As a property manager overseeing a commercial site — whether a retail center, HOA or office park — you’re juggling a full load of maintenance responsibilities, from building mechanicals and facilities concerns to landscaping and property enhancements. The answer to the question of what should I ask a landscape contractor is a critical one to ensure you hire the right company for your property’s needs. Commercial property maintenance issues can lead to costly repairs if not addressed promptly, making it crucial to find a landscape contractor that can keep your property well-maintained. We serve a wide range of commercial properties across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. As a landscape maintenance company, you can depend on us to keep properties safe and attractive, including making improvements that will deliver ROI.
We often run across five common landscape property maintenance issues with our commercial property accounts. Some are aesthetic, and others are functional. Here are the ways our experienced landscape crewmembers fix the most frequent concerns.
5 Common Commercial Property Maintenance Issues and How to Fix Them
Poor Visibility
When trees and shrubs are not properly maintained, they become overgrown and can block critical sight lines. Shrubbery and dense treelines can block signage, making it more difficult to navigate your property. Wayward branches can impede pedestrian walkways, causing a trip hazard. Not to mention, neglecting to prune for plant health and appearance tells those who live, work or play on your property that you hit the snooze button on maintenance.
>>The Fix: Plant health care and pruning help maintain their health and appearance, and regular pruning to remove dead, dying or diseased branches encourages vitality and new growth. Plus, pruning addresses foliage that can create safety hazards for pedestrians and vehicles. Pruning also helps prevent storm damage and liabilities associated with falling branches.
Irrigation Issues
After your commercial property’s irrigation system runs, do you notice puddling on paved areas like parking lots or walkways? Does your irrigation system run after rainfall or when the soil is adequately moist? Or, are parts of your property not getting the water required to thrive while other zones are too soggy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’ve got irrigation issues. The good news is today’s smart sprinkler systems are efficient, save water, and reduce the cost of operation.
>>The Fix: Because every commercial property has nuances, we perform a thorough site inspection and irrigation audit to identify system incompetencies. We identify issues with the equipment, such as sprinkler heads that are not functioning properly, ineffective zone layout and water pressure problems. We also note areas where a system could be improved to conserve water while assuring that turf and plants get the irrigation they need to thrive. Irrigation is essential on commercial properties because manually watering landscape beds and allowing turf to decline will erode your property’s value. Plus, you’ll spend more replacing plants and reseeding the lawn.
Insect Pressure
Insects take a toll on turf and plants, compromising their health and appearance. Common signs that insects are feasting on and damaging plants include holes in foliage from where insects chew through leaves. Wilting can occur when sap-sucking insects steal nutrition from plants.
Also, we commonly notice discoloration like spotting, stunted growth and honeydew, a sticky substance insects leave behind after feeding on plants. On turf, insects are usually responsible when we find brown patches, wilted patches or spongy lawn areas. The most common turf-destroying insects we deal with in the New England region are white grubs, chinch bugs, leather jackets, cutworms and sod webworms. As with other landscape maintenance issues, disease and weeds can be effectively prevented.
>>The Fix: A tailored plant health and lawn care program helps manage diseases and pests while ensuring your commercial landscape gets the nutrition it needs to thrive. More robust plants and lawns are more resilient, which also pertains to weed prevention. Weeds encroach when they can “win” moisture and nutrients because the turf is weak. We like to start with a site analysis to design a custom program based on soil conditions and other factors, such as sun exposure and topography.
Drainage Problems
If your commercial property has inadequate drainage, you’ll notice standing water. We often detect soil erosion, too. Drainage problems can damage plants and turf and create safety hazards. Drainage issues can occur because of incorrect grading or runoff from neighboring properties. Also, you can have drainage and runoff issues when landscape beds and features are not properly placed. Your existing landscape could be causing the problem.
>>The Fix: The drainage solution depends on the origin of the problem, and sometimes it takes a combination of stormwater strategies. Trench drains can control runoff near parking lots and paved surfaces, while site grading might be necessary to manage more extensive drainage concerns. Often, grading is only necessary on a portion of the property, and we might suggest alterations to where landscape beds are placed on improving water runoff and flow.
Weeds in Landscape Beds
Does it feel like you can’t stay on top of all the weeding? There’s a reason for the phrase “growing like a weed” because they can quickly increase and make a property look unappealing and neglected. We know that weeding is labor intensive. But there are ways to minimize weed growth while improving the appearance of landscape beds.
>>The Fix: Mulch suppresses weeds, helps soil retain moisture and protects plant roots from temperature extremes. Plus, it looks appealing and acts as a defining backdrop, so colorful flowers and lush foliage pop.
Maintenance Problem Solved – Partner with The Pros
At Neave Management, the leading commercial landscaping company, we take the time to walk your property with you, discuss your vision and identify areas that could be improved. We listen. And this is the foundation of a successful partnership. Let’s set up a free pre-season site visit so we can identify ways to get a jumpstart in spring.
We look forward to getting to know your property. If you’re in the Hudson Valley, call us at 845-463-0592. If you’re in Westchester County, call 914-271-7996; from Connecticut, dial 203-212-4800; from New Jersey, dial 201-591-4570. Or, fill out our simple web form, and we’ll contact you about setting up your free consultation.