Comprehensive Grounds Management for Apartment Communities

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Successful Maintenance Programs Address the Whole Property
By Mike Swaggerty, Orlando Branch Manager for Nanak's Landscaping

There are many details to consider when it comes to keeping your grounds in top condition. After all, most apartment communities have a wide variety of trees, shrubs and lawn areas; flower and mulch beds in all sizes, shapes and kinds; and recreation areas to be cared for. Each of these areas needs ongoing maintenance in order to look their best throughout the year. When you think of your property as a living, growing investment, it makes sense to enhance it with professional grounds management that will keep it growing in beauty and value for years to come. This includes both lawn and landscape maintenance programs through each season of the year. Below are some suggestions from Nanak's Landscaping to make sure you've got your bases covered.  

Lawn Maintenance

Having beautiful, healthy turf requires a carefully designed program of care that addresses each and every aspect of the lawn's health and growth needs. In addition to regular mowing and watering, and depending on your specific grass type, your lawn maintenance program may include the following:

• Fertilization: The proper fertilizer for your soil and grass type needs to be applied in the right amounts and at the right times of year. For example, Augustine grass needs to be fertilized four times per year, while Bahia grass needs fertilizing twice per year. (New, drought-tolerant turf varieties such as Empire Zoysia and Seaside Paspalum require less water and fertilizer.) Applied correctly, fertilizer will improve both the color and density of your lawn areas, making them less prone to weeds, insects and other pests.

• Weed Control: Through the use of pre-emergent and post-emergent applications, weeds can be controlled before they have a chance to overrun the health and beauty of your lawn areas.

• Insect and Disease Control: Regular inspections and effective treatments can be used to control lawn insects before they have a chance to inflict any long-term damage. Lawns are susceptible to hundreds of harmful fungus diseases, too. A healthy, growing lawn is the best defense, but if fungus diseases do appear in your turf, steps should be taken to keep them under control. Please note: Having Florida State Certified Pest Control Operators provide these services is not only recommended, but it's required by law. These individuals are trained to deliver the most effective pest control available in a manner that is safe for your residents and the environment.

• Renovation Practice: When necessary, core aeration, top dressing and other renovation practices can be used to repair or rejuvenate a lawn that is struggling due to heat and drought stress or other adverse conditions.  

Landscape Maintenance

Every community association/ HOA has unique needs when it comes to landscape maintenance, and developing an effective plan for your property requires a thorough evaluation of your landscape to determine what services are necessary. Depending on your property's specific requirements, you should expect some or all of the following to be included in your landscape maintenance plan:

• Tree and Shrub Fertilization: Regular fertilization will strengthen the root systems of your trees and shrubs, leading to increased vigor, better blooming, and improved resistance to insects and diseases.

• Tree and Shrub Pruning: Your palm trees should be trimmed once per year during the dormant season.

In addition, your ornamental trees and shrubs need regular pruning and trimming to encourage healthier growth and to help them maintain a more pleasing appearance. Pruning can also be used to decrease the chances of storm damage to your valuable landscape plants.

• Tree and Shrub Insect/Disease Control: This may include horticultural oils, foliar spray applications or trunk injections as needed to keep harmful insects or diseases at bay. Again, Florida State Certified Pest Control Operators are a must.

• Floral Care: Flowers can be changed out as the seasons change to ensure that your property always has a fresh look. Potted specimens and even hanging baskets can be maintained as well.

• General Care: This usually includes mulching, edging, bed weeding and property clean-up throughout the seasons.

• Emergency Services: This includes fast response when needed, such as when a fallen tree needs to be removed after a bad storm.

Irrigation System Maintenance

This is especially important now considering the drought conditions we've been experiencing. With watering restrictions in place throughout the state of Florida, water management programs are more critical than ever. Your irrigation system should be programmed to operate within your county's specific watering guidelines. Regular inspections and repairs are necessary to ensure efficient operation and that timers are working properly. And to decrease water waste, your system should be able to deliver different amounts of water to different plants based on their specific needs.

What Next?

The above service listings are intended to give you a starting point in the development of a comprehensive grounds management plan that will keep your lawn and landscape looking great year-round. The next step is to choose a reputable grounds management company that can meet your specific needs. During your search, you'll want to take into consideration each provider's licensing and insurance, years of experience, breadth of services and crew management style. Consider also:

• Careful Attention to Key Areas: Entryways, office areas and amenity areas such as pools and clubhouses see the most foot traffic. Make sure that your contractor can keep these areas looking great at all times. Model homes are critical too, since well-maintained landscaping in these areas will help to enhance your property's overall curb appeal.

• Communication with Maintenance Personnel and Onsite Management: The grounds management contractor you choose should be willing to communicate with your maintenance and onsite management staff to make sure that planting materials and building areas are able to coexist peacefully. Clear communication is essential to ensuring that a building maintenance project doesn't interfere with a landscaped area and vice versa. Regular attendance at Board meetings by a grounds maintenance contractor representative is a great way to keep the lines of communication open.

• Resident Relations: Grounds management staffs need to be able to interact with residents in a friendly, knowledgeable manner. If a resident asks for specific work to be done, the crew member should be able to communicate with the appropriate committee to make sure a work order gets generated.

• Safety Training: What kind of safety training program does the grounds management contractor offer? Thorough safety training ensures that nobody – your staff, your residents and grounds management staff included – suffers an injury as a result of work being done on your property.

With a grounds management plan that addresses the needs of your entire property, you'll be presenting your community association/HOA in the best light possible. Not only will this help to keep your current residents happy, but it will improve potential residents' first impressions of your property.

That's an investment worth making.   

Joni Luce, Nanak's Landscaping, is a member of the FAA Product Service Council.