As the Midwest’s leader in commercial landscaping, we know how important spring cleanup landscaping is to keep your property looking its best. Spring cleanup landscaping is general maintenance of your property that readies it for summer.
Exactly what’s included in a spring cleanup can differ from one commercial landscaper to the next, but the five services we cover are must-dos. Get a jump start on summer with this spring cleanup landscaping checklist.
Spring Cleanup for Commercial Landscaping
1. Clean up Leaves, Trash, and Debris
Leaves, branches, and twigs accumulate throughout the winter and must be cleaned up before mowing. Getting leaves and debris off of turf is critical to allow the lawn to breathe. A thorough spring cleanup prepares beds for fresh mulch and annual flowers.
2. Grass and Perennial Cutbacks
One of the biggest mistakes we see when caring for perennials is not cutting them back. This causes them to become overgrown, unsightly, and can result in crowding of other plants. Since grass dies off every year, it needs to be cut back to make room for new growth or it will look messy.
3. Deep Edge Planting Beds and Tree Rings
Deep edging around plant beds and tree rings is a lot like adding a frame around landscaped areas.
A hand spade or mechanical shaper is used to produce a distinct edge between your turf and beds — something that needs to be done before pre-emergent and fresh mulch are applied.
A deep manicured edge will help keep grassroots and weeds from creeping into a landscaped bed. It also makes mowing up to flower bed edges easier and greatly reduces the risk of damage.
4. Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicide
A pre-emergent doesn’t kill existing weeds. Instead, it prevents weeds from taking root in the first place. When this step is routinely taken, it reduces the need for weed killers later in the year.
Pre-emergent should be applied early in the season when soil temperatures are still below 50 degrees. If applied too late, you run the risk of battling weeds all spring and summer long.
5. Add a Fresh Layer of Mulch
Once pre-emergent has been applied, adding a fresh layer of mulch can do wonders for a winter-worn landscape.
Mulch is an essential part of your commercial landscaping maintenance plan, and adding a fresh layer in the spring brings many benefits. It can curb weed germination and growth and help the soil retain moisture and stay cooler as temperatures rise. This is extremely valuable during the summer heat.
