How to rock commercial site maintenance

Details

I love commercial site maintenance. The service days and times are flexible and you don’t have to deal with Mrs. Smith staring at you and accosting you with weird requests.

The landscape should look nice for people visiting the businesses but, overall, the standard isn’t as high as on some residential complexes. This is why it’s easy to get caught up in bi-weekly mow-blow-go operations where you quickly attend to the basics and move on.

And then, one day, you start noticing lots of details, like I did this past weekend. Let’s take a look.

Pin Oaks

Pin oak (Quercus palustris) is a common tree species in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Mowing, I noticed branches developing low on the main trunk which isn’t ideal. We don’t really want branches developing this low because they interfere with sight lines and with my mowing. So, I finally took out my hand saw and took out all of the offenders I could reach. Later in the year I will bring a pole saw for the ones I couldn’t reach.

Eliminate the dead

Eliminating dead plants was another overdue project so I brought a chainsaw this time; and I flush cut the shrubs. If the owners want to replant them I can always dig up the stumps.

Take a look, are you inspired? I didn’t think so. And this is a high-profile corner.

I actually think this looks fine because the laurels will grow and fill-in the space.

Sharp edges

I love sharp edges made with a blade edger. Considering how dry the landscape is in early September, this edging job will hold for weeks. It’s especially important for stepping stones which can get covered over with grass very quickly. Same with metal covers and drains. Don’t let them disappear.

Don’t ignore weeds

The only excuse for having large weeds by the entrance to a business is that the service is bi-weekly and it follows a rotation. But still, you should always check for weeds. Never let them flower or, even worse, produce seeds.

Easy!

Commercial landscape maintenance can be easy, almost like autopilot, but often there are details to attend to. Like the ones discussed above. So take a good look before you drive off and make notes for your next visit.