The Top Choice Team

The Top Choice Austin Landscaping Blog

Common Tree Trimming Mistakes

By The Top Choice Team / February 3, 2026

Tree trimming and pruning is one of the toughest tasks in lawn maintenance, with a high likelihood of mistakes when performed by an inexperienced trimmer or lawn service. Not only do these mistakes make your trees look horrible, they can also cause permanent damage and even kill your trees in some instances. Since tree trimming…

Live Oaks – Water Sprouts and Suckers

By The Top Choice Team / February 3, 2026

If you live in Austin, we guarantee you’ve seen more than a few Live Oak trees. They are native, evergreen, and don’t need too much water to be healthy. However, Live Oaks are notorious for producing small, fast-growing off shoots commonly known as water sprouts or suckers. They can appear for a variety of reasons:…

When to trim live oak trees in Austin

By The Top Choice Team / February 3, 2026

Nothing says Central Texas hill country quite like a majestic live oak. These trees have a special place in properties throughout Austin. Larger trees can be 200-300 years old, and with proper care, some can live up to 500 or 600 years! Many of these gentle giants have been around since before we were born,…

How to Winterize Your Backflow Preventer

By The Top Choice Team / January 6, 2026

Folks around the country will often shut off and drain their irrigation systems entirely before the winter, but because we rarely get deep freezes, that’s not really necessary in Central Texas. However, we still need to protect any above-ground exposed equipment: pipes, pumps, filters, and backflow preventers! Proper insulation and winterization are especially important with…

How to Winterize your Irrigation System in Austin

By The Top Choice Team / January 6, 2026

Why do we winterize? We want to take care of our irrigation systems. Often times there are breaks in our systems after a long hard winter. Everyone knows that water expands when it freezes – we need to take this into consideration when we are preparing for the cold months. Make sure your system is…

Washers and Horseshoes

By The Top Choice Team / October 13, 2025

Let’s talk about yard games. I love them. Obsessed.  If I’m at a wedding reception and there’s cornhole or washers out… my wife knows she’s pretty much on her own for the rest of the night. (I know this is not good…sometimes I am actually a good husband).  And now for the fun part: Top…

What Is Backflow Prevention — And Why Should Homeowners Care?

By The Top Choice Team / September 11, 2025

Short Version: Backflow happens when water flows the wrong way and takes contaminants with it. A backflow prevention device keeps fertilizers, pet waste, pool chemicals, and more out of your drinking water. If you have an irrigation system in Central Texas, this is one of those things you don’t want to ignore. So… What Is…

Types of Grass

By The Top Choice Team / March 17, 2025

Central Texas Grass Though we do not think about it much, our climate has a big impact on our life, and your grass is a big part of your personal climate!  In Austin (the southernmost state capital in the US of A!), we have a lot of benefits from our temperate weather.  Sandals and Shorts…

Preparing Your Irrigation for Spring

By The Top Choice Team / March 7, 2025

Spring is the perfect season to prepare your automatic sprinkler system for effectively watering your lawn and landscape for another year. We suggest looking at your irrigation system at least four times a year. At minimum, one of those should be by a professional. Good times to consider are before starting in spring, before the…

How to Attract Pollinators to Your Austin Garden: A Buzz-Worthy Guide

By The Top Choice Team / January 17, 2025

Austin is known for its vibrant music scene, delicious food, and sunny weather—but there’s another important aspect of our city that’s buzzing with life: pollinators. From bees and butterflies to hummingbirds and even bats, these tiny creatures play a vital role in our ecosystems. They help plants grow, and their presence keeps our gardens and…