Mark your calendars – the first day of spring is March 20th! In preparation, the Denver lawn care experts at Swingle want to share these 3 spring landscaping tips for property managers to enhance the appearance of their commercial lawn and landscape.
Tip #1: Rake your lawn to protect from snow mold
Snow mold is a fungal disease that usually appears in early spring after a particularly snowy winter. Snow mold occurs when snow falls on unfrozen turf grass and remains on the grass for an extended period of time – compacting the blades.
The first symptom of snow mold that you will notice on your commercial property is straw colored patches in your lawn that are anywhere between 3 to 12 inches in diameter.
One of the most important things you can do to prevent snow mold from occurring is to have your maintenance crew rake your lawn as soon as the snow finally melts. Doing so will break up the matted down patches of turf grass, which allows the grass to breathe and discourages fungal development.
Although snow mold is likely to go away on its own, there is a chance that patches of your lawn could die and seeding or sodding would be necessary.
Tip #2: Keep an eye out for Lawn Mites
Lawn mites can cause significant damage to your lawn and can become a nightmare come spring. The first sign of mite damage you will see are small yellow specks on your lawn. If left untreated, you will begin to see dead patches emerging.
Watering your lawn over the winter (when it’s dry) will help keep the mites at bay. Pay special attention to hot spots around trees, evergreens, sloped areas, south, and west facing areas of your lawn that receive direct sun. These areas are more prone to quick water evaporation, which increases the likelihood mites will attack.
Swingle offers a lawn mite control program that’s composed of monthly applications over the course of the dryer fall, winter, and spring periods.The combination of our mite reduction program and winter watering is an effective solution to preventing lawn mites.
Tip #3: Watering your trees is critical during winter
Deep root watering is essential in Colorado’s semi-arid climate for both trees and shrubs. Insufficient watering causes stress to shrubs and plants, rendering them more susceptible to insects and disease later in the season.
A lack of moisture can also cause trees to drop their leaves or needles, causing an unhealthy and unattractive appearance.
Many assume that the moisture from snowfall accumulations, and their eventual melting, will be sufficient enough to keep trees and shrubs healthy and hydrated during the cold winter months. What’s unknown however, is the driest months in Colorado are November through February.
Supplemental watering ensures trees and shrubs receive the needed amount of water to stay vibrant, healthy and beautiful.
Your landscape can improve your property’s value, improve employee morale and productivity, influence tenant retention and even help attract visitors. Let these 3 spring landscaping tips for property managers contribute to your properties signature appearance.
Schedule your free property analysis today.
