Lawn Care

Gardening Tools & Lawn Care Equipment – To Achieve A Beautiful Garden!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 5:52 No Comments

Gardening Tools & Lawn Care Equipment – To Achieve A Beautiful Garden!

A garden gives an extended beauty to a house and a house without a garden looks incomplete. Regular maintenance is needed to acquire a beautiful garden and lawn. Maintenance involves performing hard tasks, such as digging, staking, manuring, watering and cleaning. It is evident that gardening involves a lot of hard work, and only if you choose the right gardening tools and lawn care equipments will your job become easier.

Space constraints may not allow everyone to have a garden in their house. The perfect solution to this is to start indoor gardening. Indoor gardening is easy as it requires less maintenance yet gives a creative look to your house anyway. You can even grow vegetables, fruits, herbs and more within your house and use pest-free products in your kitchen. This type of gardening requires good indoor gardening tools, such as pots, containers and soil, which are of high quality.

Lawn care equipments such as grass cutter, blower and water pump can also be used in the garden to get a well maintained lawn that will be appreciated by others. A good grass cutter will help you cut and trim the grass giving a proper shape to the lawn. A hand blower would clear the dry leaves and other dirt quickly making the lawn look very pretty. Watering the plants at regular intervals is also very essential, which can be done easily with a water pump with sprinkler option. A good water pump not only helps in watering, but it also contains other required features to clear off the stagnant waters.

Purchasing lawn care equipment, gardening tools or indoor supplies can be done online instead of wasting your time at the stores. BIGshop offers a wide range of gardening and lawn care equipment and indoor gardening tools at reasonable prices. These gardening tools can even make good gardening gifts for your relatives and friends.

http://bigshopblog.com.au/

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Lawn Care Franchise Focuses on Ecology Friendly Products and Practices

Monday, August 30, 2010 17:55 No Comments

Lawn Care Franchise Focuses on Ecology Friendly Products and Practices

Nutri-Lawn was founded in 1985 by Dick Nelles who purchased a small lawn care company and expanded the business based on the fundamentals of innovation in product, authenticity in service, and a passion for doing the right thing. Nelles utilized his farming background to develop a spot treatment process for weeds that was more ecology friendly than blanket spraying and built his business based on this “green” idea 25 years before the term became mainstream.

 

Nutri-Lawn became a franchise when the operator of a local gas station near Winnipeg, MB where the company started began noticing more and more Nutri-Lawn vehicles filling up at the station and approached Nelles about the idea of franchising. The operator soon opened the company’s first franchise and is still a part of the Nutri-Lawn family.

 

Today the company remains focused on the increasingly consumer driven ‘green’ market. “Ecology friendly is how we were founded, and increasing public awareness continues to drive interest in our services and our franchise opportunity,” explains Kalon Fairclough, Franchise Sales Manager for Nutri-Lawn.

 

“We are dedicated to becoming North America’s leading lawn care company through the passion of our franchise family, an extraordinary level of service to our customers, and an unending commitment to the best brand, products and practices in the marketplace. We are very proud of our Customer Support Center that handles all in-bound calls, estimates and telephone sales as well as the majority of administrational duties so our franchisees are to focus on business growth and servicing their customers.”

 

According to Fairclough, good candidates for the Nutri-Lawn opportunity are business-minded individuals who possess sales and marketing aptitude, a passion for the environment, and an interest in giving back to the community. Candidates should also be able to manage a team of operations and sales employees. “It’s a fun business. You get to be outdoors, even as the business grows, and aren’t tied to a desk,” says Fairclough. “You also get time off seasonally to enjoy life and there is a high customer renewal rate year after year.”

 

Franchise and royalty fees for Nutri-Lawn include a large territory, start-up support and initial training, ongoing training and support, access to business support tools, a localized website, and a start-up package with uniforms and a wide range of marketing tools. The comprehensive training program covers agronomics, sales, marketing, business management, business planning, cash flow and financial training.

