The Greenskeepers Inc. - Commercial and Residential Landscaping Services

SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS - COMMERCIAL

The Greenskeepers SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS

Spring clean-ups:

Spring clean-ups are typically scheduled over a 3 week period starting the 2nd to 3rd week of April or as the weather allows. This consists of:

Leaf and debris pick-up,
Power raking where needed
Aeration (new customers only) The Greenskeepers aerates all properties in the fall.(Additional cost)
Mow and trim as well as a clean-up of all hardscape areas
Flower-beds, shrub beds, and tree wells will be blown out.

* Please mark all irrigation heads,boxes and hazards prior to our arrival. If the client would like to have beds and tree wells cultivated, weeded, and re-edged a separate booking will be required. A beautification crew will be sent out soon after.

The Greenskeepers will sweep all gravel off of lawn areas on to roadways so that it may be cleaned up during parking lot and roadway cleaning.
Please note that this service is not optional.
We will only be responsible for the clean-up of landscape debris from roadways or parking areas when specifically requested.
For Sherwood Park properties we will need to collect all sweepings off public roadway at the expense of the owner or business, due to bylaws.
(the use of traffic control signs and watering down along the roadway to control dust may be needed to provide a safe work area along high volume roads . (Extra charges applies)

Street Sweeping and line painting:

The Greenskeepers have two dedicated sweepers that quickly and efficiently collect and remove gravel, dirt, leaves, and debris from any driving or parking area.
Labourers are sent along with back pack blowers and shovels to clean out corners and small areas that the sweepers cannot reach.
In some instances (along high volume roads) the use of traffic control signs and watering down along the roadway to control dust may be needed to provide a safe work site.(Extra charge applies) The Greenskeepers can service all your line painting needs. This service becomes very busy in the spring. Please book ahead to ensure prompt service. The Greenskeepers can also coordinate line painting with street/parking lot sweeping.

Fall clean-ups: (The cost is included in the monthly cut and trim price.)

Fall clean-ups will start around mid-October and will run until the snow flies. Every attempt will be made to complete all fall clean-ups. If your fall clean-up is missed due to the weather, you will be addressed the following spring.
Fall clean-ups will consist of leaf and debris pick-up, mow and trim as well as a clean-up of landscape debris from hardscape areas. Flower-beds, shrub beds, and tree wells will only be cleaned out, with dead plant material being removed. No turning of soil, weeding, or re-edging of beds will occur with the fall clean up. If clients would like any bed work done a separate booking will be required. A beautification crew will be sent out soon after.
Please note The Greenskeepers will make every effort to schedule fall clean-ups so that the majority of the leaves have fallen.
Some properties may need to have multiple site visits to address the accumulation of additional leaves that have fallen or that have blown onto properties. Additional visits may require that properties be allocated an additional charge.
On roadways and parking areas, The Greenskeepers will only be responsible for the clean-up of landscape debris.

Turf Mowing/Trimming:

Service usually starts around the middle of May coinciding with weather conditions and continues until the end of September.
Please note that lawns with extreme growing rates may be refused bi-weekly service. Vacation lawn mowing is available to assist acerage owners with their mowing needs while they are away from home and will be offered to homeowners within a 5 km perimeter of an existing client.
All specified turf areas will be mowed on a frequency of 7 days during peak growing seasons, and on a frequency of every 14 days during decreased growing seasons. Every effort will be made to mow through rainy conditions to maintain your schedule, and contrary to popular belief will not damage your turf. Standard mowing height will be 3.0 inches. Please note that this is proven to be more beneficial to the overall health of the turf due to protection of the root zone from the sun and water retention. Bagging of clippings will be done where needed to keep a neat apearance .
Minor amounts of debris will be removed from the turf area prior to mowing. Major amounts of debris will be considered the responsibility of the property owners and will be removed, prior to mowing on a cost-plus basis.
Blowing of grass clippings and minor amounts of debris will be dispersed evenly to surrounding turf areas at each mowing visit to maintain a neat appearance. This will include all hardscapes including; decks, sidewalks, driveways, patios, and curbs.
Trimming with a line trimmer shall be performed around all trees, beds, buildings, signs, etc., and all areas bordered by turf. Areas that are easily damaged may be skipped to reduce damage i.e. vinyl siding, wooden fences etc. An appilcation of non-selective herbicide can be booked to create a saftey boarder.
All plant material and trees are required to maintain a minimum 12-inch border to reduce the possibility of damage. The Greenskeepers cannot assume responsibility for damage to plants and trees that do not have this border.
All pet waste is to be cleaned up before mowing crews arrive on site. Once your mowing schedule is set, crew arrival times to site will be fairly consistent giving property owners adequate time to remove all pet waste. If pet waste is not removed, our crews will skip your mowing for the week and travel time to site will be charged to your account.
We would appreciate if all items could be put away before crews arrive on site, such as toys, hoses, lawn furniture etc. All large items such as trampolines, picnic tables, play houses etc will be cut around. It is up to the owner to move the items weekly so that we may cut under the item.
Please note that all lawn cutting cancellations must be done no latter than 12:00 noon the day before scheduled cutting dates. Failure to do so will result in charges to your account for crew drive time. Please do not inform crew of lawn cancellations on site. All foremen are instructed to cut all properties schedule for that day and are not allowed to cancel lawn-mowing services. All cancellations must be done through the office via direct contact with customer service or via phone message.

