FAQs about Landscaping, Hardscaping, and Irrigation Services
General Questions
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Just use our online form or call us to ask for a quote on any landscaping service we provide. It’s easy. Lawn mowing, hardscaping services, Anything you need we will give you a no-commitment quote so you know what the cost could be.
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Yes. We are very well insured.
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Both! We have experience with small-scale residential, HOAs, new construction, and commercial installations. Our team is also well versed in current city and county codes regarding erosion control, site stabilization, bio retention areas, permitted species. We often work directly with the county and the city to walk through the end of the project with the goal of getting final occupancy for our clients.
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We offer a full range of services from initial design concept to installation and on-going maintenance. Our goal is to bring your vision to life. We also offer full-service irrigation from install to maintenance to keep your new landscaping healthy.
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Yes. We have an experienced design team to custom tailor your landscape design to your particular needs.
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We offer a 24/7/365 emergency number. You can reach us at (812) 824-2842 and we can provide this number to you. We are currently the only company in Bloomington, IN with a full-time irrigation technician with a fully stocked service truck. Most issues can be resolved within 24 hours of a phone call.
Landscaping Questions
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An annual does not come back next year whereas a perennial flower does. With a few exceptions annuals bloom all summer whereas perennials have a blooming season.
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There are many varieties of grass available. Fescues, Ryes, and Bluegrass are typical lawn grasses in Indiana. Like any other plant hybridizers people are constantly working on new and better varieties. They are always on the hunt for shorter and more disease resistant strains. As anything else, these new and better strains generally cost a bit more. Or own brand of Nature’s Link Grass Seed has some of the newest and best varieties blended to make a mix best suited for this area.
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Both! We have experience with small-scale residential, HOAs, new construction, and commercial installations. Our team is also well versed in current city and county codes regarding erosion control, site stabilization, bio retention areas, permitted species. We often work directly with the county and the city to walk through the end of the project with the goal of getting final occupancy for our clients.
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We offer a full range of services from initial design concept to installation and on-going maintenance. Our goal is to bring your vision to life. We also offer full-service irrigation from install to maintenance to keep your new landscaping healthy.
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Yes. We have an experienced design team to custom tailor your landscape design to your particular needs.
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Our first priority is to get water away from your home. When possible we try to get six inches of fall in the first ten feet away from the house and at least one inch of fall every 10 feet past that. We have found that if we capture the downspouts and get thos as far ay from the house as possible and get the fall as described, most drainage issues go away.
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New lawns need to be watered daily for the first two to three weeks, every other day for one week, every third day for a week, and every fourth day for another week. After that, water as needed pending weather conditions. Remember, if we are losing a quarter-inch of water due to evapotranspiration, then you need to apply one inch every four days. The evapotranspiration rate changes daily based on our current weather conditions.
New lawns need to be mowed when they are four to five inches tall, never cutting more than one-quarter of the blade of grass at a time.
New lawns will need to be fertilized within four weeks of initial installation using a new lawn starter.
Loose straw and straw-net do not need to be removed. They will be mulched into your lawn during the mowing process. You will do more damage to the new grass attempting to remove straw than leaving it in place. As your lawn is mowed, straw and straw net will be chopped up and will become fertilizer for your new lawn.
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Weeds in a new lawn are natural. You don’t need to worry about it initially. The first step is to get your new lawn full and thick. Then as you put the lawn on a regular fertilization and weed control program, the weeds will be taken care of at that time.
irrigation Questions
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We offer a 24/7/365 emergency number. You can reach us at (812) 824-2842 and we can provide this number to you. We are currently the only company in Bloomington, IN with a full-time irrigation technician with a fully stocked service truck. Most issues can be resolved within 24 hours of a phone call.
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We offer complete irrigation services. From install (residential, commercial, athletic fields, greenhouses), to complete service of all brands rainbird, hunter, irritrol, krain and others. We also will overhaul a system (track down those issues others can’t seem to find) audit a system so that zones are “balanced” using matched precipitation.
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IDEM code states that properly installed backflow preventer must not be installed below ground grade level and that it will not subject the device to flooding, excessive heat, or freezing.
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There are two types of backflow preventers that are commonly used on irrigation systems in this area. Most common are PVB backflow devices. PVB’s (pressure vacuum breakers) are installed as long as the highest downstream outlet (irrigation heads) 12 inches or more LOWER then the center point of the test ports of the PVB. An RP (reduced pressure) backflow device must be installed if the highest downstream outlet (irrigation head) is HIGHER than the backflow, An RP can be installed up to but not more than 10 feet below the HIGHEST downstream head.
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Yes we currently have two licensed backflow testers on staff to serve your needs.
