Lawncare & Landscaping

Elite Maintenance provides core aeration and overseeding to ensure a thick and attractive lawn. Core aeration has several benefits for your lawn, such as improving oxygen and moisture access to the roots, leading to deeper root growth.

Core Aeration Service
Elite Maintenance offers full-service lawn aeration using commercial-grade core aerating machines at an affordable price. Aeration is recommended at least once, but preferably twice a year in combination with fertilizing and regular grass cutting. The small holes created in the lawn through core aeration allow new grass seed to grow, resulting in optimal lawn thickness and quality. It’s essential to aerate before spreading grass seed because seeds placed on top of a lawn without aeration are unlikely to grow.

Core aeration involves the removal of soil cores from the lawn, relieving soil compaction and promoting healthy turf.

Overseeding
Seeding and aerating go hand in hand to create a lush lawn. The holes and soil plugs from aeration provide an ideal bed for the seed to germinate. Seeding should be done at the same time as aeration. Watering helps wash the grass seed into the holes created by double pass core aeration, and as the soil cores break down, the soil fills the holes, aiding in seed establishment.

Visible improvement in your lawn can be expected within 4-6 weeks. It is recommended to aerate and overseed every other year for typical lawns or every year for shaded or thin lawns, lawns damaged by pets, or experiencing heavy foot traffic. Late August to Mid-September is the best time for aeration and overseeding, but early spring also works well.

In addition to the above-mentioned benefits, core aeration reduces soil compaction, increases water, oxygen, and nutrient availability to the grass roots, and prevents thatch issues in the lawn.

Topdressing
Topdressing involves spreading a thin layer of topsoil across your entire lawn. This process can help to smooth out bumpy lawns without the need for regrading. It is a great way to level a bumpy lawn and can also improve sandy or clay-heavy soils without causing harm to the existing turf. Different soil mixes are used depending on the specific goals. For leveling a lawn and improving drainage, a golf course top dressing mix is used, which typically consists of approximately 80% sand and 20% peat/compost mix. These sandy mixes, originally developed for golf courses, are ideal for leveling lawns because they stay firm after application, similar to the firm and smooth sand at a beach’s surf zone. Unlike black dirt, sand settles very little and does not become mucky when wet, thus providing better drainage compared to black dirt.

Sodding Your Lawn
Sodding instantly gives you a thick and green lawn. It may be more expensive than seeding, but it has clear advantages. Sodded lawns are immediately green, and kids and pets can start using them within a week or two of installation. Seeded lawns can take about 8 weeks to grow in. If your lawn is seeded, the bare soil can become messy from constant watering, making it inconvenient for use.

Some customers opt to sod the front yard and seed the backyard to manage costs. Sodding also works well on hills and sloped areas where erosion can be a problem when trying to establish seed. Sod staples can help prevent sod from sliding down slopes.

Sod Growth in Shade
Sod is composed of grass types that thrive in sunny areas, primarily Kentucky bluegrass. We advise using sod in areas with full sun to partial shade and avoiding heavily shaded areas. Sod that is installed in full shade will degrade within a year or two. For areas with heavy shade, we suggest using a seed mix that is tolerant to shade instead of sod. If using sod in shaded areas is preferred, it’s advisable to plan for overseeding with shade-tolerant grasses in the future.

We focus on managing the landscape, not just maintaining it. Have you ever wondered what sets us apart? While many companies may simply “mow, blow, and trim” and move on to their next property, treating it like any other, at Elite Maintenance Group, we manage your landscape with respect, vision, communication, and a commitment to achieving excellent results. We leave it picture perfect, just like our slogan says, “Where image comes first.”

Commercial Landscape Management
Our Commercial Grounds Management Team works directly with property management companies, healthcare facilities, building owners, developers, and homeowners associations. This direct working relationship allows us to create custom maintenance programs that will deliver the desired results for each property. We work with our clients to be proactive and responsive to their budget and schedule.

Irrigation Systems
We offer installation and maintenance services for sprinkler systems to ensure a lush, green lawn all year round. Our dedicated technician team provides irrigation maintenance services throughout the spring, summer, and fall. We can handle any repairs or adjustments your system may require, responding quickly to any issues.

We offer spring start-up services to evaluate the functionality of your sprinkler system after the winter. Our technicians will clean and adjust all components for maximum efficiency and coverage, as well as adjust your watering schedule and timing to meet the precipitation requirements of your landscape. Please contact us to schedule an appointment.

Drainage Solutions
Elite Maintenance Group offers professional drainage solutions to protect and enhance commercial properties in Northwest Indiana and the Chicago area. Our team understands the crucial role of effective drainage in preserving the integrity and beauty of your landscape. We provide a variety of grading and drainage services, including the design and installation of customized drainage systems to ensure proper water flow and address issues like standing water, erosion, and water damage. Our drainage solutions are customized to meet each property’s specific needs, promoting efficient water management and preventing potential landscape problems. We use advanced techniques and high-quality materials to construct systems that effectively redirect excess water away from your property, safeguarding your landscape investment. With our dependable and professional drainage services, you can maintain the longevity and health of your commercial landscape, even in challenging site and weather conditions.

Pressure Washing
Elite Maintenance Group provides eco-friendly pressure washing services for both commercial and residential properties, utilizing safe cleaning products that preserve trees, grass, plants, and concrete. Our services cover commercial buildings, and residential properties, such as:

• Commercial sidewalks
• Hotels sidewalks
• Park sidewalks
• Fuel station sidewalks and parking area
• Parking lots
• Restaurants sidewalks