Commercial Turf Care
Caring for Turf That’s Green Year-Round
Many commercial properties have some level of turf care on their landscape. Often, the grass is maintained at a baseline level so that it looks green enough. But “green” shouldn’t always be the standard for turf.
Is it patchy?
Are there weeds?
Is it thick?
Is it deep green?
Does it look healthy?
When a property has turf that’s rich in color, thicker density, and a consistently well-kept appearance, it showcases a pride in business that’s felt by employees and customers alike.
If you’ve ever wondered if you could get your commercial turf looking as maintained as a residential property, this guide will show you how.
Understanding Your Grass: Fescue vs. Bermuda
The foundation of any turf program is understanding what you’re working with. In Oklahoma, commercial properties typically have one (or both) of two main grass types, and they are very different.
Bermuda grass thrives in full sun. It’s durable, dense when cared for well, and the ideal grass for open areas with good light exposure. This is the most common type we see on commercial properties.
Fescue grass is a shade-tolerant grass found in areas under trees or with limited direct sun.
Many of our clients have both types of grass on different areas of their property. Because of the different requirements you’ll need to approach maintenance according to the type. If you work with Willis, we’ll design a maintenance program around the specific area and needs of your property.
How Willis Cares For Your Turf
We work with you to understand your priorities for your property and build a program that meets those goals. In caring for your turf, we may recommend a combination of the following services:
Herbicide Application: Pre-Emergent and Post-Emergent
Weeds don’t just appear by accident. They’re either already germinating (which is what we prevent with pre-emergent) or they’ve already sprouted (which is what we kill with post-emergent).
A proper weed control program uses both. We’ll put down pre-emergent to stop weeds before they start. Then, post-emergent handles the weeds that sneak through anyway. This approach is what keeps weeds under control.
Fertilizer Applications
The timing and type of fertilizer matter because grass needs different things at different times of year.
Early in the season, fertilizer is formulated to promote growth, helping your grass green up and fill in. Later in the season, we shift to fertilizers oriented toward root development and turf health, preparing the grass for dormancy and stress periods. This progression ensures your lawn stays healthy year-round.
Fescue Seeding
Fescue areas can thin out, especially in shade where stress is higher. When we identify thin or bare spots in fescue areas, we’ll overseed to fill them in and maintain a dense, healthy stand of grass.
Rye Grass Overseeding (Bermuda Grass)
In the fall, we cut bermuda down very short and overseed with perennial ryegrass. The rye germinates and grows through the fall and winter, keeping your lawn green when bermuda is dormant. Come spring (typically May), we spray out the rye and the bermuda regrows from the roots. While it’s a higher investment, the year-round dense and lush yield is worth it.
Aeration
Compacted soil prevents grass roots from developing fully. Aeration creates small holes in the turf, breaking up compaction and allowing roots to penetrate deeper and grow stronger. This is especially important on heavily trafficked commercial properties.
Top Dressing
Sometimes soil needs help beyond aeration. We’ll apply compost or sand—depending on what your soil needs—to improve soil structure, add organic matter, and promote better root development and drainage.
What to Expect from Your Turf Team
Most commercial turf care follows a standard approach: manage the weeds, keep the grass fertilized, and maintain adequate coverage. The result is functional, acceptable turf. But we approach it differently.
We’ve spent years managing residential grass programs where quality is the expectation, not the exception. That experience shaped how we think about commercial properties. We know what high-quality turf looks like, and we think commercial landscapes deserve that same standard.
We aim for residential lawn quality. Your grass should be thick, deeply green, and free of the patchy, tired appearance that comes from half-hearted maintenance. That also means:
We’re thorough with persistent weed problems. Some weeds require sustained effort to eliminate. Dallas grass, for example—a thick clumping weed that stays green longer than bermuda and creates obvious patches of discoloration—is one of those. We’ll work to eliminate it, even if it takes years, because we’re focused on the final appearance of your property, not just the quick fix.
We notice when something’s off. Our account managers are on your property regularly, looking at the turf as part of their broader responsibility for your landscape. If the grass is looking thin, turning yellow, developing stress symptoms, or showing signs of disease, we see it. And we figure out what needs to happen to get it back to health. Most competitors won’t notice until you complain.
We treat turf as a foundation. Flowers and hardscaping are important, but if the turf base is poor, the whole property looks unfinished. We invest in turf quality because we understand that it’s what anchors the appearance of your entire landscape.
Complementary Services
None of this works without proper watering. The best fertilizer program and the most diligent weed control can’t overcome an irrigation system that’s running too little or too much. This is why we recommend irrigation management as a partner to your turf program.
How grass is mowed matters to your overall turf health. Sharp blades create clean cuts that resist disease better than torn grass. That’s why technique is important to protect your turf investment. Our team will walk through a mowing schedule that keeps your turf looking healthy all year long.
Ready to Raise Your Turf Standard?
If you’ve been accepting commercial grass as something that’s supposed to look average, we’d like to show you what’s actually possible. Request a quote and we’ll assess your current turf situation and talk through what a real turf care program could look like for your property.
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