 

On average, a Nutri-Lawn franchise can be up and running within 6 to 8 weeks according to the company.

 

For more information visit http://www.franchisegator.com/Nutrilawn-franchise/

Suzanne Musial

Public Relations/Marketing Associate

Franchise Gator

www.franchisegator.com

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Fixing Mistakes in Your Lawn Care Business

Monday, August 30, 2010 5:54 No Comments

Fixing Mistakes in Your Lawn Care Business

When you start your lawn care business you want to do everything right, by the book and really start off on the right foot. Unfortunately, everyone makes mistakes and has several pitfalls when starting a lawn business and even throughout their lawn care business career. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve read or how experienced you are, it’s human nature that things will go wrong at one point or another. Often its how you handle those mistakes and pitfalls that will make you stand out from the crowd, gain trusting customers and receive referrals and more business.

When you working with machines like lawn mowers and trimmers on occasion the trimmer will get away from you and you’ll leave a nice half moon indent in your clients yard. Maybe you’ll start mowing a yard and forget to raise your mower from the last job you did, scalping the yard. What can you do to fix these problems?

First off, you need to admit that you made a mistake and address it with the owner of the property. Don’t just leave it hoping that your customer won’t see it. That is just bad business and will give you an angry customer when the mistake is discovered. Let the customer know that you are going to rectify the problem and you might even ask for some help. For example, If you accidentally mowed a strip of lawn down to the thatch on a customers lawn you’d want to tell the customer to water heavy that week and you’d need to apply some fertilizer with iron in it to get the grass growing green and to fix the mistake as soon as possible.

If you were to leave a big ugly strip of thatch on your customers lawn and not address it, you wouldn’t have a customer for very long. Being honest, upfront and genuine when you make a mistake builds trust and loyalty between you and your customers. So much so that when you suggest additional services to them they will trust you and value your opinion.

It’s really important to always be honest with your customers and make sure that they don’t pay the price for when you mess up. Grass will always grow back and customers respect a humble person who is willing to be accountable far more than they respect someone who does a shotty job and doesn’t want to be responsible for it.

If you operate your business this way you will see residual results. You will receive more customer referrals, you will be able to upsell your current customers more and you will receive free “Buzz” marketing because people will be talking about you! Make sure that it is positive “Buzz” marketing by being upfront and accountable.

To find out more about how to operate your lawn care business visit us here: how to start a lawn business

Article by BRADLEY

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Lawn Care Marketing Made Simple

Sunday, August 29, 2010 17:52 No Comments

Lawn Care Marketing Made Simple

In the economic downturn that we are experiencing these days, there are several people that have found themselves laid off or down sized without any hope to financially support themselves and their families.  Now, is the time for such people to take it back to the very basics to ensure that they do not find themselves in a situation in which they may not readily recover.

When many of us were young growing up here in America and we faced the prospect of not having enough allowance to adequately satisfy our cravings when the ice cream truck came around each and every day, we turned to cutting grass as a viable and rather easy alternative to our own generate income.  Well, this time-honored principle works just as well today as it did back then.

Starting a lawn care business is easy and doing your own lawn care marketing

In order to develop a customer base, it is important that we take our lawn care business marketing seriously.  It is not enough to just type out “HAVE MOWER, WILL CUT YOUR GRASS” on a piece of paper and then make a hundred copies and place them on the counter at the local drugstore.  We need to, instead, take time to create an image by coming up with a unique name and slogan and then designing a flyer and postcards that stand out and have a sense or urgency with words like “FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY.”

After these, it is important that we get out and do the leg work that is required for our lawn care business marketing plan.  We should canvass the entire neighborhood that we choose as our target area by placing flyers on every parked car windshield, in every neighborhood business the will allow us, and on every available community bulletin board.  We also slide our postcards under every single door in the neighborhood, as well as under the doors in adjacent neighborhoods as well.

