With spring fast approaching, cities need to start preparing their landscaping for the new season of renewal and regrowth. From maintenance to new installation, here are some of the landscaping municipal services your city might need before spring.
Why Winter is the Best Time to Prepare Landscaping
We still have some time in the winter to get everything ready for spring, and there are a variety of reasons why starting municipal landscaping services in the spring is too late. So what benefits does winter offer landscape maintenance? What season is best to do landscaping? Well, winter is perhaps the best bet. Let’s explore a few reasons why winter is a good time for landscaping services in your city.
Dormancy
For one, winter means that plants and trees are in their dormant stage. While dormant, plants and trees are easier to observe and trim. For arborists, being able to see the limbs of trees unobstructed by leaves is important. They can better assess the health of a tree and determine if there are limbs that call for removal or possible spots that disease or pests may have entered or may enter in the future.
So, what part of winter is best? It’s late winter, almost universally. Trimming trees too early can cause tree wounds to dry out rather than heal naturally, so making sure temperatures are low but not too low is important. Other plants (like many shrubs) should be covered during the coldest months, making midwinter too early for uncovering them. It’s also hard to plant (or plan to plant) new trees or plants when the ground is still frozen. In late winter, that frost has cleared up, making digging much easier.
Irrigation System Installation
Late winter is the perfect time to have an irrigation system maintained, or have a new one installed to support a municipal landscape. Moisture is important for plants and trees even in the winter, so cities may find themselves needing to use irrigation during the colder months if the area remains dry. Drought can happen anytime, even in the winter. A winterized, well-calibrated irrigation system can be ready for winter whenever to make sure that the proper moisture level is maintained to support local municipal services.
It’s also possible to install a sprinkler system in the winter, and it’s best to have it done before spring is in full swing. Waiting until the ground is easy to dig in is important, so late winter works best for installs as well. If there’s snow on the ground, cities are going to be waiting a bit longer for installation. City or not, earlier is better. Don’t hesitate to schedule an installation early, because when it comes down to the last minute, things get hectic! Get the jump on spring watering and install your sprinkler system this winter.
Winter Cleaning
Even the most skilled landscaper cannot pluck every dead leaf from a tree to make sure it doesn’t fall once fall cleanup is over. Stubborn trees like maples can sometimes hold onto leaves until well into winter, and it’s only then that you’ve got a second leaf cleanup ahead of you. That’s true for municipal spaces like parks as well. Leaf removal is a lot easier in the dry winter months than the wet spring season. Other landscaping services like brush clearing are a lot easier when the leaves aren’t there to get in the way and take up space. Having easier access to small trees and other bothersome weedy plants in need of clearing makes brush cleanup much simpler in the winter. It’s important to keep in mind when clearing brush and weeds that poison ivy can still cause a rash even without its leaves. It pays to have professional help, from the little things like brush clearing and mulching all the way up to tree removal.
Tree Inventories
Tree inventorying is a large part of any municipal landscaping services. Tree inventories start basic, with a count of trees and a breakdown of different types of trees, but things don’t stop there. Arborists can use tree inventories to determine optimal pollination positions, disease risk, opportunities for new trees, and a variety of other important landscape maintenance musts. Cutting down dead or diseased trees is also best done in the winter. Without leaves, trees can be cut down in segments much more easily. Rather than felling a tree whole, cutting a tree down in segments can be safer and much lower risk to the surrounding trees and vegetation, structures, or powerlines. Having an insured, experienced tree service remove your trees or dead limbs is critical for your safety and the safety of those around you. Damaged power lines and roofs can be fixed, but human lives are irreplaceable. There is a great deal of danger in cutting down trees, so leave it to the professionals.
Municipal Landscaping Quality for You
With all this knowledge of how municipal landscaping services get things done in the winter in preparation for spring, you might be wondering: how do I prepare my landscaping for spring? Well, if you live in the Nashville area, we can help. From sprawling multi-acre parks to a single backyard, our landscaping professionals at The Parke Company are skilled, efficient, and willing to go the extra mile. Whether you need a new irrigation system installed, a tree inventory of your own, or just re-mulching, we can help you this winter. Don’t try the hard stuff on your own, and know that the professionals you hire via the Parke Company have the ability to tackle even large-scale projects.
The Parke Company supports many local municipalities with landscaping maintenance and services all year round. The winter season is an important time for upkeep, cleaning, and even new work. City park or backyard, we’re here to help. If you’re ready to explore the comprehensive services we can offer, give The Parke Company a call today.