Grounds Care Essentials: From Pressure Washers To Mowers
Grounds care professionals wage a continuous war against the untamed power of the natural world. A well tended lawn will quickly become bedraggled without proper care, where grass grows up and weeds push through. Additionally, box hedges grow out of shape and trees drop their branches in strong winds, as every season brings with it new challenges for groundskeepers everywhere.
Fortunately we have mechanised tools on our side when it comes to taming natural wildness. Lawn mowers allow for wide expanses of grass to be trimmed with precision, whilst powerful pressure washes remove mould and blast away freshly sprouting weeds. Maintenance teams require a selection of these essential tools to keep outdoor spaces in order, which are designed to produce optimal results with minimal effort.
Read on to find out more about essential grounds care tools, with a look at how these are used to keep public and commercial spaces in top condition.
Understanding Grounds Care
Grounds care is the practice of maintaining outdoor landscapes, where some commercial spaces may have their own team of groundskeepers, whilst other sites may hire grounds care contractors on a temporary basis. Some grounds care professionals will specialise in one area of outdoor maintenance, such as tree care or soil fertility, whilst others offer a more comprehensive range of services.
Most grounds care work will be aimed at maintaining the neat and attractive appearance of the landscape. When it comes to caring for commercial properties, their parks and gardens tend to be well maintained to convey a professional appearance, with tidy lawns and trimmed hedges. Public parks and gardens also need to be maintained so they remain safe and functional all year round. This work will include tending to trees to reduce the risk of falling branches, where paths will be cleared of leaves and weeds to ensure these routes remain clear for public access.
Beyond this, more specialist care may involve soil management, where the ground must remain in good condition to facilitate the survival of plant life. Grounds care teams may aerate, water and fertilise the ground, in addition to ensuring that the soil is draining well. Other groundskeepers may be in charge of seasonal tasks such as gritting, as well as clean up work that could include litter picking and waste management.
Essential Grounds Care Equipment
Grounds care is made possible with the help of various essential tools, where this equipment can vary in size and power depending on the scale of the maintenance work at hand. Some key equipment types include:
Pressure Washers
Pressure washers are used to apply a targeted quantity of water to various surfaces, where these are designed to lift away ingrained dirt. Due to the high pressure of the water, this is much easier and more effective than scrubbing a surface by hand. In a grounds care context, pressure washers can be used to clean exterior walls or to wash clean paving stones and pathways. The water can remove mud, dirt, mould and small weeds, leaving a clean and tidy surface behind.
Mowers
Lawn mowers are a staple of the grounds care business, where these machines are used to cut grass in a neat, uniform manner. For small spaces, hand operated mowers can be used, where these may plug in to a nearby electrical power source. For larger projects, ride-on, motorised mowers can be used, where these are designed to cover broad expanses of grass in a short time. This is especially useful for sports fields and football pitches, where mowers can create linear patterns in the grass depending on their mowing direction.
Rollers
Rollers are another essential lawn maintenance tool, where these can be used to smooth and flatten large expanses of grass. This is especially important for sports fields, where bumps and ridges can disrupt the utility of the surface. Additionally, rollers may be used to encourage freshly planted grass seeds to take root, promoting even and successful growth. These rollers come in a variety of sizes, where they may be hand-operated or pulled by a compact vehicle.
Lawn Spreaders
When it comes to ensuring the health of a large lawn, spreaders are essential tools to have to hand. These devices can contain liquid fertilisers, weed killers and pesticides, where they can then spray these chemicals across the lawn in order to achieve an even distribution. This helps to make sure that the lawn grows consistently, without patching or wilting. Spreaders are available in different sizes to appeal to the dimensions of the lawn, where precision spreader heads may be used to treat narrow borders or specific areas within a landscape. Handheld sprayers may also be utilised for smaller areas or to apply fluids to potted plants.
Hedge Trimmers
Hedge trimmers are specialist tools that are used to keep landscapes neat and tidy. They consist of a cutting mechanism that can be used to trim box hedges with precision, allowing them to be sculpted into a desired shape. Compact hedge trimmers or handheld clippers may be used for exacting topiary work, whilst large mechanised trimmers can be used to reach the tall hedges and bushes that surround public parks. These may run on electrical power, whilst large hedge trimmers can also be petrol or diesel powered for greater trimming strength.
Trailers
Beyond the specific tools and equipment used for grounds care work, it is also essential to have suitable transportation to hand. Trailers can be used to move tools and green waste across large expanses, where these are often more lightweight than a full sized vehicle, helping to reduce damage caused to the grass. A trailer can come in a variety of sizes and capacities, where some models are specially designed for use across uneven terrain. Trailers can also come with helpful attachments such as loading ramps, support rails and towbars to make loading and transportation easier.
Sustainable Grounds Care
Many grounds care companies pay particular attention to their environmental impact when it comes to their maintenance work. Various modifications and upgrades can be implemented to improve sustainability whilst taking care of commercial and public landscapes, where some of these methods include:
Wildflower Planting
Large lawns, concrete driveways and outdoor sports facilities are in danger of creating man made deserts in terms of biodiversity, where insects can’t find the plants they need to pollinate. To tackle this, parks and commercial facilities are now growing wildflower meadows across some or all of their outdoor space in order to support local species. This alternative to a freshly mown lawn is also a low maintenance option for sites that want to reduce their grounds care costs.
Composting
Making compost from green waste is a great way to add nutrients back into the soil without relying on chemical treatments. Compost bins can also be utilised by commercial buildings for the disposal of kitchen waste, where this combination of ingredients is the best way to make a high quality compost. Repurposing grounds care waste in this way also removes the need to transport waste to a recycling facility, helping to cut down on vehicle emissions.
Environmentally Friendly Equipment
Grounds care equipment is an essential part of the job, where some companies are looking to manage the environmental impact of the tools they use. Fuel-intensive petrol and diesel equipment may be swapped for electrical alternatives, whilst some tools can also be powered by renewable energy. For instance, some mowers and sprinklers can run with the help of a solar power pack.
Water Conservation
Effective water conservation practices are another important part of sustainable grounds care, where conserving resources in this way can also help to keep costs to a minimum. Some sites may utilise rainwater harvesting, where this water can be reused during dry weather to hydrate lawns and allow bedding plants to flourish.
Rock Machinery: Essential Grounds Care Equipment For Your Project
At Rock Machinery, we supply a wide selection of tools that are suited for both commercial and domestic grounds care. Our catalogue includes mowers, spreaders and rollers, where our expert team can advise you on the best tools for maintaining your lawn.
Beyond this, we also supply mini excavators and lifting equipment, suitable for projects of all sizes. Get in touch with us today to find out more about our full product range.