For many commercial property owners, their landscaping is a big investment – both in money and the time spent maintaining it during the year. In areas that have rough winters, keeping your landscape safe from snow, ice, and freezing temperatures is an important task that can help set you up for a great growing season come springtime. Luckily, with just a few simple but effective steps, you can protect your commercial landscape against winter:
5 Ways To Protect Your Commercial Landscape from Winter Weather
Winterize Your Sprinklers
Protecting your commercial landscaping during winter means you also need to protect what’s underneath your landscaping. Winterizing sprinkler systems will protect them from freeze damage caused by water left in the pipes as soil temperatures drop. Failing to remove all water from the system can lead to cracked pipes, damaged valves, and busted sprinkler heads. This can lead to several costly issues on your property such as expensive repairs, icy hazards caused by flooding, and increased water bills due to leaks.
Give Your Lawns Some Fall TLC
The best way to protect your lawn from winter is to prep it well during fall. After your last mow of the year, aerate (and dethatch if necessary), overseed, and fertilize your lawn to make sure it can absorb all the air, water, and nutrients it will need to stay healthy during winter. Weekly watering (until the first freeze of the year) will also ensure that your lawn has enough moisture to last until spring.
Trash and dead leaves are another thing to keep on top of; trash laying around the property can lead to pest infestations, and dead leaves left on your lawn all winter can lead to fungus or mold outbreaks. A good fall cleaning and regular maintenance/trash policing will also help prepare your property for winter.
Cut Back Dead Trees and Shrubs
Protect your commercial landscape – and your employees, guests, and pedestrians – by making sure to cut back any dead or damaged tree limbs before winter weather hits. Heavy snow, ice, and winds can easily cause damaged limbs to break and fall; tree limbs, even relatively small ones, can be incredibly heavy and cause serious injuries or property damage.
Dormant pruning is another beneficial landscaping task for winter, and helps promote healthier growth and blooms during the flowering season. Mid-November to mid-March is the best time to prune most summer-flowering shrubs and trees, as well as many evergreen plants.
Insulate Your Plants
Although there are many plants well-suited to Colorado winters, your commercial landscaping can still use a little help to survive the cold. Applying mulch on flower beds and other plants regulates soil temperature, moisture, and nutrient levels. They also keep any unwanted plants away that will compete with your plants for water, nutrients, and sunlight.
Snow, ice, and heavy winds can take a toll on your plants; it’s not uncommon to see discoloration and loss of vegetation on plants that are suffering from winter damage. Wrapping your plants, shrubs, and trees in burlap is an effective way to protect them from freeze damage, and can also keep pests away that may try to make a winter home out of your landscaping.
Protect Your Property from Salt Damage
Salts and de-icers are incredibly useful to keep your commercial property safe, but can also be extremely harmful to your landscaping. The most common ways that salts and de-icers damage landscaping is from overuse or by shoveling them onto your lawn and plants. Salts and de-icers can also damage your hardscapes by causing corrosion under the surface of concrete, which can cause it to be discolored, eroded, or even cracked.
The best way to protect your commercial landscaping from salt and de-icer damage is to use them efficiently. Anti-icing is incredibly effective at preventing snow and ice from accumulating and can drastically cut down on the amount of salt that you need to use. Applying sealers to your hardscapes can help prolong their life, while snow fences and burlap can be used as barriers to keep salts from being shoveled or plowed onto your lawn and plants.
Protect Your Landscape from Snow, Ice, and Winter Weather with GroundMasters
Our team at GroundMasters Landscape Services has the expertise you need to prepare your commercial property for winter and keep it well-maintained no matter the season. Our year-round services include lawn care, sprinkler system maintenance, tree & shrub care, and landscape enhancements – along with storm cleanup and snow & ice removal for when bad weather hits.
To see what GroundMasters can do for your Denver-area business or commercial property, give us a call at (303) 750-8867 or get in touch with us online to get started.