Once we accomplish these simple tasks, our lawn care business marketing plan will soon begin to reap benefits and we will need to next work on keeping customers once we get them.

Bob Smith is a noted Author and Lecturer and recommends growing your landscaping business through
lawn care marketing

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Dallas Texas Lawn Care and Landscaping Tips

Sunday, August 29, 2010 5:52 No Comments

Dallas Texas Lawn Care and Landscaping Tips

Dallas lawn care does not have to be complicated. Having a great looking lawn and garden really doesn’t have to take a lot of work, or use a lot of water. With the proper planning and preparation you can design and landscape your land so that it will be easy to care for and better for the environment. The ideas for landscaping in Dallas, Texas below should help to get you on the right track.

If you want to minimize water usage and maintenance, the first thing you will need to do is design your Dallas landscaping based on the plants that are native to the area and do well with the type of soil that you have. Most garden centers can help you to get a better idea of which plants these are, or you can go to a number of different websites that will let you do a search based on the area you live in and tell you which would be your best bets when it comes to plants. Doing some research and choosing the right plants will mean less work for you in the long run.

You also want your plan for landscaping in Dallas, Texas to take into account they type of land that you are using. You want to plant things on slopes that will help to hold the soil in place, and you will want to plant things that need more water at the bottom of hills so they can take advantage of runoff. Getting the help of someone familiar with this type of landscaping can make this easier.

It is also important to get your soil tested before planning your landscaping in Dallas, Texas. This will help you to figure out which types of plants will grow best, and will allow for you to add compost or other materials to help you prepare the soil so that your plants will grow better.

Mulching is also very important. This will help to prevent weeds from growing, make it less likely that water will evaporate from the soil before it gets to the plants, and also help to keep the soil at a good temperature. Properly mulching each year can minimize the amount of maintenance that you will need to do on your landscaping.

Finally, you will want to make sure to irrigate properly when it is needed. Most people give plants too much water too quickly, so they are unable to take advantage of all the water and much is wasted.

So as you can see, Dallas TX lawn care does not have to be complicated.

Bob Smith is a noted Author and Lecturer and recommends visiting Dallas lawn care

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Proper Centipede Lawn Care

Saturday, August 28, 2010 17:52 No Comments

Proper Centipede Lawn Care

Proper Centipede Lawn Care

                         

 Centipede Grass needs a low-nitrogen, fertilizer without phosphorus or potassium (9-0-0).  Fertilizing with a nitrogen percentage of more than 9 more than twice a year will harm Centipede turf and promote lawn disease, weeds, and insect infestation.  I use corn glutton meal (a fertilizer but also a pre-emergent broadleaf weed controller) in early spring and early fall.  There is no weed and feed product on the market that will do more good than harm to Centipede grass.  Centipede grass can be effectively greened up using lawn sulfur.  Sulfur lowers soil pH but Centipede’s ideal pH is Acidic (4.5 to 5.5) so there is little danger of lowering the pH too much.

Healthy Centipede grass requires more micronutrients than macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium).    Soil amendments should contain vitamins B-1, B-12, gibberellins, indoles, auxins as well as trace elements of boron, iron, zinc, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and sulfur.  These nutrients should be chelated, meaning they are instantly available to the grass. They should be salt and chlorine free to be safe for the plant and the soil.  The soil amendment I use is a liquid product containing cold-water kelp, humic acid, and molasses.   This contains 30+ natural trace elements and plant growth hormones.  This should be used instead of fertilizer during the spring and summer months for the best results.

The lawn should be aerated at least once a year.  I use a liquid aerator instead of mechanical methods.  I have found this to be faster and much more effective.  Mechanical means of aerating penetrate the ground only about 3 inches where the liquid penetrates 6-8 inches relieving compaction (especially in clay soils) and allowing roots to develop deeper in the soil for better drought survival.