Aeration:

* Please mark all irrigation heads,boxes and hazards prior to our arrival.

Lawn Aeration is recommended for the lawn in the spring and fall. By pulling plugs from the ground, the aerator helps to loosen and open the soil improving air and water circulation. The plugs left on top of the ground slowly dissolve and act as a top dressing helping to control thatch.

Aeration has many benefits for your lawn including; reduction in water run off and puddling, improved drainage, improved grass rooting, reduction in soil compaction, improved air exchange between the soil and atmosphere, increased water uptake by the turf, improved fertilizer uptake and use, increased tolerance to heat and drought, improved resiliency and cushioning, and increased tolerance to disease.
All ongoing contracts will be aerated in the fall. If you are a new customer to The Greenskeepers you will be aerated twice the first year of service. First in the spring, so that you may benefit for that season and then you will be moved to the fall for subsequent years that you use The Greenskeepers. Summer aerations may be done to help with extremely damaged or neglected lawns. This is usually done to help with water retention and/or compaction problems.
All aerations done by The Greenskeepers will consist of removing a 2-3 inch core. All cores removed from the turf area will be left on the turf so they can break down and return to the root zone and act as a topdressing to the turf. No removal of cores will be done unless advised by the client and additional charges will apply. Please note it is in the best interest of your lawn to leave the cores to break down. Cores will usually disappear after a few lawn mowings or by spring if aeration was done in the fall.
Every effort will be made to safely and carefully transport the aerating unit in and around all yard obstacles.
Turf areas with extreme slopes may be skipped if the crew leader feels that the area to be treated posses a safety hazard to the operator, the aerator itself, or any property components.
After completing aeration all walkways, driveways, roads, and additional hardscapes will be blown off of any debris and cores that have dislodged from the aerator tines.

Flowerbed, Shrub Bed, and Tree Well Maintenance / Beautification Crews:

This service is available to clients who wish to receive an additional level of service for their property. Beautification crews can be added to lawn services or hired independently. The Greenskeepers beautification crews will provide the following services:

Annual Flower Program

Supply and Installation
Maintenance
End of Season Removal

Shrub Bed Services

Shrub Bed Care - weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly visits
weeding and light trimming
maintaining perennials and bulbs
monitoring for pests and disease
Shrub bed weed control
Shrub Bed Renovation

- Weed, cultivate, and edge all flowerbeds, shrub beds, and tree wells.
- Dead heading of flowers
- Pick up and disposal of week-to-week accumulation of litter on site. Excessive litter or construction materials will be charged extra.
- Hand control of all unwanted vegetation in and around hardscapes.
- Sweep and/or blow off all hardscapes.
- Visual check for any damages to property due to disease, insects, weather, and report to client for follow up.

Weather permitting initial start-ups will be done around the second week of May. After the first cut, a regular schedule will be established. weather permitting, our final visits will terminate around mid-October, co-insiding with the final year-end shut down.
Non-selective vegetation controls may be used to help facilitate weed control in larger areas or areas that may have become over grown.
Extreme cases of over growth in bed areas will be recommended for core out of soils and root masses. Upon completion of core out bed mix soils will be installed as a new planting medium.
Additional services may be requested / negotiated Please consult with The Greeenskeepers . Remember... We are here to serve you .

Annual Plantings

The Greenskeepers provide the supply, pick up, and installation of annuals for flowerbed plantings. Installation usually occurs during the last week of May and the second week of June depending on weather conditions.
Please order your annual plants by the first week of May to facilitate the ordering of planting material.
Clients are welcome to give us exact layouts, plans and preferences for plant material or you can simply let our staff handle the planning process.
Beds will be edged to a depth of 3” redefining them from the surrounding areas. Existing planting beds will have soil tilled to a depth of 4” to 6”. Bed areas will be cleaned of all unwanted vegetation. Beds may be mounded if needed to encourage proper drainage. Peat or other organic material will be mixed to aquire the proper planting medium. Fertilizer will be mixed in the soil at the time of planting to encourage proper development of new annuals.
Please note ** Annual flowers are not guaranteed unless covered with scheduled watering program from The Greenskeepers.

