6 Commercial Lawn Care Services That Should Be Included in Your Contract

Imagine all the cool services you could have out on your commercial property:

• A hot dog cart
  
• Beard trimming
  
• An ice cream truck
  
• Free oil changes
  
• A golf swing coach

That all sounds great, but it won’t do much for your landscaping. In fact, think of all the grass-trampling extra foot traffic. Yikes.

What services do commercial lawn care companies provide — for real? 

Let’s focus on the Absolute Six lawn services to include in your contract — the top must-have services to keep your commercial property’s landscaping thriving. (And if we just reminded you that you could use an oil change and a beard trim, you’re welcome.)

1. Regular, Timely Mowings

This is where everybody’s eyes land first, right? On your healthy expanse of neatly mowed, emerald green lawn. It makes your whole property look good. 

Regular lawn mowing is a must — grass grows fast around here in Washington DC.

But there are a few tricks of the trade commercial lawn care companies use to ensure a clean, healthy cut.

The professionals know never to cut more than a third of the grass blades’ length in a single mowing. If you mow with the blade too low and shear off too much of the grass blades, you’re taking away nutrients stored there.

Taller grass can hold its own better against weeds, too, thanks to a larger root system and a higher tolerance for heat. It also shades the ground, allowing the soil to retain water more effectively.

2. Weed-And-Feed Applications

Weeds. Ugh.

Nothing wrecks the look of a lush lawn like weeds.

Sure, crabgrass, chickweed, and henbit have cute little animal names, but if allowed to spread, these weeds compete with your lawn for water, sunlight and important nutrients. 

They’ll happily take over your whole lawn, if you let them.

That’s why weed control plays a crucial role in commercial lawn care services. 

Weed control starts with crucial pre-emergent treatments to target weed seeds before they germinate, so pesky weeds don’t even have a chance to sprout.

But pre-emergent herbicides don’t catch everything. So commercial lawn care companies apply a liquid post-emergent weed killer, too. This targets broadleaf weeds like dandelions and those pervasive annual weeds, chickweed and henbit.

The “feed” part of “weed-and-feed” is fertilizer, giving your grass the important nutrients it needs to thrive. 

These treatments need to be done at the right times in favorable conditions, which can be a bit tricky. Using commercial lawn care services takes away the guesswork. 

In 2019, the Montgomery County Council passed a measure that bans the use of certain pesticides on private lawns, at childcare facilities, and playgrounds. The banned pesticides include widely-used products that control weeds, insects, and diseases, including popular “weed and feed” products. As similar bans are expected in other municipalities, a good commercial landscaping company can
help you navigate the uncertainty of changing regulations and the limitations they impose.

3. Plant Bed Maintenance for Wow-Worthy Beds

What services do commercial lawn care companies provide? Show-stopping flower beds that attract attention. 

Even if you have the best lawn on the street, if the planting beds bordering it are full of weeds and wilted flowers, that ruins the look fast. 

Regular attention to detail is key.

Commercial lawn care companies stay on top of things, adding fresh mulch annually, weeding, pruning shrubs, and replacing dead plants.

4. Insect Treatments to Banish Bugs

OK, this doesn’t sound too exciting, but pesky insects can really ruin your commercial property landscaping in a hurry.

Scale are sap-eating insects named for the scale or shell-like waxy covering that covers their bodies. They suck the sap from tree cells, then move on to munch the leaves.

Spider mites are so tiny you can barely see them. They live in colonies, mostly on the underside of plant leaves. They eat by piercing the leaves of your plants and sucking up the plant fluids.

Aphids feed by sucking the nutrient-rich liquids out of plants.
The result? Plant leaves turn yellow, curl and dry up, and fall off. Shoots and buds can wilt and wither. Trees and shrubs can die.

None of this is nearly as fun as hot dog carts and golf swing coaching. So commercial lawn care maintenance includes prevention and treatment to keep these tiny invaders at bay.
It can be tricky to identify damaging insects. They’re tiny. They hide under leaves. Their damage can look similar to assorted diseases. That makes a pro’s insight especially helpful. Commercial lawn care companies have the training and knowledge to detect exactly what’s going on out there, and fix it fast.

5. Irrigation Start Up And Winterization

What services do commercial lawn care companies provide? 

The crucial care that keeps your commercial property irrigation system from exploding. 
If that sounds pretty important, you’re right.

If you have an irrigation system in your landscape, be sure it’s properly cared for year round. Imagine turning it on during the heat of summer only to discover it’s not working. (We’ll pause for a minute while you imagine it. Even an on-site ice cream truck wouldn’t cheer you up, right? Well, maybe if they had Nutty Buddies.)

Regular irrigation inspections are everything. Commercial lawn care companies will check the water pressure, adjust spray heads, and make any needed repairs. Those fixes will make your system more efficient — which saves you money on your water bill.

Once cooler weather sets in, the number one priority is to get all the water out of the pipes, valves and sprinkler heads. If water freezes and expands, your pipes break, and that means a costly repair.

Before you grab your tool belt and start streaming YouTube videos, know this isn’t a task you can easily do yourself. You need commercial lawn care services with pro-level equipment and skills to blast all the water from your irrigation system.

6. Trash Pick-Up Keeps Things Tidy

Commercial lawn care companies call this “portering,” which is a nice way of saying removing unsightly trash from your property.

The greenest lawn and most bountiful flower beds are spoiled by wayward candy wrappers and ratty plastic shopping bags.

Hire professionals to visit your property once or twice a week year-round to clear ugly trash and keep your property looking neat and tidy.

Total Commercial Lawn Maintenance in DC, Maryland & Virginia: Level Green Has You Covered

You probably already know where to get a great hot dog, and let’s pretend your golf swing is absolute perfection. 
 
But if you don’t have skilled, attentive, trustworthy commercial lawn care services, your commercial property is doomed. 

Take a look at your commercial landscape maintenance contract. Does it include all the lawn care services your commercial property needs? 

Our experts will make sure your contract includes all the essentials.

If you’re not already a Level Green Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers.

Our focus is on commercial properties like offices, mixed-use sites, HOAs, municipalities and institutions in Maryland, Washington DC and parts of Virginia.

Contact us at 202-544-0968. You can also request a free consultation online to meet with us one-on-one.

We’d love to hear from you.