How to Keep Commercial Landscapes Looking Their Best During Chicago Summers

Summers in Chicagoland can be brutal on commercial landscapes. Extended heat, inconsistent rainfall, drought stress, heavy pedestrian traffic, parking lot heat reflection, irrigation issues, and rapid weed growth can all negatively affect a property's appearance and health.

As a property manager, this can be one of the hardest times of the year for you. You’re likely already balancing multiple responsibilities, and you don’t need added stress about the condition of the landscape.

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• What are the Most Important Commercial Summer Maintenance Tasks?
• Summer Commercial Landscaping Challenges
• FAQs on Commercial Property Landscaping in Summer
• Choosing Commercial Landscaping in Chicagoland

You need a commercial landscape management partner who can proactively identify and address issues before they become larger problems.

In this article, we’ll dive into some of the summer maintenance tasks that should be addressed to ensure that you’re maintaining not only commercial property curb appeal but also long-term integrity. Problems that occur over the summer can wind up costing you down the road, so a proactive approach is key.

What Are the Most Important Commercial Summer Maintenance Tasks?

There’s a lot of upkeep to handle in the summer. Some of the most important commercial summer maintenance tasks include mowing, irrigation management, shrub trimming, weed control, pruning, fertilization, pest monitoring, mulch refresh, tree care, and seasonal flower care.

This is similar to other times of the year, but these services often need to be adjusted to handle changing and potentially severe weather conditions.

For instance, mowing in the summer is a little different. Proper technique is particularly crucial at this time of the year. Mowing the lawn too short puts added stress on an already-stressed lawn in summertime.

But keeping your commercial turf mowed to a taller 3- to 4-inch height will help shade out weeds, encourage deeper lawn roots and prevent lawn burning from lack of water and high heat.

Crews should never remove more than one-third of the grass blade at any one time, so your grass isn’t unnecessarily stressed and can survive this already stressful time of year.

Commercial landscape maintenance crews will also use professional equipment with sharpened mower blades to avoid tearing the turf.

Irrigation might also need to be adjusted based on the conditions. Rainfall is less frequent during Chicagoland summers, and you don’t want your lawn or landscape to suffer as a result.

A proactive approach will go a long way in summer commercial landscaping. It’s all about addressing potential challenges head-on.

Summer Commercial Landscaping Challenges

Summer is particularly challenging for commercial landscapes, as everyone still wants the property to look great, but unique issues arise during this season. By far, the biggest challenges include heat stress, drought, weeds, disease, and pests.

It’s important to spot signs of these challenges early on as they can quickly get out of control if not addressed. Let’s look at some of these biggest challenges and how to be proactive in addressing them.

Heat Stress

Periods of intense heat can place significant stress on commercial turf, particularly when coupled with drought and heavy foot traffic. It can cause discoloration, weakened root systems, soil compaction, and an overall decline in health (which can increase susceptibility to disease and pests).

A proactive landscaper will be on top of heat stress by optimizing irrigation strategies. It’s not just about watering more, but about ensuring the system is adjusted to seasonal conditions and works properly. Adopting best practices for maintaining healthy turf will also help mitigate the effects of heat stress.

Drought

Here in Greater Chicago, weather is often unpredictable and we can go extended periods without rain. Unfortunately, drought can place tremendous stress on commercial landscapes (including turf and landscape elements such as trees and shrubs). Without ample water, you can see stunted growth, discoloration, wilting, and in severe cases, plant death.

This is why proactive commercial landscaping services in the summertime are so vital. Supplemental or adjusted watering will be needed during periods of drought to prevent damage from becoming severe or permanent.

Weeds

Weed pressure can be more intense during the summer months, as conditions are often ideal for aggressive weed species to take over. Many weeds can survive in conditions that are subpar for healthy grass (such as hot, dry, compacted soil). As healthy turf struggles, opportunistic weeds may creep in.

This is why an aggressive weed control strategy is so important. You want to work with a commercial landscape management partner who is proactive in their approach to weed control, focusing on preventing as many weeds as possible in the first place with pre-emergent controls. Summer can also bring new weeds, making it important to adjust controls as needed. But this means paying attention to what’s growing and what can be done.

Disease

Summer is also a time when you’re going to see more diseases pop up. The right weather conditions can bring them about without warning. Most diseases on your lawn appear as patchy or irregularly shaped spots, making symptoms hard to distinguish from other problems. Disease is sometimes misdiagnosed as drought stress.

But when you work with a proactive lawn care pro, you can feel confident that they’re looking for early signs of trouble and also able to effectively identify exactly what’s going on. That will be critical to the best solutions.

Pests

Summer is also the peak season for various lawn-damaging pests. Warm weather tends to activate pest activity, and populations can grow quickly. Summer pests like grubs and chinch bugs can be highly destructive.

But pest damage is another turf problem that can resemble other issues (like disease or drought damage). It’s important to work with commercial landscaping services in Chicago who can identify exactly what’s going on and take swift action.

FAQs on Commercial Property Landscaping in Summer

How do you maintain a commercial landscape during summer?
Water efficiently, mow regularly, control weeds, monitor irrigation, prune as needed, and inspect for pests and disease.

How often should commercial properties be watered during summer?
Water deeply 2–3 times per week, adjusting for weather, soil conditions, and local watering restrictions.

How can commercial properties improve curb appeal during summer?
Keep lawns healthy, trim shrubs, maintain colorful flower beds, control weeds, refresh mulch, and ensure clean, well-defined landscape edges.

How does heat affect commercial lawns and landscapes?
Heat stresses turf and plants, increases water demand, encourages weeds, and can lead to drought damage.

What are the biggest summer landscape maintenance challenges?
Heat stress, drought, weeds, pests, irrigation failures, and maintaining healthy turf during peak growth.

Choosing Commercial Landscaping in Chicagoland

As a commercial manager for a property in Greater Chicago, it’s not easy to keep up with your landscape during the busy spring and summer months. You want your site to look great and avoid any roughness caused by harsh summer conditions. Properties that are not meticulously cared for during these challenging months can come out of the summer looking ragged.

We understand your concerns and are here to help.

We offer year-round commercial landscape maintenance services and adjust our services as needed to the season and your property. We will help you create a plan that fits your property's needs and budget. Our customized proposal will outline the services we recommend during the summer months to keep your commercial property functional, safe, healthy, and professional-looking.

Want to learn more about commercial landscape companies and their service offerings for your industrial site? Get started today with a free quote. We’ll review your options together so you can make a great choice.