Centipede lawns develop thatch quickly.  Again, I use a liquid dethatcher over mechanical means.  Liquid dethatchers contain bacteria and enzymes that quickly decompose thatch and all other dead organic matter returning their nutrients to the soil.  The end product of decomposing action is humus (nutrient rich top soil).  Rich soil has a humus layer of 6-8 inches with a carbon level of 12-14 percent.  The average lawn has a humus level of 3/8 to ½ inch with a carbon percentage of 2.  Liquid dethatchers quickly and naturally build humus.

Irrigation: Irrigate only when the grass shows signs of moisture stress, such as off color, wilting or rolling leaves. Then apply enough water to wet the soil to a depth of 4 to 8 inches. This generally requires about 1 inch of water, which should last 7 to 10 days. Early morning is the best time to irrigate, while evening irrigation is more efficient.  Too much or too little irrigation causes lawn diseases

Mowing/Mulching puts back in your lawn nutrients both macro nutrients (N-P-K) and the necessary micro nutrients (vitamins B-1, B-12, gibberellins, indoles, auxins as well as trace elements of boron, iron, zinc, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and sulfur.)  All organic matter decomposes into humus (fertile topsoil) quickly when the biological dethatcher is applied.  Leaves should also be mulched into the lawn.  They have excellent humus building properties.

A healthy Centipede lawn is weed free, insect free, and an asset to the value of your home.

Centipede Grass Deficiency Symptoms:

Nitrogen – Nitrogen deficiency is rarely a problem with Centipede Grass. 

Potassium – Most grasses use potassium to build cells and tissue.  Centipede grass however, is not like most grasses and handles potassium poorly. 

Phosphorus – Potassium is harmful to the root systems of Centipede Grass.

Micronutrients and trace elements handle this job in Centipede grass.

Plants require smaller amounts of the secondary macronutrients-sulfur, calcium, and magnesium. Iron, manganese, zinc, copper, chlorine, boron, and molybdenum are still essential for growth but are required in even smaller amounts. They are often referred to as micronutrients or trace elements. Each of these macro- and micronutrients serves specific purposes for our grass.

Magnesium – Centipede foliage will appear yellowish green with red tinted edges.  Even though it’s classified as a secondary macronutrient, magnesium is still critical for growth. Without magnesium, plants can’t use light to make food through photosynthesis!  Plants also need magnesium to be able to take in their other essential nutrients and to make seeds. 

Calcium – New leaves will be small and grass will be rust colored.  As with sulfur, Centipede grasses also need calcium to make proteins. Calcium promotes new root growth and facilitates overall plant vigor. 

Sulfur – Fully-grown leaves turn yellow.  One of the secondary macronutrients, sulfur helps plants maintain their dark green color. Mainly, plants use sulfur to create essential proteins.  In Centipede grasses, sulfur is essential for nitrogen-fixing nodules, and necessary in the formation of chlorophyll. Plants use sulfur in the processes of producing proteins, amino acids, enzymes and vitamins. Sulfur also helps the plant’s resistance to disease, aids in growth, and in seed formation.

Iron – The new grass will turn yellow.  Iron makes for healthy, dark green growth. As with magnesium, iron is essential for photosynthesis.  Iron is necessary for chlorophyll formation, and without it, plants wouldn’t be able to carry out essential cellular functions. 

Manganese – The new grass turns yellow.  In short, manganese makes things happen. Manganese is necessary for chlorophyll formation, and without it, grasses would not be able to carry out essential cellular functions. 

Zinc – Grass leaves will appear shriveling, narrow bladed and smaller than usual.  Plants use zinc in conjunction with other elements to carry out many natural processes including forming chlorophyll.

Boron – Yellowed grassing and immature growth.  Centipede grasses don’t need much of it, but boron does facilitate nutrient uptake and it helps plants to grow new tissue. 
Molybdenum – Fully grown and mature grass appears gray-green.  Grasses need molybdenum to produce essential proteins.  