Watering of Annuals, Plant Material, and Turf Areas:

The Greenskeepers provides both hand watering from existing on site water sources or by water truck.
The Greenskeepers will provide regular watering services to insure the health of the plant material being serviced. Watering will occur as needed, at the discretion of the Greenskeepers, as weather and soil conditions dictate.
Watering of annuals can also include regular applications of fertilizer.

Tree and shrub fertilizer

We recognize that supplying trees with the essential mineral elements is necessary to promote good tree health. This is an integral part of the professional tree care industry. 90 % of the tree feeder roots are in the top 2 feet of soil with most in the first 8 inches, this is where we directly inject into the root zone for maximum benefit. Our feeder will deliver a slow release liquid fertilizer coupled with special penetrants that are incorporated to improve distribution and absorption to the roots. To ensure healthy, robust trees and shrubs we offer our deep root tree fertilization programs for your property to keep it looking beautiful from year to year. Some of the benefits of deep root fertilizing your trees and plants are:

Nutrients and water go directly to the roots
Aeration of the soil
Improved tree health
Luxuriant foliage
Improved tree vigor
Encourages new growth

Remember, trees in stress caused by cold, heat, wind, and drought promote disease and insect infestation. A happy tree is a healthy tree.

Turf Fertilization and Weed Control Programs:

The Greenskeepers has a scheduled maintenance program for fertilizing, weed control and pest management. Aerating, top-dressing, and overseeding can be added as a part of this program. Fertilizing should be done three to five times per season that includes a fall fertilizer to put the lawn to rest and prepare for the hard winter. It typically starts in the month of May with applications being scheduled at approximately 4 – 6 week intervals. With the final application being usually applied in the first half of September. Our fertilizer can be put down as a granular or liquid dependent environmental factors. It is composed of three essential nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. The ratios change for each application based on the time of year that the fertilizer is being applied.
Weed Control is done throughout the season, and spot sprayed as needed.

Our goal is to provide you with a healthy, safe, and trouble free lawn, while minimizing our environmental impact. The Greenskeepers promote an integrated pest management program (IPM).

Applicators will make every effort to minimize drift of spraying/spreading.
All granular fertilizer will be swept/blown off of hardscapes after application process has been completed.
All sprayed lawns will be marked with an application sign that notifies you and/or customers fertilizer/herbicide has been applied. The signs will be placed within 4 feet of the sidewalk and close to the properties front entrance walkway or driveway.
The results of any fertilizer program is significantly affected by the property owner or manager to provide the right amount of water to turf areas. The best way to water if you do not have an irrigation system is to water approximately 2 inches per week all at one time. Avoid mid day. Extremely dry conditions may require that this process is done twice per week. Place an object such as a coffee cup or dog bowl in the path of the sprinkler an allow it to fill up to 2 inches. Dump out the water, move the sprinkler and start again. This step is the difference between an average lawn and an exceptional looking property. If you are not sure if you are getting enough water, push a 6 inch screwdriver into the soil. If it glides in smoothly you have enough water. If it's hard or you need to apply your body weight...... keep watering.
Please note there are a number of turf related diseases and infestations that may become present in our turf. Any abnormalities will be brought to the attention of property owners as well as any treatments and their related costs.

Noxious weed control
- County weed control boards require homeowners to treat for noxious weeds. The Greenskeepers provides this service for residential and commercial customers.

Shrub bed weed control
- Unsightly weeds in your ornamental shrub and flower beds are controlled with our season long program. An initiation of pre-emergent with carefully timed follow up treatments will keep your shrub beds weed free all season.

Bareground weed control
- fire safety around out buildings with bareground weed control. Commercial and residential applications available, call a Greenskeepers representative to map out a program that fits your needs.

All herbicides comply with federal pesticide control guidelines Only Certified Licensed Pesticide Applicators can operate our equipment. All areas sprayed are documented.

Hedge and Shrub Trimming:

All ornamental shrubs and hedges will be pruned to correct uneven growth, removal of stray shoots and exposed dead and diseased wood.
After shearing or pruning, all debris will be cleaned up from the site and hauled away. All hardscapes will be swept and/or blown clean of all debris generated from the trimming.

Tree Pruning, Removals and Stump Grinding:

The Greenskeepers sub-contracts knowledgeable ISA Certified Arborists who selectively prune your trees to provide optimal health. ongoing pruning is necessary to provide healthy, safe and beautiful trees.
Upon completion any tree service debris will be cleaned up from the site and hauled away. All hardscapes will be swept and/or blown clean of all debris generated from the pruning or removal service.
Please note that after stump grinding some material may be left on site to facilitate the filling of voids in the ground.

