Groundskeeping Duties

Lawn Maintenance

• Lawn maintenance involves cutting, trimming and fertilizing. Groundskeepers can mow lawns with a push mower, riding mower or tractor. Groundskeepers keep grass length about a few inches, not too long or too short. They use gasoline or electric trimmers to trim around trees, edges and sidewalks. Fertilizer promotes grass growth, but adequate watering must occur or the grass will experience fertilizer burn and die.

Weed Extermination and Prevention

• Groundskeepers use herbicide solutions for extermination and prevention of weeds. Some herbicides can be bought premixed in a container with a manual sprayer. Herbicide concentrates can also be bought, but concentrates need to be mixed with water before using. Groundskeepers must understand concentrate instructions and measure exact water to concentrate ratios. Mixtures too weak will not kill weeds, but mixtures too strong can kill grass surrounding the weeds.

Litter Collection

• Groundskeepers have the duty of litter collection. Food and candy wrappers, plastic bottles, aluminum cans and paper products are common types of garbage. Groundskeepers should always recycle items such as bottles and cans but dispose of items such as polystyrene cups, food wrappers and plastic bags.

Minor Repair and Maintenence

• Groundskeepers maintain equipment, such as trimmers and mowers, and perform simple repairs. Groundskeepers need to know correct fuel-to-oil mixtures and what equipment requires what mixture. Trimmer engines usually require a mixture of 40 parts gasoline to one part oil. Groundskeepers also sharpen lawnmower blades, reload string into trimmers and keep tractor mowing equipment lubricated.