While it’s very true that your company’s brand, your reputation, and more all have a direct impact on success in your field, there are other influential factors that are easy to overlook. A perfect example of this is in the curb appeal of your property.
Believe it or not, the way that your store, office, or other commercial property looks will indeed have a direct influence on the way that potential business associates or customers perceive your business – and could even impact whether or not they choose to do business with you.
With that in mind, commercial landscaping is obviously something that deserves plenty of attention from any business leader. However, just what you need to do with a property will depend on a lot of different things. First among them is your overall goal, and knowing what kind of appearance you want to convey is the first step you’ll need to take.
But there are different commercial landscaping steps that need to be taken during different seasons, and as the weather begins to cool, South Carolina business or commercial property owners will need to pay attention to which can have significant impact on curb appeal and the overall appearance of their space. Here are some key steps that are worth taking during the fall and winter months.
- Manage Leaves – Leaves can pile up quickly, creating not only an eyesore but a safety hazard. Be sure to properly manage them – blowing them away, bagging them, adding them to a mulch bin, and so on. It can be a consistent process throughout the fall, but one that is well worth doing to maintain the best appearance for any commercial space.
- Maintain Hardscapes – Hardscapes are an easily overlooked aspect of commercial landscaping, but they deserve attention as well. Power washing them ensures that they keep their appearance as intended, and the fall is also an excellent time to perform any needed repairs or maintenance on things like retaining walls, walkways, stone features, and so on.
- Prune Trees and Shrubs – The fall and winter is the best time to prune and trim trees and shrubs. No matter the species, South Carolina trees are much more likely to survive pruning during this time with no ill effects done to the plant. You still need an experienced, professional landscaper to ensure that proper pruning techniques are used, but there’s no doubt that this is the best time of year to complete this step.
- Aerate and Overseed Grass Lawns – Lawns are also deserving of attention. During the fall and winter, it’s the perfect time to aerate them to promote better oxygenation of the soil and encourage new growth. And overseeding helps ensure that growth occurs in the spring. The milder South Carolina winters mean that the seeds won’t be damaged, and as the weather warms new grass will sprout.
- Mulch – Adding mulch around plants helps to keep flower beds and trees looking their best, and also improves the health of the plants around them. It encourages warmer ground, maintains proper moisture levels, and also makes sure that flowers and plants look great throughout the colder months. Blooms may not be present, but the mulch maintains a professional appearance.
- Prepare Water Features – While freezing temperatures aren’t as common in the South Carolina area as in some other locations, it’s still a good idea to take steps to winterize water features and ensure that potential freezing temps don’t end up leaving them damaged in any way. A commercial landscaping expert can help ensure that your water features are protected.
- Plant – The winter and fall are also excellent times to plant new shrubs and trees. Choose hardier species and plant them where desired, then maintain them with proper watering and fertilization throughout the rest of the year. This helps encourage the best level of growth and helps improve their survival chances. Plus, in the spring, your new plants will blossom and add a surprising new color show to the property.
- Monitor and Maintain – Finally, just focusing on basic maintenance steps is important as well. Monitoring the weather and the condition of all landscaping is important throughout all of the year. Warmer falls may require additional watering or fertilization, for example. In addition to all the steps above, it’s important to continue to maintain landscaping as normal wherever it might be needed – no matter the season.
The bottom line is simple – while things like mowing, weeding, and watering are vital throughout the hot months of the year there is still much to be done for commercial landscaping as the weather cools down. Fall and winter have their own share of landscaping steps that should be taken, and understanding them is important for keeping your commercial properties looking great throughout the year.
