Turf Installations

Many commercial property owners are surprised to find out that artificial turf looks just as great indoors as outdoors. It’s slip-resistant, firm, and provides a stable surface for wheelchairs, canes, and other mobility devices. Artificial grass installation can also help you create a warm, natural ambiance at your office, campus, or commercial property. If you have high-traffic areas that show signs of wear and tear, consider artificial grass as a potential flooring solution.

Contact us to find out more about why you should switch to artificial grass. Call Petalon at 408-453-3998 for assistance choosing a style that enhances your commercial property in the Bay Area.

Consider Environmentally Friendly, Durable Synthetic Turf

Artificial grass is growing in popularity for commercial applications. Sports venues such as stadiums and athletic fields already use this durable alternative to natural grass. It’s also suitable for outdoor seating areas and shop entrances if you want to create a no-maintenance, inviting environment. If you have a playground on your apartment building or other commercial property, you may already know about the benefits of artificial grass installation in the San Francisco Bay area. However, because it’s softer than concrete and cleaner than bare ground, it’s an ideal product in heavy traffic areas too. Plus, you don’t have to worry about mud puddles, insects, or bare spots!

The experienced team of artificial grass installers at Petalon Landscape Management, Inc. have already worked with commercial property owners and managers throughout San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Mountain View, Cupertino, Campbell, and Morgan Hill. We’d be happy to discuss the benefits of creating a functional, attractive lawn without the inconvenience of weekly maintenance.

Where Can You Install Artificial Grass?

Almost anywhere! You can create outdoor green spaces without the fuss of turf care for everyone to enjoy. When you install artificial grass, you reduce your carbon footprint and decrease landscape maintenance costs while elevating the appearance of your commercial property.

Here are just a few places where artificial grass installation makes sense:

• Retail plazas and shopping malls
• Office building premises
• HOAs / apartment complexes
• Putting greens
• Dog parks
• Athletic sports fields
• Rooftop gardens
• Playgrounds and schoolyards
• Courtyards
• Building entrances and pathways
• Yoga and exercise parks
• Other high-traffic areas

Are you considering artificial grass for your business location, school, HOA, or commercial property? Our customer-focused landscaping team can help you choose the brand, style, and color to complement your natural landscaping.

Benefits of Artificial Grass in Commercial Settings

Advances in manufacturing and design have made artificial turf softer and more comfortable. These new products look like natural grass and feel amazing when you walk across them. You don’t have to worry about trimming, fertilizing, or maintaining the areas covered in fake grass.

Not only does artificial grass offer convenience and durability, but it also offers the following benefits:

• Cost savings: Increase your return on investment with synthetic grass. You don’t have to water it to keep the original look and feel. Say goodbye to fertilizing, weed killing, mowing, and edging grass in the business portions of your commercial property. All you need is a leaf blower to remove debris and clean up the area.
• Durability: Artificial grass installation provides green grass that survives the toughest punishment from pedestrian traffic and the elements. For heavily traveled spaces, artificial grass prevents wear and tear and can help you avoid expensive seasonal maintenance.
• Pathway and sidewalk enhancement: Do you have established pathways to various entrances? Green artificial grass can reduce maintenance needs in these high traffic areas without sacrificing appearance.
• Green alternative: Because it doesn’t require water, it’s a smart choice if you want to show greater environmental responsibility and abide by the area’s water use restrictions.

Contact us for artificial grass installation in San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Mountain View, Cupertino, Campbell, and Morgan Hill. Call Petalon at 408-453-3998 today.

Prevent Soil Erosion and Water Waste with Proper Drainage

The integrity and appeal of your commercial landscape depends on a few key factors, including drainage. Without proper drainage, water can pool in low spots on your commercial property. Excess water threatens the health of your trees, flowering plants, shrubs, and grass. Even worse, it can cause cracks in your foundation, resulting in structural damage to your commercial building in San Jose. With timely, professional drainage installation, maintenance, and repair, you can minimize flooding, soil erosion and other problems associated with faulty or missing drain systems.      

When the existing drainage is insufficient or clogged, it will not only diminish the attractiveness of your landscaping, walkways, and parking lots, but it can also be a safety risk. Petalon Landscape Management will inspect, repair, or clean your drainage system in San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Mountain View, Cupertino, Campbell, or Morgan Hill. We can also install a new drainage system if your property does not currently have one in place.

