Landscaping Services in Fuquay-Varina, NC

Sandy ground and wet ground

USDA soil maps for the Fuquay-Varina area include sandy, well-drained soils such as Fuquay and Dothan, which formed in old marine deposits. Fuquay soils have a sandy surface 20 to 40 inches deep over a loamy subsoil. The maps also show Nanford, a Piedmont soil with a clay subsoil, in places.

Along creeks and on low flats, the maps show Bibb and Rains soils, both poorly drained. Soil and drainage can vary widely between properties, and sometimes within one: a lot can drain quickly in one spot and stay wet in another.

Lawns on sandy ground

Where the soil is sandy, it drains fast and holds little water or fertilizer, so lawns dry out sooner in summer and need feeding more carefully. NC State Extension rates tall fescue as best adapted to the Piedmont, and notes it can be kept on the heavy silt loams of the coastal plain, which is the opposite of deep sand. Warm-season grasses such as bermuda, zoysia and centipede are recommended for both regions, and on the sandier lots they are often the steadier choice.

When a warm-season lawn is started from seed, NC State Extension puts the window between March 1 and July 1, not in the fall. If a lawn is failing, the first question is whether the grass suits the soil and the sun, not how much more water it needs.

Landscape maintenance

Scheduled grounds care for homes and commercial properties: mowing, trimming, edging and blowing on a set schedule, with shrub pruning, bed care, mulch or pine straw and seasonal color planned into the year. On sand, mulch does real work, holding moisture in the beds through the summer. It goes down in an even layer and is never piled against a trunk. What maintenance covers.

Irrigation

New systems, repairs, spring startup and winterization. On sandy soil, which lets water through quickly, a system is set to water slowly and deeply when the root zone is dry, in cycles short enough that water soaks in instead of running past the roots. Drip lines suit shrub and perennial beds, where they put water at the plant instead of on the path.

Drainage in the low spots

A wet corner on a property is usually low ground collecting water from somewhere else. Where water from the rest of the yard or the roof is making it worse, we regrade, bury downspout lines and add French drains or catch basins to carry it off. Some low ground along a creek is simply wet by nature, and there the better answer is managing the water around it and planting for the conditions rather than trying to dry it out. Broadleaf is an NDS Professional Drainage Certified Contractor.

Patios, walls and outdoor living

Paver and stone patios, walkways, retaining walls, fire features and landscape lighting. Sandy soil drains well under a patio, but it moves if it is left loose, so the base is compacted in layers and the edges are held with restraint so the pavers cannot creep. On a slope, sand washes out from behind a wall that is not built for it, which is why walls get drainage aggregate, a pipe at the base and fabric to keep the sand in place. More on construction and enhancements.

Common questions

Why does my lawn dry out so fast in the summer?

If the lawn is on sandy soil, such as the Fuquay and Dothan soils found in the area, that is the likely reason: sand drains quickly and holds little water, so lawns wilt sooner than they would on clay. Grass choice, deeper and less frequent watering, and mulched beds all help.

Which grass should I plant?

It depends on the soil and the sun. On sandy, sunny lots, warm-season grasses such as bermuda, zoysia and centipede are usually the steadier choice. Tall fescue does better on heavier soil and in partial shade.

The back of my lot floods after big storms. Can that be fixed?

Often it can be improved. If the water comes from your roof or the rest of the yard, grading and drains can carry it away. If the low ground sits along a creek, we will say so plainly and plan around it instead.

Getting a price in Fuquay-Varina

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Nearby

Holly Springs borders Fuquay-Varina to the north, and Apex is just beyond it. Both have pages of their own, and every community we serve is on our service area page.