7 Must-Have Line Items in Your Commercial Landscape Maintenance Proposal

Michael Hatcher

Feb 21, 2020 2:00:00 PM

If you’re a property manager, your commercial landscape maintenance proposal can be your secret best friend.

The kind of best friend who makes your life better, never lets you down, and makes you look good.

When you’re looking for commercial landscape companies in Memphis, TN and Northern MS, pay attention to their commercial landscape maintenance proposal.

You need to be ready for anything, including a surprise visit from the boss.

The key is making sure you have all the services you need — and a landscape company that does everything right.

Download The 2021 Commercial Property Trends Report

Jim Williams, director of sales and relationships for the commercial maintenance division at Michael Hatcher & Associates, shares his seven must-have items in a commercial landscape maintenance proposal.

Your Commercial Landscape Maintenance Proposal: The Top 7

 

1. Spring Clean-up

Yay, spring! Consider spring clean-up a celebration of this fresh new season — and a chance to enhance your curb appeal after the ravages of winter.

Commercial landscaping spring clean-up

Winter left your landscape with a bit of a mess. 

There are leaves, weeds, fallen twigs and branches to remove, as well as any unsightly litter.

Getting rid of this winter yuck spruces up your property, but it’s good for your landscape’s health, too. 

  • Lingering soggy debris can attract pests, cause mold, and smother your lawn, blocking the air and sunlight it needs to thrive.
  • It’s time to cut back perennials to tidy things up and allow for the proper air circulation and sunlight these plants need.
  • Edging makes your plant beds look neat and tidy. 
  • Hungry plants and shrubs need a good feeding now, along with pre-emergent herbicide to ward off annual weeds.

Plan on bi-weekly or monthly site visits to prepare your landscape for the growing season.

2. Mowing Services 

Your commercial landscape maintenance proposal should include professional mowing every seven days to keep your lawn neat and tidy.

commercial- lawn care technician mowing

It’s one of those first-impression necessities that shows your property is well maintained.

An overgrown, scalped, or grass-clipping-filled lawn just makes your property look terrible.

3. Pruning and Trimming 

Don’t neglect routine pruning and trimming of trees, shrubs, and ground covers.

commercial landscaping technician pruning shrubs

Why get regular pruning? So many reasons.

It keeps your trees and shrubs happy and healthy. 

Promptly pruning out broken or diseased branches keeps them from tumbling to the ground later, which can be dangerous for passers-by. 

And when crews give your trees and shrubs regular attention, they can keep their eyes open for any insect or disease problems that should be caught early.

4. Turf and Bed Programs (Weed, Feed, Insect Control)

This vital trio is a must have in your commercial landscape maintenance proposal.

commercial landscaping technician spraying lawn

Weed Control 

Weeds compete with your lawn for water, sunlight, and important nutrients. 

Not only that, they look terrible, making your property look neglected and untidy.

Pre-emergent zaps weeds before they can sprout, while post-emergent jumps in to banish any that sneak through.

Control Treatments to Keep Pesky Bugs at Bay

A host of damaging insects, from aphids to grubs to mites, can harm your lawn, wreck your trees, and munch your plants and flowers down to the stems.

The right pest control at the right times can save your landscaping. 

Fertilizer Treatments  

Your grass needs nutrients to thrive.

Fertilizing is a year-round process, but it starts in the spring, to jump start your turf with the nutrition it needs to get going. 

Trees, shrubs, and ground covers need their dose of nutrients, too.

5. Irrigation Management

Irrigation is one of those things that’s easy to take for granted. Turn it on, and water comes out.

Irrigation system spraying commercial property

Until it doesn't. Then, you panic.

Avoid the stress by including irrigation management in your commercial landscape maintenance proposal.

This includes proper start-up and shut-down procedures for backflow devices and irrigation lines and monthly service checks to make sure your irrigation system is covering every inch of your landscaping and running just right.

Irrigation technicians will check the water pressure and adjust spray heads as needed to make sure you’re not wasting water.

Once colder weather moves in, it’s important to get all the water out of your irrigation system’s valves, pipes, and sprinkler heads. If water freezes and expands, your pipes break. Avoid that expensive repair.

6. Leaf Removal

Heavy, wet leaves can suffocate your turf and encourage disease.

Commercial landscaping leaf removal

Pedestrians can slip on wet leaves.

And piles of leaves just look like a mess, giving the impression your place is neglected.

Get them out of there. 

Be sure your contract calls for bi-weekly or monthly services to remove leaves, trash, and debris from your landscape.

7. Mulch

Don’t get us started on the greatness of mulch. We love the stuff. 

commercial landscape plant bed with mulch

  • It helps your soil retain moisture, keeping your plants happy without a lot of watering.
  • It keeps weeds from sprouting as easily as they do in bare soil.
  • It prevents rain from washing away your landscape soil.
  • A fresh, rich layer of mulch makes your property look like a million bucks. 
  • As it breaks down, it actually nourishes your soil, making it better and more packed with good nutrients than before.

A commercial landscape maintenance proposal without mulch is like, well, we can’t imagine one. 

Rest Easy with a Commercial Landscape Maintenance Proposal from Hatcher 

When you’re looking for 

commercial landscape companies in Memphis, TN and Northern MS, zero in on your commercial landscape maintenance proposal must haves.

Get those in place, and you can set your landscape maintenance worries aside and focus on the rest of your lengthy to-do list.

  • Mowed lawn? Check.
  • Irrigation system running great? Check.
  • Trees trimmed? Check.
  • Magnificent mulch? Checkity check.
  • You get the idea. Everything’s under control.
Download the commercial property trends report

Are you ready to see how the right commercial landscape maintenance proposal can make your job easier? Talk to one of our commercial landscaping experts today! We’ll meet at your property, create a custom plan, and get you on your way to enjoying a beautiful, worry-free property.

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Michael Hatcher

Written by Michael Hatcher

Michael Hatcher is Founder and Chairman of Michael Hatcher & Associates.