Christmas may have come and gone but the UK will still be experiencing frosty mornings and nights that require a few extra blankets for the foreseeable. In this time of brisker weather, the Trustgreen team take advantage by beginning our period of winter maintenance.
What is Winter Maintenance?
Throughout the year, our Estate Managers and Ground Maintenance Teams regularly visit all of our sites, inspecting, monitoring and maintaining areas of public open space on and around your development. However, one of our most jobs this time of year is Winter Maintenance, which occurs between November and February. This is when our Ground Maintenance Contractors (GMCs) are busy working on various tasks that are best undertaken during the winter months.
What Are the Different Types of Winter Maintenance?
The type of winter maintenance carried out can vary significantly depending on the site and the features within it. During the Autumn months, our Estate Managers assess what works are considered priorities on each site, such as replanting failed trees and hedge cutting. For the majority of sites, winter maintenance will include hedge and tree management, and on sites with aquatic features such as ponds or SUDS, vegetation management may be undertaken to prevent these features from becoming overwhelmed by dominant species such as Bullrushes.
Why Do We Conduct Ground Works During the Winter Maintenance Period?
It is the coldest time of the year and the days are the shortest, which for nature, is an important time. A lot of wildlife will store up their resources, hibernate, or go into a state of dormancy over the winter months, which is why it is an ideal time of year to conduct a lot of our remedial maintenance.
One other reason is that bird nesting season takes place over the rest of the year (February-August), during which we avoid any big cutbacks on our trees and hedges. The winter period is the best time for these works, as we minimise disturbance to vulnerable wildlife during their nesting period.
Planting Over the Winter Period
We also take advantage of the winter period for any planting. Trees and shrubs are often dormant during the wintertime and are less likely to suffer from shock or fail when planted during colder months.