The primary goal of most commercial landscapers is to create a clean space in which people can work. In that sense, a good landscaping job means there is no division between grounds and buildings, and the plant life is maintained and kept just as clean as the indoor spaces. More important than appearances, the landscaping needs to create a safe space for tenants to enjoy. While landscaping is seldom regarded as dangerous, it can pose real safety threat to people when left unattended. Shrubs growing into roadways or pathways, falling branches and obscured areas all pose safety risks. Fortunately, these risks are all avoidable when diagnosed and treated early.
Rejuvenation Pruning
Trees, bushes and shrubs grow on their terms. Without human intervention, they will take on varying shapes and sizes over time, some of which can endanger neighboring plants. Unfettered growth can lead to crowded branches intercepting sunlight the lower lying shrubs around it need to survive. How do you solve this issue? One way would be rejuvenation pruning. The goal of rejuvenation pruning is to continually remove old and overgrown limbs in order to promote the regrowth of stronger healthier limbs in their place. It’s a strategy that plays out in phases over long periods of time with the end result being a happier healthier landscape – something everyone wants.
The 3 Ds
A good way to figure out which branches need to come down is by starting with the 3 Ds. The Ds in question stand for dead, diseased and dying branches. Whether you realize it, you’re already familiar with these. In Atlanta, you see them on the ground after rain storms or wind spells. Sometimes they just fall unprovoked, and often from great heights, posing a legitimate safety concern for people underneath. Heavier healthy branches over pedestrian walkways can also pose a threat, but should be remedied with less invasive reinforcement like cabling. Addressing these issues first is essential as they often represent the largest safety risk to pedestrians.
Ongoing Maintenance Leads to Healthier Plants
The most important thing to realize is that tree and facility landscaping is part of an ongoing strategy geared at keeping everything healthy and safe. Understanding your plants, the time of year, rate of regrowth and lifecycle all work to inform on how to best treat your danger areas. If you’re at all unsure regarding your trimming schedule, feel free to contact us at 404-352-9393 and we’d be more than happy send out a landscaping professional to properly diagnose.