Sometimes, your commercial landscaping just gets away from you.
We see it all the time. Property managers have a lot on their plates. Problems are often sneaky.
Maybe your irrigation system turns on faithfully — including right after it rains.
Tree branches seem to have a mind of their own, snagging passers-by and growing into the sides of buildings.
Don't worry — it’s not just you. Here’s a look at five of the most common landscaping problems. The good news? We know exactly how to fix them.
Drainage
It’s easy to put your property’s drainage issues on the back burner. Don’t wait until your shoes make a squishing noise when you walk.
One thing we see all the time: downspouts draining directly onto walkways. No big deal, right? It’s just a little water. Until it turns into ice.
Remember how often water can freeze and thaw here in Idaho? That dripping water can easily become a dangerous slick of ice, and a serious hazard to pedestrians on your property.
Landscaping drainage problems show up in other areas of your property, too. Are the puddles in your parking lot so big you should rent out kayaks? Are there soggy, sunken areas in your landscape?
Our water management experts can diagnose your drainage problem and offer the best solution to fix it.
Irrigation And Mowing Timing
It’s tempting to water at night, if your commercial property clears out by the evening. But that’s not the healthiest time to water plants. When water lingers on your grass and plants overnight, diseases can move in.
Early morning is ideal for watering. The sun isn’t strong enough yet to evaporate the water droplets. The wind is typically calmer, which means the water goes where you want it to, instead of blowing around.
Bonus: water early, before your customers arrive, and you don't have to worry about dousing them with the spray. They’ll appreciate that.
Same thing goes for mowing. Plan to have your commercial property maintained in the early morning, if possible, so customers don't arrive in the middle of your lawn maintenance.
Tree Pruning
You might consider tree pruning one of those services you can live without. It’s OK to skip it, right, and save a bit of money?
There’s more to pruning than you might think.
Pruning is important early on in a tree’s life so it can grow into a healthy, stable, well-shaped tree.
Skip pruning at crucial times in a tree’s growth and you could end up with a tree that’s misshapen, susceptible to disease or growing into buildings or other structures. Worse case scenario: you lose the tree.
Pruning matters.
Snow Removal
All that snow has to go somewhere. Before you have more on your hands than you know what to do with, plan ahead for adequate snow storage. Too much snow blocks your parking lots, costs you extra money in snow hauling fees and leads to property damage when snow is pushed and stacked into the wrong places — like over curbs. It’s one of the most common landscaping problems.
Provide access to areas where plows can push snow through. Or install rolled curbs to prevent damage and allow your contractor to stack more snow on site — saving both you and your contractor money.
Smart Irrigation
It’s pouring rain and somebody’s automatic sprinkler system is faithfully spray, spray, spraying away. We've all seen it.
Not smart. So get smarter.
If you're metered on your water usage, and you’re wasting water, you're wasting money. It's that simple.
The answer? Smart irrigation.
Today’s irrigation systems offer rain sensors that know not to water when it’s raining and your lawn is getting watered for free. These smart irrigation controllers also know enough to turn off automatically when a line breaks.
They do the thinking, so you don't have to — saving you money along the way.
Too pricey, you say? You can spend as little as $400 for this peace of mind.
Outback Has Solutions To All Your Landscaping Problems
At Outback Landscape, we love solving the peskiest commercial landscaping problems. It gives us a chance to show off our expertise.
We offer landscape design, construction, maintenance, irrigation and lighting services to enhance your property — and solve all those issues holding your landscaping back.
We serve residential and commercial properties in Idaho Falls, Rexburg and Pocatello, Idaho, as well as Bonneville, Madison and Bannock counties.
Call us at 208-656-3220. Or fill out the contact form to schedule a no-obligation meeting with one of our team members.
We’d love to hear from you.