Copper – Copper contributes too many natural processes including plant metabolism and reproduction. 

Centipede decline

In mature Centipedegrass lawns (3 or more years old) problem areas sometimes appear in the spring and grow worse throughout the summer. These problem areas usually develop in thatchy turf, compacted soils, drought areas or areas under other stresses. Since a specific disease organism has not been identified as the cause, the problem has been broadly named “Centipede decline” and is used to describe the most common problems observed on Centipedegrass. These include dollar spot, large patch, fairy rings, nematodes, ground pearls and nutritional problems.

Symptoms: the grass gradually deteriorates and is replaced by weeds or other invassive grasses. The grass often greens up in early spring, but gradually turns off color, wilts and dies. These areas resemble Centipedegrass suffering from drought conditions.

Examination of the turf in these areas reveals little root development. Many of the stolons, or runners, have no root attachment to the soil. Some small discolored roots may be found in the thatch, or the organic layer. The grass may be dead in the center of the discolored area with often dark green, leaves radiating into the healthy grass.
Dollar spot is a disease that is often seen on centipedegrass during the summer. The symptoms of this disease are light brown spots 2 to 4 inches in diameter. It does not appear to cause serious damage. Centipedegrass that is declining because of other factors may have more dollar spot than nearby healthy grass. The grass may continue to decline in the affected patches, especially in dry weather, for a long time after the disease activity has stopped. 

                                         

Fairy rings:  Fairy ring symptoms are large circular dead spots, dead rings, or green rings (3 to 20 feet in diameter) that enlarge for several years. Mushrooms of the fungi that cause this disease may be present at the edge of the rings or throughout the circles sometime during the year. Mushrooms may not develop for several years and suddenly appear following a weather pattern that induces mushroom development. Effective treatments are not known for fairy rings in lawns, however, rototilling the soil and replanting healthy grass has eliminated the problem in some cases.  Note:  Mushrooms not in a circular pattern are not a sign of Fairy ring.  Mushrooms often develop over dead tree roots as part of the decomposition process. 

                                           

Sting Nematodes have been associated with the decline in sandy soils in some cases. The sting nematode has been shown to cause very serious damage on Centipedegrass in sandy soils in the Carolinas. Centipedegrass affected by this nematode will become thin and even die during hot-dry weather. Incorporation of organic matter in the soil may help overcome nematode damage; however, care must be taken to avoid too much nitrogen being released for Centipedegrass.

Ground pearls are small scale insects that attack the roots of Centipedegrass and may cause circular dead areas that resemble fairy ring. The spots enlarge each year and only weeds grow in the spots. Ground pearls are identified by the presence of small pearl-like bodies on the roots or in the soil. The pink adult stage that crawls is present during early summer. A control is not known for the ground pearls. Other types of grass, such as Bermuda grass or Bahia grass, appear to be less sensitive to ground pearls and should be considered for lawns with severe ground pearl problems. 

                                                 

Nutritional factors, including low potassium levels in sandy soils, high phosphorus levels, the use of too much nitrogen fertilizer, and low or high soil pH (5.5 is best) have been associated with the problem. High soil pH will cause Centipedegrass to turn bright yellow, especially in the spring, due to iron deficiency (iron chlorosis). High phosphorus levels can increase iron chlorosis since it can replace iron in the plant. The use of fertilizers high in phosphorus may contribute to the decline of Centipedegrass.  High nitrogen caused the stolons to be above the soil where they are more susceptible to damage by cold weather. More centipede decline usually occurs in the spring and summer following very cold winters or following winters with unusually warm weather and then late cold periods. Excess nitrogen reduces cold and drought tolerance of Centipedegrass.   Potassium may help to reduce stress during the summer and winter.

