Prepping Your Commercial Landscape For Winter
All too often, business owners choose to ignore their landscaping during the winter months, putting it off until the spring. If you want your property’s landscape to be robust and look its best come spring, you need to prepare it for winter. Including winter preparation in your budget is an important way to protect the investment you make in your landscaping during the spring, summer, and fall months.
Trim Trees, Shurbs, and Perennials
As the temperature drops and plants begin to fade, it is important to remember to trim them. Many plants need trimming during their dormant season to avoid developing diseases. It is best to cut back stems of perennials one to two inches off the ground to prevent dying plants. Overgrown shrubs and trees need pruning as well to avoid limb loss or damage during heavy rain or snow.Â
In addition to trimming plants, fall is a great time to fertilize, by adding light mulch such as straw, pine needles, or hay around your plants, as well as fertilizer, you increase the nutrient supply to your plants for root growth. To protect your work, consider blowing mulch into your flowerbeds to protect plants from hard freezes and animals. If your plants have a well-functioning root system, they will grow stronger for the spring resulting in a fuller and greener landscape. s
Pay Attention To Your Grounds
Before winter weather settles in, make sure that your turf is aerated. By breaking up compacted soil, you will give your turf breathing room during seasonal changes. This allows moisture and nutrients to get into the roots of your grass, plants, and trees. Aerating ahead of the winter months will help your landscape look its best come spring.
Prepping your commercial landscape for winter should always include raking leaves, clearing landscape debris, and removing any dead foliage. Click here to get a free quote from a commercial landscaper for a fall property cleanup.
Take Care Of Your Irrigation System
The grass will never be as green on the other side of winter without a great watering system. Winterizing your irrigation system will ensure your sprinklers are ready to go in the spring. Your sprinkler hoses are like the pipes in your home if they are left filled with water when it freezes, cracking and bursting may occur causing major damage to your sprinkler system.
During an unseasonably warm or dry winter, property managers should have their turf and foliage watered by hand. This is another way to ensure a property’s landscaping will maintain its curb appeal and look its best in the spring. It is very important property managers do not turn the irrigation system back on in the middle of the winter without the assistance of a professional.