6 Fall Cleanup Tips to Maintain Your Commercial Property

Although keeping your commercial property clean and organized is always important, it is natural to neglect this job occasionally when you get busy with other responsibilities.

However, there are certain times of the year when it is even more essential than usual to put extra attention and energy into cleaning up your commercial property. One of these times is autumn. Putting the right amount of work into cleaning during the fall will set into motion a triumphant spring return for your property’s landscaping.

Not only will adequately cleaning up your commercial property in the fall give the space a facelift and significantly improve its overall appearance, but it will also have a number of other positive effects.

For instance, your cleanup effort could help protect your plants, mitigate winter damage (including possible flooding), and reduce weed pressure in the spring. Therefore, cleaning up can function as a preventative measure, saving you time and money spent on unnecessary damage that could otherwise occur.

Helpful Tips for Maintaining Your Commercial Property in the Fall

The benefits of cleaning up commercial property in the fall are clear, but where should you start? Cleaning such a space typically involves a multi-step process, and each part of this process is essential. 

The following are some of the most significant steps that should be included in your fall commercial property cleanup:

1. Leaf Removal

One of the main factors that stand in the way of a polished appearance in the fall is an abundance of leaves on the ground. Although seeing beautifully coloured leaves everywhere is undeniably one of the best parts of the season, it can become a major hassle once they all start to drop. Depending on the weather and the types of trees on or near your property, you may find large bursts of leaves falling at different points throughout the season.

It’s important to consistently spot-clean leaves on your property to prevent them from piling up, which can now be made easy by our zero-turn mower BOSS-Vac collection system attachment. Your last leaf cleanup of the season should also include a good mowing of the property to catch any remaining debris. If leaves are left on the ground throughout the winter, they will suffocate the turf, leading to dead spots in the spring.

2. Practice Good Lawn Care

It is common for weed seed germination to occur in the fall. This leads to an abundance of weeds growing in the spring, so fall is the perfect time to apply granular pre-emergent fertilizers to your commercial property’s lawn. Following this with another application of pre-emergent fertilizer in the spring will give you the best chance of avoiding major springtime weed problems. 

For a thicker turf once the snow melts in the spring, you should also overseed the lawn throughout September and October, followed by one more seed application in early December to strengthen the root system. Also, pay attention to the growth of your grass and continue mowing it until this growth stops towards the end of the season.

3. Aerate Your Grass

Over time, it is natural for soil to become compacted as a result of people walking on it and due to natural causes like erosion. When it becomes too compacted, it is harder for your turf to breathe, making it increasingly difficult for nutrients and water to reach the roots.

This is why core aeration is essential in the fall. By removing small plugs of soil and roots, you can loosen the soil and revive your grass. This kind of aeration will also make fertilization more effective, allowing any fertilizer to reach the turf roots and take effect.

4. Turn Over Your Mulch

If you have garden beds or other parts of your commercial property that are covered in mulch after being exposed to heavy rainfall in the spring and the bright sun all summer, you will likely notice the wood chips losing some of their colour and brightness.

Rather than completely replacing this mulch, you can extend the lifetime of your current mulch by simply giving it a good turn over. Fall is the perfect time for this reset, and you can turn over your mulch with a standard shovel, pitchfork, or rake.

5. Prune Your Trees And Shrubs

Another important part of your fall cleanup should involve trimming shrubs and trees to protect them during the winter. The timing of when certain trees and shrubs should be pruned varies from one species to another. Thus, make sure to have a solid understanding of when to undertake this task with the plants on your property or enlist the services of a professional.

6. Plant Fall Flowers And Spring Bulbs

One of the best ways to enhance the overall aesthetic of your commercial property is through beautiful colourful flowers. In the fall, there are many options to choose from, including mums and fall pansies, which you can plant in early autumn and enjoy throughout the season.

Fall is also the time when you should start planting spring bulbs, as you need to get them in the ground before it freezes. Then, once the snow melts in spring, your property will be covered in bursts of colour.

How Oaken Equipment Can Help You With Commercial Property Maintenance

Before you begin a commercial property cleanup, the first necessary step is having the right equipment for the job. After all, good-quality lawn care is only possible when you have access to good-quality equipment.

If you require lawn care equipment, such as Bobcat lawn mowers in Ontario, Oaken Equipment can help meet all of your needs by providing consistently high-quality machinery that will pave the way to better maintenance outcomes. 

We are Canada’s largest Bobcat equipment dealer network, and we are proud to stand behind our equipment, as we fully believe Bobcat is an industry leader. In addition to the wide range of heavy equipment that Bobcat produces, they also have some of the best mowers on the market, many of which we stock in our stores. Our Bobcat equipment experts can help you find the exact machines to best serve your needs as you prepare to clean up your commercial property this fall.

For more information about the Bobcat lawn mowers in Ontario that we have for sale or to learn about the other lawn care equipment we have in stock, call Oaken Equipment at 1-888-861-1447 or contact us here.