Landscaping is a part of outdoor maintenance that requires planning ahead. Assessing your needs, budgeting for any changes, and creating a schedule that makes sense for your business are some of the steps involved in successfully pursuing proactive lawncare this season.

Starting early with a proactive approach often allows maintenance and facility managers to lower long-term costs, experience fewer emergencies, and strengthen tenant satisfaction.

In order stay on top of your maintenance schedule, avoid costly surprises, and increase your company’s curb appeal, here are some steps to take when adding landscaping to your spring maintenance plan:

• If your grounds are vast, you may want to create a drawing or plan to refer to, so you can easily indicate areas that need attention.
• Look for any damage caused by winter’s freeze-thaw cycling. This commonly includes lifted pavers, small concrete cracks, loose railings, drainage failures, and erosion. Schedule or
• Check the grounds for plants that did not make it through the winter and conduct any necessary maintenance. Check mulch levels, if applicable, and trim anything that’s overgrown.
• Asses your irrigation system. Look for cracks in the lines and broken heads and test out the system to ensure that it is ready when you need it. Confirm that drainage is working as it should be well before you turn on the outdoor water systems.
• If you are in the market to upgrade your irrigation system, consider adding smart technology with sensors, AI, and remote access to improve efficiency, save water, and cut costs.
• Look for winter lawn damage. This could include the edges of walkways where snow removal machines were busy, areas of ice snow mould or salt burn, and matted turf. Address these issues promptly with early overseeding, aeration, and water where necessary.
• Be proactive with mowing to encourage lawn health and positive growth. Set a weekly mowing schedule to stay on track through the spring and summer months.
• Early-season fertilization can also help strengthen root systems before the weeds arrive, and applying pre-emergent weed control early can help prevent certain weeds from germinating.

These proactive steps can help you stay on top of landscaping as part of your spring outdoor maintenance plan, as well as helping to avoid overgrowth, increased costs, and declining curb appeal.