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A backflow preventer on an irrigation system keeps the water that is in the irrigation lines from traveling backward through the lines and entering into the city water supply. Since irrigation heads are in direct contact with the ground they are at risk to being exposed by contaminants such as fertilizer, animal waste, and other bacteria. Without a functioning backflow device, these contaminants can potentially enter the city water supply and potentially entering your house water supply.
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Yes, IDEM does require yearly testing of backflow preventers by a licensed tester on a yearly basis.
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You can call us at (812) 824-2842 or email us at information@natureslinkinc.com
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You should expect our crews to mow your entire lawn, weed whack bed and tree edges, driveways and sidewalks, and blow off all hard surfaces when complete.
What do you do in the spring when the grass is growing fast and the clippings are laying on top of the lawn?
We offer a double-cut service for an additional fee. We can also bag the clippings for a fee which is impacted by hauling or onsite dumping
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Our first priority is to get water away from your home. When possible we try to get six inches of fall in the first ten feet away from the house and at least one inch of fall every 10 feet past that. We have found that if we capture the downspouts and get thos as far ay from the house as possible and get the fall as described, most drainage issues go away.
Mowing Questions
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Most grass in Indiana needs to be cut to 3.5-4 inches according to PURDUE.
According to Purdue University, the height your grass should be cut to depends on its species. The majority of lawns in Indiana are Tall Fescue or Kentucky Bluegrass, meaning that they should be cut to 3-4 inches. The general conception is that grass should be cut to 3.5-4 inches to compensate for species variation.
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Our goal is to ensure that all of our customers are mowed according to their schedule. We will adjust our mow schedule accordingly, but all clients will be mowed by the end of the week.
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We suggest applying 1.5lbs of nitrogen per year, spread across three to four fertilizer applications.
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You should expect our crews to mow your entire lawn, weed whack bed and tree edges, driveways and sidewalks, and blow off all hard surfaces when complete.
What do you do in the spring when the grass is growing fast and the clippings are laying on top of the lawn?
We offer a double-cut service for an additional fee. We can also bag the clippings for a fee which is impacted by hauling or onsite dumping
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We offer a double-cut service for an additional fee. We can also bag the clippings for a fee which is impacted by hauling or onsite dumpingon
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For patchy or thin lawns, we recommend aerating and seeding in the spring and fall. However, this must be coordinated with your weed control program.
Maintenance Questions
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Every home is different. We typically follow a three week rotation during the season. During particularly rainy or dry periods, you may need to be weeded more or less frequently. If you have just joined our maintenance list, you may
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We usually trim twice a year. We will begin Summer Trims in the early summer, typically around June, and Fall Trims around October. Our goal is always to trim spring blooming plants after they have finished blooming, and summer/fall blooming plants in late fall or early spring, evergreen can be trimmed in either time periods.
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We do not offer tree removal, however we do offer storm clean-up, spring clean-ups, and fall clean-ups.
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Yes! We do offer leaf removal. We have a custom built leaf-vac trailer to completely remove leaves once they are blown to the curb. Leaf removal is provided in two intervals. Our first leaf removal is sometime before Thanksgiving and our second is before Christmas. This is to ensure that there isn’t a significant buildup of leaves which could potentially damage your lawn.
Snow Removal Questions
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We operate 24/7 during a snow event. We will begin an hour before the snow is expected to stop falling and continue until everything is cleared.
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We only use Ice melt if you request it.
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Yes, we are equipped to handle commercial and residential snow removal. We have experience servicing medical buildings and can adjust to your needs.
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Most often, we use a “two inch trigger,” meaning that as soon as two inches of snow have fallen, we begin services. However, we understand that high traffic locations, medical offices, commercial clients, or certain homeowners have a zero tolerance policy. We can adapt to your needs.
Hardscape Questions
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There are many reasons retaining walls fail.
No or poor drainage behind the wall. WATER is the biggest issue behind wall failures. Lack of planning on how to mitigate drainage above walls often lead to failures.
Poor or no Base. Most of the work to install a wall is in the prep. The soil under the wall must be compacted and a good crushed stone base must be used. In taller walls, we generally bury some block for added stability.
Taller walls must have geo grid fabric added for structural integrity. (Timber walls use dead men in place of geo grid)
walls must have a step back as they go up in height.
The seams must not line up. On block or timber seems need to be split as you see brick seams of house. Many natural stone wall failures are due to vertical seams which cause weak spots in the wall. Great care must be taken that seams do not line up.
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We can build walls anywhere from kneehigh or bed edging to extremely large walls designed to hold up parking lots and buildings. We currently have two Master Wall-Builders and numerous Certified Wall Installers on staff.