Outdoor Security Tips For Nursery Owners

It's no secret that an outdoor display yard benefits your nursery or landscape business. Customers enjoy shopping for plants and garden equipment in the warm summer sunshine, and a yard is less expensive than an enclosed business. Unfortunately, after hours thieves may see an unattended display yard as an easy target, unless you take the steps to protect your merchandise.

Nothing Beats a Good Fence

Your fence is your best defense against robbery. Tips to protect your business with a fence include:

• Keep exterior gates securely closed and locked. Gates with posts that latch into the ground are harder to force open compared to free-swinging gates.

• Go with sturdy materials. Wire snippers can make quick work of flimsy poultry wire or hardware cloth fences. Go with a sturdy chainlink, an attractive metal or iron design, or even wood fencing instead.

• Inspect the fence line daily for damage or attempts at access. If you find damage, such as cut wires in a chain link fence, broken fence boards, or other issues, get your fence repaired immediately. If someone is trying to gain access, chances are they will try again.

• Place an alarm system and video monitoring equipment on your fence.

• Height matters! Taller fences help keep the bad guys out.

• Anti-climbing measures, from stringing barbwire on top using fence post spikes to installing anti-climb boards, will keep would-be thieves out.

• An electric fence may be another option, depending on local codes and laws. If electric fencing is allowed in your city, only turn it on after hours, and make sure you have all the appropriate signage installed.

Use It or Lose It

If you have a good fence installed, you must actively train your employees to keep it secured at all times. When business is booming and everyone is busy, it can be easy to forget to lock up exterior access gates after bringing product out to a client's truck.

Theft doesn't just occur after hours though. An open gate can tempt someone to walk out with a product. If open gates are a problem, install gates that close automatically. If you must leave a gate open during business hours because of fire code, install an exit bar on it so it only opens from the inside. These small adjustments keep your display yard secure at all times.

Your fencing contractor can help you determine the best security features to add to your fence, like from City Fence. You want to make sure the fence is both attractive to your customers and passers-by, without compromising security. Your bottom line depends on it.