Spring is the time for renewal throughout your landscape. While it might be cloudy and dreary outside, this downtime during the winter is the perfect time to get your commercial landscape ready for the growing season. Some of these tips you can accomplish by yourself, but others you may want the help of a commercial lawn care service. Here are a few things you can do to get your commercial landscape ready for the spring season.
Check Your Tools
During the winter, you might want to go over your gardening tools. You should sharpen blades and oil those hinges. Along with that, make sure that all your equipment is in proper working order. If you have rusty blades, you can use a mill file to sharpen those dull edges. Penetrating oil is an excellent option to remove any corrosion. When you need to cut or dig, the task will be easier with the right equipment. You can get many things accomplished while the weather outside is still cold and gray. When spring comes around, you can spend more time working on your commercial property’s landscape. Even if you hire a professional service, make sure you have some supplies on hand to help with their job.
Clear Out Debris, Mulch, and Weeds
Winter can leave a mess in your landscape. Remove all weeds, mulch, and waste from the bare soil. With that dead organic matter, make sure to place it in the compost pile. Any well-composted mulch can stay on the ground, but your fresh mulch needs to be raked to expose the soil. You should also rake dead branches and old leaves out of your landscape. With a little cover, weeds can quickly take over your space during spring. Any weeds should be completely removed from the soil. You never want to leave any weeds in your garden beds, or you will see them compete with your plants and flowers for water and nutrients.
Repair Any Damage from Snow Plows
Winter can be brutal, especially for a commercial property. When snow is removed from your space, the snow truck can do a little bit of damage. In some cases, the walkways and parking lots are cracked by the snowplows. You will want to repair any damage. Not only is the damage unsightly, but it can be a safety hazard for pedestrians, tenants, employees, or visitors.
Inspect Irrigation Systems
Many property owners or managers understand the importance of a great irrigation system. These systems can help keep your grass and plants green throughout the year. However, winter cold temperatures can cause the pipes to freeze and break. Commercial lawn care services have experts who test out your system and ensure it is in good order. You might have to wait for warmer temperatures, but they will check each sprinkler and monitor your space for leaky pipes. If there is an issue, they will fix it before you need water in the spring or summer.
Repair Damaged Grass
After months of snow on the grass, there is bound to be damage to your turf. As the snow piles melt, you might notice bare spots around your property. You can fix these issues with some extra soil and seeds. If you have severe damage, you might need to replace those areas with sod.
Apply Fertilizer and Mulch
If you don’t have mulch, then late winter is a good time to apply a thick layer. Mulch can keep weeds from establishing in your garden beds. Those pesky weeds will flourish in your landscaping without a layer of mulch on your soil. When the ground thaws, you need to fertilize those plants and grasses. Fertilizer provides the right nutrients for your landscape to reach its full potential.
Prune Trees and Plants
Many trees and plants could use a good pruning during this time of year. Cutting is necessary for trees that bloom on new wood. Late winter and early spring are great times to cut back old wood. When you prune, you can increase your plants’ fruitfulness and growth. This time also allows you to check out any branches damaged by the ice and snow. You can also shape the plant before the buds come out of dormancy. By clearing and trimming those branches, you can enhance your commercial property’s look.
Apply Pest Control Measure
If you want to stop pests in their tracks, you need to start early. At the beginning of spring, you will want to start treatments to eliminate any insects in your lawn. When you do this, you can prevent pests from infesting your landscape.
Prepare Your Soil
Once the frost has lifted, you need to prepare your garden beds. Over the winter season, the soil can become compacted. You can loosen it up by turning or tilting the soil. Any well-composted mulch can be mixed into the ground. After that, you want to add those amendments to the compost. A simple soil test allows you to see if you need to adjust the pH or nutrient levels. If there are problems, you can add some amendments to improve the soil’s texture and nutrient content. Rake the soil and water the ground. Doing these steps gives the ground time to settle and release air pockets.
Groom Your Entrance
Winter can leave behind plenty of dirt and grime, especially near the front of your commercial property’s entrance. You might want to have the walkway power washed for a cleaner appearance. When the weather warms up, you can add potted plants for color near the front door as you make the entrance more attractive for your employees and customers.
We Can Take Care of Those Winter and Spring Tasks
A professional commercial lawn care service can help you tackle these late winter and early spring projects. You can leave all the hard work to the professionals. At Charlestown Landscaping LLC, we can take care of your commercial landscape for the spring season. If you would like to schedule a consultation, please give us a call at (610) 608-3965.