Spring is a wonderful time of year. Even if your commercial landscaping is still covered with snow, it is time to plan ahead for a vibrant spring. Hopefully, you already prepared your landscaping for the harsh winter times so it is ready now for some revitalization.
Here are some great tips ordered in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step fashion to make commercial landscaping look spectacular after the winter season has passed.
Step 1 – Cleaning and Clearing
After the snow melts, all the fallen debris that was covered by snow becomes visible. The first step is to remove the debris so that the new growth is allowed to have free space to flourish.
Instruct the landscaper to pick up all trash, fallen branches, sticks, and rake up all dead leaves. Remove anything that is truly dead; however, be careful because anything that looks dead may only be in a hibernation state that appears to be dead, yet is not. The test is to break a branch of a tree or shrub and if it is green and vibrant inside it is not dead. On the other hand, if breaking it reveals dry wood, this particular tree or plant may have died during winter and needs to be removed and replaced. If in doubt, allow a shrub or tree to stay in place for a few months and see if it can come back to life.
Step 2 – Check the Irrigation System
If your landscaper did a good job preparing for winter, your irrigation system should have been completely drained and it should function again properly after the snow melts. Be careful about reactivating the irrigation system too soon because even when the snow melts there may be some more days of below freezing temperatures, which will cause the irrigation pipes to burst if they are full of water.
When you think it is safe from freezing again, turn on the irrigation system. Allow the water to flow out properly and check for leaks. Leaks become obvious when overly wet areas appear. Leaks that are well below ground are harder to detect. Minor leaks are not really much of a problem; however major underground leaks in the irrigation system can cause severe water wasting. If your monthly water bill is substantially higher than you expect, this is evidence of a major underground leak. It is not easy to discover where such leaks are occurring. You will need to have your landscaper cap the exit parts of the irrigation system, then pressurize it and see if water is escaping.
In some areas, the local water company will assist and they have equipment that can "listen" for major leaks.
Step 3 – Re-Sod and Re- Plant
The fastest way to have a sparkling new commercial landscaping is to use brand new grass sod and plant new colorful flowers that have been grown in greenhouses and are already in bloom. This kind of transformation is amazing and will make your commercial establishment incredibly attractive. This strategy is well worth the investment.
Looking for a commercial landscaping company? Contact Brilar today for all your grounds maintenance needs!
