Ground maintenance often gets treated as a seasonal task. Spring cleanup. Summer mowing. Fall leaves. Winter snow. William Maclyn and Murphy Eick argue that this mindset misses the point. The properties that hold up best over time do not react to seasons. They are working from a year-round plan that anticipates pressure before it shows up.
“Most problems people blame on the weather actually come from gaps in planning,” William says. “When maintenance pauses between seasons, the site starts accumulating small issues that turn expensive fast.”
That perspective frames how to approach grounds work across commercial properties, multifamily sites, and campuses. The goal is not perfection. It is consistency, awareness, and steady decision-making that keep landscapes functional every month of the year.
Why Year-Round Thinking Pays Off
A closer look shows how much money and labor sit behind routine grounds care. The U.S. landscape services industry reached an estimated $153 billion in market size in 2024, reflecting how essential this work has become for commercial and residential properties alike.
That scale exists for a reason. Grounds failures affect safety, water use, property value, and operating budgets all at once.
William Maclyn and Murphy Eick emphasize that a year-round plan does not mean doing more work. It means doing the right work at the right time. Small inspections replace emergency fixes. Adjustments happen before damage sets in. This shift reduces strain on crews and avoids the cycle of catch-up maintenance that drains budgets.
Water Management Starts With Attention, Not Technology
Water is one of the easiest places to lose control. Outdoor irrigation alone accounts for roughly 9 billion gallons of water used per day in the United States, much of it tied to landscaping. Murphy notes that waste rarely comes from dramatic failures. It comes from small oversights that persist for months.
“Most irrigation problems are quiet,” says Murphy. “A head sprays a sidewalk. A valve leaks underground. Nobody notices until the water bill spikes or the turf declines.”
Well-managed systems tell a different story. Programs aligned with WaterSense guidance show that proper irrigation management can reduce outdoor water use by about 15 percent, or roughly 7,600 gallons per household per year. On large properties, those savings multiply quickly.
William Maclyn and Murphy Eick encourage seasonal tuning rather than fixed schedules. Spring and fall demand lighter cycles. Summer requires deeper, less frequent watering. Winterization matters where freezing occurs. None of this requires complex tools. It requires someone to check the system with intent.
Soil Health Sets the Tone for Everything Else
Grounds maintenance often focuses on what people can see, such as grass height, color, and edges. William pushes teams to look below the surface. Soil condition drives nearly every visible outcome, from weed pressure to disease resistance.
Turfgrass covers an estimated 20 million hectares across the United States, making it one of the country’s largest managed land covers. That scale brings responsibility. Poor mowing practices and compacted soil ripple outward into higher water demand, fertilizer use, and repair work.
Sharp blades, proper mowing height, and periodic aeration sound simple. They are. But they work. Healthy soil supports denser turf, which crowds out weeds naturally and holds moisture longer. The result is less intervention, not more.
Nutrients, Runoff, and the Cost of Excess
On the other hand, overcorrecting creates its own problems. Fertilizer applied without timing or testing does not stay neatly in place. It moves with runoff and stormwater into surrounding systems.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that nutrient pollution in U.S. freshwaters costs at least $2.4 billion annually, tied to impacts on drinking water, recreation, and ecosystems. Grounds maintenance plays a role here, even when intentions are good.
Timing avoids heavy rain events. Crews clear material off sidewalks and curbs instead of blowing it into drains. These steps protect the landscape and reduce downstream consequences that property owners rarely see but still pay for indirectly.
Pest Control Works Better When It Is Patient
Chemical response often becomes the default when pests or weeds appear. You should favor a slower approach rooted in observation and thresholds. Integrated pest management works because it treats causes, not symptoms.
The process starts with monitoring:
- Where do issues repeat?
- What conditions support them?
Often, the fix involves correcting irrigation patterns, improving airflow, or adjusting plant placement. Chemical tools remain available, but they become targeted rather than automatic.
This approach reduces costs and exposure while producing steadier results over time. It also avoids the cycle of recurring treatments that never quite solve the problem.
Weather, Drainage, and Planning for Extremes
Weather volatility makes reactive maintenance risky. Stormwater and drainage failures expose weak spots quickly. Perform regular inspections of inlets, slopes, and low areas before seasonal shifts.
Climate data shows growing variability across regions, with wet and dry patterns changing year to year. Even properties that historically performed well can struggle when rainfall patterns shift. Simple adjustments, such as clearing catch basins or reinforcing erosion-prone zones, prevent damage that would otherwise surface during the next major storm.
Protecting Crews Is Part of Grounds Quality
Ground maintenance is physical, outdoor work. Safety directly affects quality. In 2023, 55 U.S. workers died from environmental heat exposure, highlighting the real risks crews face during hot months.
You should view crew planning as a maintenance issue, not a separate concern. Work schedules shift earlier in the day. Water and shade remain accessible. New staff acclimate gradually. These practices keep productivity steady while reducing risk.
Labor availability adds pressure. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 171,600 openings per year for grounds maintenance workers, driven largely by turnover. Retaining trained staff depends on treating safety and workload as priorities.
Final Thoughts
Year-round grounds maintenance succeeds when it feels deliberate rather than busy. William Maclyn and Murphy Eick’s approach centers on awareness, timing, and restraint. Small checks replace large fixes. Adjustments happen before damage becomes visible.
The work never truly stops, but it does become quieter. And for properties that rely on their outdoor spaces to function safely and look credible, that quiet consistency makes all the difference.