Why You Need a Dependable Drainage Solution

Petalon’s drainage installation and repair services resolve or prevent problems with excess water without leaching away the moisture needed for a thriving landscape. Here are some of the reasons you should consider installing a new drainage system or repairing your current one:

• Eliminate swampy areas. Without the right drainage system, water can flood your yard, creating swampy areas. In higher elevation areas, you can end up with dry soil, which cannot effectively nourish your lawn and landscaping. Alternatively, in low areas you risk root rot and unhealthy puddles that attract pests. Our irrigation system and drainage installation, repair, and maintenance services ensure your grounds remain vibrant without wasting water. You can also ask our landscaping professionals about integrated pest management if you see signs of an infestation.
• Keep plants, flowers, trees, and grass well-hydrated. Proper drainage prevents soil oversaturation during the rainy season. Good drainage provides essential oxygen to root systems that support your landscaping.
• Prevent health concerns. Mosquitoes and bacteria thrive in wet conditions. Petalon’s landscapers inspect and maintain your drainage system or create suitable new solutions for you.
• Protect your commercial buildings. Petalon’s engineers construct drainage systems that divert water away from buildings and other structures, preventing foundation damage and flooding.
• Enjoy your lawn. Customers, employees, students, tenants, and others can walk confidently on your property without stepping into mushy areas.

Drainage Systems for Commercial Properties

Here are a few types of drainage systems we can install to divert water as needed:

• Dry well: An underground reservoir accumulates water runoff during excessively rainy conditions. The dry well reintroduces the water slowly via porous siding.
• French drain: A French drain can eliminate pools of water in low-lying areas. It redirects water away from buildings and low-lying areas. Perforated piping and filter fabric are the perfect materials to prevent flooded plant beds and turf.
• Bioswales: We can construct flower and plant beds with the right soil, gravel, and plants needed to absorb and utilize stormwater.

Call Petalon at 408-453-3998 or contact us online for drainage installation, repair, and maintenance in San Jose. We provide lawn and irrigation drainage solutions for commercial customers in San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Mountain View, Cupertino, Campbell, and Morgan Hill.

San Jose

The San Jose Hills form an iconic feature that tells the geological history of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains Transverse ranges formed when the Pacific and North American tectonic plates collided a billion years ago. The resulting hilly topography makes it a challenge to install drainage installation equipment for commercial landscapes. Additionally, sparse rainfall from May to October makes it important to ensure your drainage solution doesn’t remove all the water your plants, trees, and grass need to survive. Choosing a local provider with a history of flawless drainage installation, maintenance, and repair can help ensure you strike the right balance for a thriving commercial landscape.

Maintain a Colorful Commercial Landscape All Year

While many commercial building structures tend to have a similar look, great landscape design can make a property stand out. Our landscapers will work with you to design a plan for planting seasonal flowers around your commercial space, and help you maintain them through the seasons. Learn more about the movement toward low-water plantings, smart irrigation systems, attractive planters, convenient walkways, and other trends that will help your commercial property look inviting and welcoming all year round. Start now and spruce up your commercial landscape with seasonal flower planting.

Flowers for Every Season — With the Right Care and Attention

Early spring seasonal flower plantings may include snapdragons, pansies, phlox, and alyssum, to name just a few. Meanwhile, late spring brings wildflowers, such as poppies and godetias. Petunias, verbena, portulaca, and salvias also come to life as summer nears. Summer blooms such as zinnias also do well in the Bay Area.

Winter weather grows chill and may seem dull, but viola, primula, and African daisy plants do well and bring color to your commercial landscape. Trust your seasonal flower planting to Petalon’s experienced landscapers.

