5 Tips to Prepare Your Commercial Landscape for Winter

Winter is coming. Is your commercial landscape ready to take it on?

Without a plan, winter weather will wreak havoc on your landscape. And then your warm and inviting exterior looks cold and barren. A mirror of the winter temperatures.

Winter landscaping will help ensure that your property stays lush throughout the year.

But where do you even begin? Right here! Keep reading for 5 tips on winter landscaping that your landscaping provider should be doing to help prepare your facility for the season!

1. Clean, Trim, and Wrap

The first winter landscaping tip is your provider should get rid of the layer of dead leaves that autumn left behind.

We recommend removing any dead or dying foliage. It’s not pleasing to look at and can stunt fresh growth in the spring if left alone.

Think out with the old and in with the new!

This includes trimming any trees on the property. While they go dormant in the winter, giving them a fresh trim will ensure healthy growth come springtime. Your provider should also wrap your trees to protect them from harsh winds and salt damage.

Take this time to brainstorm winter landscaping ideas. If your landscape is looking bare after you remove dying annuals, plant something new! There are a plethora of plants that thrive during winter!

2. Aerate

After you remove the dead foliage and give your plants a trim, aerate your turf. This allows water, oxygen, and fertilizer to reach the roots.

Adding fertilizer will give your turf the nutrients it needs to survive the winter. OpenWorks providers turf maintenance, aeration, and fertilizing services which are perfect for such an occasion.

3. Add Mulch

Besides fertilizing, refreshing any mulch area is a great winter landscaping idea. It will keep the property grounds looking clean. Plus mulch helps act as an insulator helping plants keep moisture and nutrients.

4. Adjust Watering Cycle

Winter landscaping tips 101: always adjust your irrigation systems. Don’t rely on an increase in precipitation to keep your trees and plants hydrated.

As temperatures drop, failing to winterize your sprinkler system can cause pipes to freeze. That’s a nightmare you don’t want to come back to after the holidays.

Facility management companies should drain your irrigation lines and clean out any gutters to avoid expensive repairs in the spring.

5. Plan for Snow Removal

For many areas of the U.S., some sort of frozen precipitation is inevitable come winter. Without a plan for snow removal, you're setting your landscape up for disaster and potential hazards for employees or tenants getting into the property.

Choose certain areas for snow pile-ups during the removal process. Preferably, areas that won’t hurt your landscape. This will keep your business open, customers safe, and your landscape untarnished.

Winter Landscaping Doesn’t Have to Be a Hassle

Don’t let these winter landscaping tips get you stressed out! Our expert service providers at OpenWorks have everything under control!

Our professional facility management services will have your commercial landscape looking its best year-round!

Reach out for a free estimate and get a jumpstart on your winter landscaping!