Arla Foods is a global dairy company and cooperative owned by 9,700 dairy farmers, some 2,100 of whom are British. We love working with Arla as they are not only passionate about what they do, but are farmer owned which means a percentage of Arla’s profits go back to the farmers themselves. Due to this they have an extensive history in the industry.
Our commercial grounds maintenance teams are highly experienced in maintaining commercial grounds sites. Consistency is always key, and at our Arla Foods sites this is no exception.
Our dedicated teams attend the sites twice a week all year round, and follow a site-specific plan to maintain all of the grounds.
These visits include:
At Arla Aylesbury the vast majority of what we do is mowing lawns. The site has large formal lawns that are hand mowed to give that sought after perfect stripe. The rest of the larger lawns are then cut with a ride on mower for efficiency.
We cut all lawn areas on a weekly basis and then scarify the lawns of all moss and thatch twice a year. We often apply herbicides to the formal lawns on both sites as and when they are needed.
We apply blanket weed spraying across all hard standings three times a year to keep all weeds at bay. We then spot spray with systemic herbicide to all kerb edges and any emerging weeds throughout both sites. This is especially important on all client and staff facing areas.
We also blow all of the paths and private roads of leaves, and then rake and dispose of them, so all walkways are clean and tidy.
Our dedicated and experienced teams prune all specimen trees and hedges regularly, making sure they are always looking their best. We also apply pesticide and fungicide as a preventative measure in April, July and September to ensure everything stays looking as good as possible. Although there are not a large number of trees on these sites, there are a large number of hedges that need regular attention.
We keep beds and borders free from weeds, keep the edges sharp and to the shape of the original bed design and ensure the final finish of the beds is managed and topped up where needed.
The team create a site-specific plan for the feeding and care of all plants. All trees and hedges are drench feed once annually with a special feed blend. This special blend works with the soil and plants to keep them in prime condition. Folia feed is used on all hedges with an organic feed applied twice annually after each new growth has emerged.
We clear and dispose of all waste created on site.
Alongside the visits, our client receives regular email updates from the management team informing them what has been completed each week, what is planned to be worked on going forward, and we give possible suggestions for improvement works to the grounds if we think there are any at different points of the year.
Our commercial grounds maintenance teams are highly experienced and have the knowledge to ensure the grounds are always looking their best throughout each season.
Whilst working for the De Vere Group, Hortlands were invited to offer suggestions for some new planting ideas for the BMW Academy in Reading.
