Four cycles a year is the baseline we run across most of our utility-scale portfolio in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Here is what each cycle actually involves and why the sequence matters.
Cycle 1 — early spring
The first pass knocks down winter growth before it seeds and gets fence lines, access roads and drainage corridors open before inspection season. This is also when licensed pre-emergent herbicide goes down under the arrays on sites with a chemical program.
Cycle 2 — late spring / early summer
Peak growth. Large-acreage mowing across production arrays, rotary cutting on slopes and edges, and under-array maintenance on fixed-tilt and tracker sites. This is the heaviest cycle of the year and the one most likely to need a storm-response follow-up.
Cycle 3 — mid to late summer
Growth slows in the heat but woody species and fence-line creep keep coming. Targeted herbicide on perimeters, gravel roads and inverter pads is usually more cost-effective than another full mechanical pass here.
Cycle 4 — fall
The closeout cycle: final mow, corridor and pond maintenance, civil touch-ups on roads and washouts, and the documentation package that carries the site into winter inspection-ready.
Where herbicide replaces mowing
Under the racking, along fence lines, on gravel roads and for woody-species control, selective herbicide by a licensed applicator removes a labor-intensive pass and holds longer. Most sites do best with a combined program; some vegetation policies require mechanical-only, and we run those as written.
Storm response
Weather does not read the schedule. Storm-response mobilizations sit outside the four cycles and are quoted on the timing your asset team needs.
Scale
In 2025 our crews maintained 22,222 acres under active contract within a single utility portfolio on this model. See the vegetation management scope →