Are you wondering how to revive your commercial property’s dying lawn this spring? Spring is back, but your commercial landscape isn’t boasting that inviting green you imagined. Instead, your turf is dead (or looking pretty lackluster), and it’s making your property look dreary.

What’s causing a lot of the damage? Southeastern Pennsylvanian landscapes suffered turf destruction from the record-breaking rainfalls in 2018, and the large increase of downpours has yet to cease.

Revive your turf in a few simple steps, to achieve the beautiful, lush growth you desire.

Start with a Soil Test

Before you start treating your commercial property’s lawn, you have to know what caused it to wither in the first place. Begin your troubleshooting process with a soil test, which can determine the PH and asses if your soil is too acidic or alkaline, as well as reveal what important minerals and micronutrients your turf might be lacking or retaining in excess.

From there, a landscape expert can “prescribe” the right treatment to get your lawn back to health. Sometimes, the fix is simple. Winter salt damage can often cause yellowing grass with high sodium levels, and a thorough flush with water might do the trick. Other times, it might be something more severe, like long-term damage from over-fertilizing, and you’ll need some expert care.

We can’t stress enough the importance of taking care of your soil, as it’s where your turf gets its nutrients to prosper. Rich soil is drought tolerant, disease resistant and can save your company time and money by needing less maintenance. Learn more about the benefits of caring for your soil— the right way.

Look for Water Damage

During the wintertime in Pennsylvania, weather can be erratic. In fact, 2018 brought large influxes of rain to counties all across PA, and the elevated rainfall is not predicted to decrease for 2019. We’re seeing about an additional month’s worth of rain per year, said Steve Seman, Penn State assistant teaching professor of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science.

Temperatures can reach freezing for days in a row, and then shoot back up again— fluctuating greatly at times. During these especially wet winter months, many lawns suffer from water and ice damage.

Your property’s turf can freeze and rupture its crown (an occurrence called crown hydration), have water sapped away from its roots and die of thirst (cold desiccation) or develop snow mold as the result of moisture and ice. With many of these turf issues, the only remedy is to reseed and plant new grass. That’s not the best news, but you can take time to improve your irrigation systems for next year, so your landscape has proper drainage moving forward.

Aerate Your Soil

Oftentimes during the winter, your soil can become quite compact. Foot traffic and heavy snow are often the culprits, and aeration can loosen up your grass’ base to better absorb nutrients. Aerating involves creating little holes in your soil, so that water, minerals, and oxygen can get to your roots.

Aeration is commonly paired with overseeding, as the small holes create the perfect pockets to nestle seeds. This layer of seeds can help thicken sparse lawns and give them that full, healthy look many seek for their corporate landscapes.

Lay Down Fertilizer

Springtime is the perfect period to give your turf a well-needed boost of rich nutrients. Once a month until summer, lay down a layer of granular fertilizer, which will slowly release nutrients that get absorbed your soil (not just through your grass blades), and offer longer-term results than a liquid fertilizer.

Not sure what fertilizer to use? The results of your soil test will tell you what your landscape needs. Or, leave it up to the professionals.

Recall How You Prepared Last Fall

Even the best-prepared landscape over the fall can suffer from turf damage during a harsh Pennsylvania winter. However, there are a few things you can do to gear up.

Did you do anything to winterize your commercial landscape before the cold weather hit last season? If you fertilized and ended your last mow right (check out our linked blog to see what this means), then your turf is less likely to have problems come spring. Remember, it’s a lot easier to prevent turf damage than it is to remedy it. Next year, consult some landscape professionals about how to best prep for the cold to help promise a thriving turf come spring.

Is this a Job for the Professionals?

Commercial landscapes can be quite grand and can require quite a few hands just to maintain— nevermind dealing with yellowing or brown grass and revive your dying commercial property’s turf.

Find the right landscape company for your property by seeking turf care experts with these five qualities.

Here at C. Caramanico & Sons, Inc. we’ve created vibrant outdoor spaces for universities, malls and more. Request your commercial property assessment, today.