Get matched with top sod installers in Cypress, TX

"Actually I had much more done than the form would allow me to enter, In addition to the sod installation they also replaced my driveway and installed an irrigation system. All this work was done surprisingly quickly, efficiently and highly professionally. The results have exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend Fernandez Landscape to anyone wanting exceptional landscape work!"

"Great customer service for our sod install. Luis is prompt in communicating either via call or text. Fast work, got 6,200 sq ft, done in day and half. Wished ground was tilled or prepared though before sod was laid down. Doing this review after 2 weeks of sod being installed. Hope the grass will grow soon. Will definitely hire for other work also. Recommend him to others."

"Sam was on time for our appointment. We discussed the scope of work which follows. Removed approximately 1 1/2" to 2" of soil, graded yard toward street installed sprinkler spread and racked out top soil, planted 4 citrus trees and laid down sod. From start to finish the crew was extremely professional and careful of the plants we wanted to keep. We asked them to put down a boarder of rock between the foundation and the new sod which they contained with a composite 1x4. When thy had finished the sod one of the crew showed me how to use the controller and then set it up for the new sod. They also explained care and how long to wait before cutting and cleaned up. I will hire again"

"Crew was on time. Mulch was high quality. Well done spreading the mulch. I would use Universal again."

"I highly recommend this company. They designed and installed new sod and flower beds. The work is excellent, professional and out performed our expectations."

"From the start, we were impressed with this company! The provided a brilliant design that solved a problem with an area where grass never grew by using beautiful paving blocks. Prompt, dependable, reasonable! Ten stars."

"Quality sod installed and showed up on time"

"Came out the same day I put the request in. Mowed my lawn, pulled weeds and planted some flowers in my front yard. Will be using again"

"Absolutely great service. They removed two trees in front of my house including the stumps and also placed sod over the area. The crew worked quickly, were extremely professional and delivered great results."

"Ten months ago, Premium Outdoor did a major overhaul of the
landscaping in the beds at the front and one side of my house.  They took out all the mature plants (a
number of which had been damaged by the drought) and put in new plants.   I chose Premium Outdoor because,
unlike other landscaping contractors I had contacted for estimates over a couple of years, they were
able to come to the house promptly and provide an estimate within two weeks
(with the other contractors, the waiting time for an estimate was often months,
if one was ever produced).  I was
initially enthusiastic about working with Michelle Spain ? she seemed
professional and  was able to do
the work before a business trip that would keep me out of town for two
weeks.   After initially
positive interactions, the project became increasingly problematic, however. I
did not have much idea in advance of her landscape design, and did not care for
it once I understood it (unfortunately after a 50% deposit had been paid). I
had doubts about the quality of some of the plants when I saw them ? the brown
leaves suggested they had overwintered. 
The preparation of the beds through the addition of organic material and
rototilling or thorough mixing to improve the awful quality of the soil was not
done.  I received no instructions
on how to care for the landscaping, nor much follow-up to see if the plants
were doing OK.  Some of the anchor
plants in the beds (Italian cypress, lorapetalum) have died, and a number of
the rest have failed to thrive. 
Oleanders didn?t even flower! 
I have now spent ten months looking at a number of dead or dying plants
in a landscape design I dislike.  Michelle
Spain ? who is great when things are going well ? became aggressively defensive
and unpleasant when contacted about problems. 
This past week, I finally took out all the plants in order to improve
the soil in the beds, get rid of the dead plants, relocate struggling plants to
more suitable locations, and develop a landscape design that I enjoy looking
at.    I consider a
significant portion of the $3700 I paid Premium Outdoor to have been wasted
money.  Redoing the work and
replacing plants has cost me an additional $2000, and the work is not yet done.

Some details.  Because I
couldn?t understand why the 30-gal Italian cypress were failing within two months
of planting, I asked the nursery that does my lawn service whether a nurseryman
(certified horticulturist, with a degree from A&M) was available for a
consultation. He came out, and I told him up front that this was for
information purposes and would not result in business for the nursery, so I
have confidence that his assessment was unbiased. Some digging at the base of
the cypresses revealed that the root ball was buried six inches beneath the
surface under a layer of pure clay (documented with photos).  The
surrounding soil was also either heavy clay or builder's sand that had been
dumped when the house was built. He said that the top of the root ball should
be 2" above grade and the soil around it needed major amendment to promote
root growth. His assessment was that the roots were sitting waterlogged in
clay. This would account for the sudden collapse of the one cypress after a
period of heavy rains. Since I paid Premium Outdoor for soil amendments, and
had explicitly discussed with Michelle the need to improve the beds with
organic matter (she assured me that they would bring the amendments and
rototill) I wondered where all these good soils were, if not in the planting
holes for the Italian Cypress, which accounted for over 10% of my total bill.
 The nurseryman further told me that Italian Cypress branches, once dead,
will not be replaced by new growth from the trunk.  Once those branches
are gone, they're gone.  He thought  that poor, waterlogged soil was also a problem for the dying lorapetalum.
 
MIchelle responded promptly to my request to discuss how to address
these problems.   She reminded me that there was no warranty on the plants
because they were healthy when she planted them.  If healthy plants are planted improperly, however, without
necessary soil amendments or in locations where they will not thrive, this is a
labor warranty problem, not a plant warranty problem, it seems to me.  I
showed her the evidence the nurseryman had shown me, and she denied any problem
with the planting, insisting that all appropriate soil amendments had been
made, despite the visible evidence to the contrary. I wanted the dying cypress
replaced, but she flatly refused.   Instead, she proposed to raise
the cypress by 6-8", amend the soil, fertilize, and wait for it to bounce
back. I related what the nurseryman said about dead cypress branches but she
pooh-poohed it.  She said she had taken worse looking plants back to her
nursery and had them come back good enough for her to sell.  So I proposed
that she do just that - swap out my cypress for a healthy one, and nurse it
back to health at her nursery and then sell it.  She refused. All she
would finally agree to do is raise both cypress to grade or above, amend the
soil extensively and fertilize.  I did get her to agree to replace the
cypress if it failed to recover after this treatment.  With stunning swiftness ? within a week of her crew?s
efforts ? both cypress were dead.

What struck me most was Michelle?s efforts to deflect any
responsibility for the problems with the cypress and the lorapetalum (also now
dead); she had a variety of possible reasons for the problems from watering
deficiencies (I had never received any suggestions from her about
post-installation watering, but she agreed that the irrigation schedule I proposed
was appropriate),  to failure to
fertilize (only three months after planting?  I wish she had told me?), and high salt levels in the
irrigation water. 

Because of Michelle?s aggressive demeanor and also my lack of
confidence in her ability to install new plants properly, I did not ask her to
honor her agreement to replace the cypress.  I just want to return my property to a state where I enjoy
seeing it when I come home.  That
hasn?t been possible for many months.






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