Centipedegrass is not very drought tolerant and is damaged during very dry weather. Irrigation when needed will help reduce damage from drought stress. Localized dry spots of soil that are hydrophobic (difficult to wet) have been associated with declining patches of Centipedegrass. The soil in these patches needs extra aeration.  
The use of chemical/synthetic herbicides (as sprays or in fertilizers) has been associated with the decline problem.  Once a good stand of Centipedegrass is established, weeds usually are not a problem because of the allelopathic activities that Centipedegrass has against other plants. Therefore, herbicides should not be needed on Centipede grass if it is managed properly.

Centipedegrass is not very shade-tolerant and does not grow well under trees with dense foliage. Root competition from nearby trees may increase drought stress and sometimes causes fairy ring-like symptoms. The landscape should be redesigned to use mulch or shade-tolerant groundcover plants in these areas if the trees cannot be removed.

Centipedegrass will usually spread over dead areas more rapidly if the old grass is removed and the soil loosened (aerated). New sprigs or overseeding in the areas will facilitate faster recovery.

Control: Cultural practices provide the most effective means of preventing centipede decline.

The author has been involved in lawn care for over 25 years.  Owns and operates Stout Services Lawn Care Plus in South Carolina. 

He can be contacted at (843) 639-5229 or emailed at store@swstout.com.

Product Web Site: http://www.theorganiclawncarestore.com/

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10 Spring Lawn Care Tips

Saturday, August 28, 2010 5:52 No Comments

10 Spring Lawn Care Tips

Before you set out the patio furniture and fire up the grill, get your lawn ready for spring by following these easy tips. They will help you get a head start this spring and make your lawn care efforts more rewarding this year.

Get plucky. Spring can be the best season for weed plucking because weed roots are shorter and not as tough. Spray on vinegar or pluck out weeds using a fork or claw tool. To prevent weeds growing back, use corn gluten which also works as an organic fertilizer. To cover over unsightly bare spots, you can sprinkle grass seed and compost.

Rake once, and rake hard. On dry spring days, get out the rake to remove dead grass and matted grass. Use a stiff rake and apply plenty of elbow grease. Aggressive raking eliminates the need for costlier machine-dependent processes such as de-thatching. (Thatch is dead grass tissue.) Raking should also be done before you apply seed to your lawn.

Top it up. Apply a quarter-inch layer of topsoil and compost to level out your lawn and add nutrients. Topsoil also reduces thatches. If your lawn has holes, fill them with a little soil, rake in the soil until it is level, and then apply seed.

Avoid a close shave. If wet weather has meant postponing spring mowing, set your mower higher. Mow frequently after the first spring mow. Mow when your grass reaches just below 4 inches. Each time you mow, change the direction to reduce the build-up of clippings.

Start spreading the seed. Spread seed in the spring (ideally before May) to keep your lawn thick and healthy. To ensure your lawn is getting all the nutrients it needs, add compost or topsoil to the seed; this also improves water retention. To seed by hand, scatter half the seeds while walking in one direction, and half at right angles to the first direction.

There are many types of seed. Kentucky bluegrass provides a lush, dark green lawn. Fine fescue is a lighter green grass ideal for shadier parts of your lawn. Your choice of seed should match growing conditions: analyze whether your lawn needs a shady or sunny mix. When you spread seed, remember that moisture is the key to ensuring that the seed takes root. Dont let water puddle or run off.

Make moss history. Moss develops due to growing conditions such as soil with too much acid, too little light, and poor drainage. You may not be able to change sunlight in your yard or garden, but you can fix problems such as drainage and acid levels with sand and lime.

Apply lime to reduce the acid in your soil after heavy winter rains. Grass prefers alkaline soil but rains wash away nutrients. Crushed egg shell lime is organic and eco-friendly. Compost also acts to neutralize acid.

Each spring begin your lawn and garden care with a simple pH test of your soil by inserting a pH thermometer; a pH above 6.5 means your soil is acidic.

