Winter can really take a toll on your Greater Chicago commercial landscape.
Whether you manage an office park, multifamily housing complex, industrial facility, retail hub, hospital, warehouse, or HOA, your commercial landscape will likely experience some of Old Man Winter’s wrath.
That can mean being left with a bit of a mess by the time spring rolls around.
For instance, cold winds can snap twigs off trees, scattering them about the property. Leftover fall leaves can linger in every nook and cranny and look sloppy.
The constant precipitation, mountains of snow and melting ice give way to slush and mud, and the turf becomes matted at best - and may be killed if conditions persist for too long.
Once Mother Nature decides winter is officially over, a recovery of the winter landscape will be imperative. But when should you begin that early-season landscape maintenance, and what will need to be done?
There are a few signals that you can watch for that will indicate it’s time to schedule your commercial spring cleanup in Chicago.
These are all signs that it’s time to begin winter landscape recovery efforts. It’s important to be able to see all of the turf (and have access to it). And it’s also optimal for the ground to no longer be squishy.
Getting the timing right is important as scheduling too early can compact wet soil and damage turf. But scheduling too late can mean more weeds and turf issues that you could have gotten ahead of with a head start.
Talk to your commercial landscape provider if you’re unsure about timing.
Turf can really take a beating during a heavy snow season due to snow removal efforts. Ideally, your commercial snow removal provider took steps to prevent snow removal damage to your property.
But even if they did, your property might have turf near roadways that weren’t handled by your snow removal provider. And sometimes damage happens, even when precautions are taken. Keeping your property up, running, and safe in the winter is likely a top priority, and residual damage may have occurred.
Here are some post-winter turf repair steps that you can take if your grass was impacted by snow removal efforts.
Winter landscape recovery is also about repairing winter-damaged grass. Snow mold, salt damage, and compacted turf can weaken it, leading to patchy, dead areas. Identifying these problems before they worsen is a key part of this task. Encouraging healthy growth improves your curb appeal, making your business look more attractive and inviting.
The process starts by removing plow stakes that are no longer necessary to mark your turf and landscape areas. Then, it continues by raking and/or blowing away old leaves and any sticks or debris on the turf left over from the fall.
This is also a good time to look for areas of the turf that might need a little extra tender loving care. For instance, if salt has damaged the turf or a snow plow has grazed a section of your lawn, we can flag these areas for repair with replacement sod or even seeding.
Finally, a commercial landscape professional will freshen the turf by raking and aerating it to allow it to receive the air, sunlight, and nutrients it needs to grow. Sometimes, depending on the time of year, this is also a good time for the lawn’s first fertilizer application as part of spring cleanup services.
Spring cleanup is the general cleaning and polishing of areas in your Greater Chicago commercial property to prepare it for spring and the first round of maintenance services.
While it sounds like a simple prep, it’s anything but simple.
These commercial landscape cleanup services improve your landscape’s appearance, creating a positive first impression for customers, tenants, visitors, and guests. They also give your facility a professional image, showing your business’s commitment to professionalism and quality. It’s important that these tasks are performed properly and that you don’t miss anything.
Some of the key tasks that should be included in a commercial spring cleanup in Chicagoland include:
Letting weeds take over your commercial flower beds can be a problem that’s hard to get a hold of once it starts. That’s why we urge the importance of pre-emergent applications.
Dandelions and crabgrass are two of the primary weeds that we see quickly take over beds. But pre-emergents stop these weeds from germinating in the first place. This proactive approach is an important step in early-season landscape maintenance.
By investing in proactive care, you’re investing in your property's aesthetic value. Letting your plant beds get overrun with weeds can really detract from the overall look of your commercial landscape. Plus, it can be more work (and costly) to catch up later.
Yes, a spring cleanup can reduce summer maintenance costs.
Spring is here! You might already be looking around your commercial property and seeing the debris and leftovers scattered about from winter. With everything on your property management plate, the last thing you want to add to your list is to go out there and start cleaning things up.
We completely understand.
Turning to a pro for your commercial spring clean-up is a wise choice. But you don’t want to wait until the last minute. With commercial landscape cleanup services, KD Landscape can help you prepare for a successful spring and protect your landscape from Mother Nature’s winter wrath.
Want to learn more about our commercial spring cleanup services in Greater Chicago? Get started today with an on-site consultation. We’ll review your options together so you can feel confident and make a great choice.