Trends to Conserve Water and Layer Your Flower Plantings

Stay on trend with the latest movements toward water conservation. Here are some tips to get you started with planting flowers that are low maintenance and need less watering:

• Low water native flowers: Many flowers you may see throughout the Bay Area come from far away. Native species, however, have had centuries to adapt to cyclical droughts in the area. Consider these California native flowers when planning your commercial landscape:
  • Channel Island Bush Poppy
  • California Yarrow
  • Palmer’s Indian Mallow
  • Apricot Mallow
  • Lupine
  • Point Sal Purple Sage
• Improved irrigation techniques: As a Bay Friendly Qualified company, Petalon offers eco-friendly irrigation solutions to area businesses and organizations. Our advanced irrigation management techniques incorporate rain gauges, ET controllers, master valves with flow meters, and water budgets to meet local restrictions.
• Planters: Our exterior services include installing and seasonally replacing urban planters. These planters contain flower growth, minimize water usage, and give you easy access to colorful flowers all year long.
• Walkways: Hardscapes such as walking paths and stepping stones lined with flowers minimize lawn care and watering. They also provide a glorious pop of color for employees, tenants, guests, and customers.
• Retail areas: Follow the trend upward in seasonal flower planting by using trellises, planters, and other tools to maximize space. It’s also an effective way to attract the attention of customers.

Seasonal Flower Planting Tips

• January-February: Plant cool weather blooms like pansy, primula, and calendula. You can also engage our landscapers to prune back butterfly bushes, salvias, penstemons, and your perennial shrubs.
• April-May: We can plant your summer annuals, such as marigolds, petunias, cosmos, and sunflowers. It’s also time to plant summer-blooming bulbs, including dahlias, callas, and gladiolas. This is a great time to call our team in to check your irrigation system to make sure it’s in working order.
• June-July: Fertilize, deadhead, and water flowers to maintain bright blooms. We check for weeds, pests, and diseases as part of Petalon’s flower planting services.

Petalon Landscape Management Inc. provides seasonal flower planting services in the entire SF Bay Area, including East Bay, South Bay, and the San Francisco Peninsula. Call 408-453-3998 or contact us online to find out how to keep your commercial property colorful in every season.

Water Conservation Techniques that Work

As the drought drags on from year to year, water conservation continues to be a huge priority for business owners in Santa Clara and the surrounding communities. With strict ordinances on water use, it’s hard to design a drought-tolerant landscape plan without help from an expert.

Petalon Landscape Management, Inc. can install high-efficiency irrigation systems and plant drought-friendly plants and trees for a beautiful, earth-friendly commercial landscape.

Keep reading for the top four drought-resistant landscaping ideas from our experienced team.

Proven Drought Tolerant Landscaping Techniques

Put our drought management techniques, such as low water plantings, artificial grass, mulching, and upgraded water management techniques, to work for you. Save time and money and gain peace of mind by hiring us to implement these and other water-saving landscape techniques for your commercial property.

1.      Low Water Plantings

Santa Clara Valley Water District has an approved plant list to help residents conserve water through smart landscape designs. Examples include:

• Perennials, such as sand verbena, silvery yarrow, and African daisies
• Shrubs and trees such as yellow jugflower, lemon verbena, bougainvillea, and bamboo shrub trees
• Groundcover and grasses that require less water

2.      Artificial Grass

You can save thousands of dollars and conserve water by installing artificial grass on your commercial property. Use it in the courtyard, entryways, and other areas that see a lot of foot traffic. You will save money on lawncare and lower your water bill.

3.      Mulching Trees and Shrubs

Mulch holds in water and keeps your topsoil moist. Additionally, it can prevent the sun from leaving the ground parched around your plants. Without mulch, your trees and shrubs will need constant watering.

4.      Upgraded Water Management

Petalon Landscape Management can implement a water management strategy for you. This includes designing systems with advanced features such as smart controllers and providing services like:

• Low water irrigation system installation
• Smart irrigation management
• Conservation-minded drainage solutions
• Skilled repair of leaky irrigation systems

Additional Drought Resistant Landscaping Ideas

With the right soil, plants, trees, and irrigation, you can conserve water and minimize the effects of drought. Discuss the following ideas with your landscape management team:

• Grow California-native plants
• Minimize turf, which requires a lot of water to grow and thrive
• Group similar plants together to simplify watering
• Implement on-site rainwater collection
• Maintain your irrigation system to stop leaks

Our team can implement these and other techniques to create sustainable landscapes on your commercial property.

Petalon Landscape Management, Inc. serves commercial property managers and owners in Santa Clara, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Livermore, and Morgan Hill. Call 408-453-3998 or contact us online to discuss more drought resistant landscaping ideas.