The Greenskeepers will leave wood mulch on site at the request of property owners for use as ground cover in flower, shrub, and tree beds.

Landscape Construction and Installation:

It is our goal to provide the best installation possible for our clients landscape projects. This means following current industry standards, as well as our own stringent installation guidelines.
All sites will be marked by one of our work in progress signs to ensure that any concerns from neighbours, Strathcona County, The city of Fort Saskatchewan, The City of Edmonton or the general public will be directed to our office so we may alleviate any problems, inquires, or concerns.
The work site will be kept as clean and safe as possible during the construction process. At the end of each day a site cleanup will take place as follows:
- All equipment will be put away or moved to an area that is out of the way and minimizes safety hazards.
- On site materials will be stacked, piled, or moved to an area that is out of the way and poses no safety hazards.
- Any materials that will be left on the street will be marked by pylons or blockades to increase traffic visibility.
- All new plant material will be watered at the end of the day before leaving the site. - All sidewalks, driveways, and additional hardscapes will be swept/blown off at the end of the day before leaving the site.
- The site will be inspected to make a final safety check to dispose of all minor litter and debris accumulated throughout the day.
At the end of the construction/installation process the following will occur:
- A final clean up and detailing of the site will occur including the complete clean up of all hardscape areas.- Property owners will be left with any pertinent instructions regarding the ongoing care of their new landscape installation via a site meeting, phone call, or site report.
- Property owners will be left with a brochure outlining our ongoing maintenance programs for their new landscape.
- A site foreman will inspect the project with you to ensure all expectations have been met.
Please note that any additions, deviations, or deletions from the original landscape plan will be done in writing as a change order. At this time any additional costs associated with the change order will be quoted to the client and signed by both the client and the contractor.

Snow Removal and ice managment:

The Greenskeepers incorporate the latest technology to assist in minimizing the risks associated with property owners during the winter season.

The Greenskeepers offers snow and ice management to commercial clients in the Edmonton area. Snow and ice management includes pedestrian walks, parking lots and roadways.
Snow and ice management includes removal of snow through the use of hand shovels, snowblowers, plow trucks, skid steers, loaders, and dump trucks. Sanding and deicing is also available and is performed by truck-mounted sanders. The Greenkeepers offers both fixed monthly contracts and per occurrence contracts for snow and ice management.
On call services are available, however contracted clients will always receive priority service before on call clients.
Due to the fact that The Greenskeepers offer a wide range of service levels we would request that you call our office for further information regarding snow and ice management services. Please note that exact specifications and related charges are laid out in each snow and ice management contract. If you presently have a contract with The Greenkeepers for snow and ice management please refer to it for exact specifications for your property.
New Clients: The Greenskeepers deliver professional services that protect against the liability of each specific site. If you are interested in hearing how The Greenskeepers can help you with your property call us today.

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SERVICES:

The Greenskeepers provides our commercial clients with the best in maintenance and landscaping services. We pride ourselves on giving our commercial clients a one call option to cover a multitude of services.

The Greenskeepers Services

Comprehensive grounds maintenance
Comprehensive shrub and tree care
Snow and ice management
Landscape design
Landscape installation
Hydroseeding
Irrigation
Parking lot sweeping
Power washing
Line painting
Outdoor furniture installation

The Greenskeepers can help commercial property owners maintain and improve their properties by providing the support, coordination and necessary resources to get any project done.

Subcontractor Network:

The Greenskeepers are known within the Edmonton market place as an access to high quality services in landscape; design, construction, and maintenance for residential and commercial clients. Due to our commitment to high quality services The Greenskeepers have qualified and works with some of the most knowledgeable and professional subcontractors in the City of Edmonton. When you deal with The Greenskeepers you are granted access to our qualified subcontractors of choice.
The Greenskeepers offers the following services and will make the necessary arrangements to provide any of our clients with access to:
- All concrete work
- Painting
- Line painting
All work will be managed, supervised, and directed through The Greenskeepers Inc. We do this in order to decrease the property owner’s burden when dealing with multiple contractors.

Depending on weather conditions, The Greenskeepers may suspend services and reschedule or skip services due to extended wet conditions. In the event that this situation occurs, please understand that subsequent visits will require more time to restore properties to established standards. As such, there will be no credit for missed services.

If you have any further questions, comments or concerns, please contact us at:

Tel: (780) 417-LAWN (5296)
Fax: (780) 467-3572
E-mail: bigmower@greenskeepers.ca