Is pressure washing safe for your landscaping?

Homeowners ask this all the time — especially the ones with a favorite hydrangea or a big bed of azaleas right below the siding. Here's the truth about pressure washing and plants.

Water pressure isn't usually the problem — a wide fan tip 3 feet away won't hurt leaves. The concern is the cleaning solution used for soft-washing. Concentrated, it can burn foliage.

1. Pre-soak beds with clean water before I start. Wet soil dilutes any drift instantly. 2. Tarp small sensitive plants if they're directly under a wall I'm treating. 3. Rinse foliage during and after with clean water — this is the single most important step. 4. Time it right — I don't apply solution in direct hot sun; it dries too fast and concentrates.

• Water beds heavily the morning of the wash
• Point me at any special plants when I arrive
• Let me know if there's a vegetable garden (I'll adjust or skip that wall)

Give beds a normal watering that evening. If you see any yellowing (rare), a good soak flushes it out. In 8 years of doing this locally I've never lost a plant, and I don't intend to start.