If changing the pH level is a challenge, consider acid-loving blueberry and strawberry, heathers, holly, hydrangeas, azaleas, ferns, primroses and groundcovers such as periwinkle, bugleweed and foamflower. Willow and oak trees also thrive in acidic soil.

Eric Winston is a lawn expert with BUR-HAN Lawn Care, a Vancouver lawncare company. For more information please visit their website at http://www.bur-han.ca

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Lawn Care And Landscaping – Do It Yourself Or Hire Out

Friday, August 27, 2010 17:58 No Comments

Lawn Care And Landscaping – Do It Yourself Or Hire Out

Today’s busy homeowners typically juggle two careers, an active family life, and the upkeep of the home. Subsequently, there seems to be less and less time in the day to complete tasks that were once part of our weekend routines. Something has to give; and deciding what that something is can be an exercise in frustration and uncertainty. Luckily, more and more businesses continue to crop up over the years that allow us to turn those daily chores over to someone else for a nominal fee that can be well worth its price. Included in these essential services is the business of lawn care and landscaping; services that today’s American families seem to require more often.

As anyone who calls the suburbs their home will tell you, the appearance of your lawn is crucial to your survival. An unkempt exterior will draw a host of negative attention from your neighbors and can often do more to ruin your otherwise stellar reputation than if you had set the entire neighborhood on fire. Part of living in a community – fortunately or unfortunately – is your responsibility to your neighbors to maintain a well-kept uniformity. Lawn care and landscaping is paramount to upholding your neighborly responsibility.

Additionally, lawn care and landscaping will add value to your overall home, in many cases increasing its worth and that of the neighborhood. Putting money into lawn care and landscaping will ensure good resale value; and if you do decide to sell your home, your curb appeal alone will surely increase inquiries about your property.

The way in which you maintain lawn care and landscaping is a personal decision. As said, there are a multitude of companies that will professionally landscape your property to your specifications and perform maintenance – both lawn and landscaping – on a frequent basis. The money spent on such a service can be well worth the expense.

But for some, spending time on lawn care and landscaping is something that must be done alone. Such outdoor activities can be a worthy and accomplished hobby. Using your own two hands to add to the beauty of your home can be enormously fulfilling.

For easy to understand, in depth information about lawncare visit our ezGuide 2 Lawn Care.

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Lawn Care Marketing Is Getting Tougher

Friday, August 27, 2010 6:02 No Comments

Lawn Care Marketing Is Getting Tougher

Lawn care marketing is getting tougher and tougher these days. In today’s economic times running a successful, small business can be exceedingly difficult. Especially, if it requires your customers to have to spend a portion of their discretionary income in order to pay for your services. Everyone is cutting back on paying for products and services that are not essential for day to day living. If you run a small business, such as a lawn care maintenance service your business could be in danger. Developing a lawn care marketing plan can help you save your business from going under. A marketing plan can help you keep the clients your have while adding new customers. Your plan will help your business succeed in any economy.

Developing a lawn care marketing plan is not as difficult as it sounds. You have probably been doing some form or marketing already. All your marketing plan needs to do is place your marketing efforts in a strategic plan. The first step is to develop a plan that includes both external and internal marketing items. External projects are items that are targeted toward new prospective clients. Internal projects are targeted toward your current client base. Internal project’s main goal is to improve your relationship with your clients, and to encourage customer loyalty.

The second step in developing your lawn care marketing is to devise a detailed calendar of events. A good marketing plan will include monthly, bi-weekly and weekly marketing efforts. This should include all marketing efforts; such as, mailings, networking, Chamber of Commerce meetings, print ads and fliers. Before you add any event your marketing plan, you will need to thoroughly research the activity. You will want to weigh the benefits against the cost to verify that it will benefit your business.

Step three is the most important part of any and all marketing plans is to track your results. You will want to make sure you have a system in place that will enable you to track all incoming responses. You will want to set up your tracking system to track responses by project or activity. This way you will be able to make immediate changes to your lawn care marketing plan. If any of your marketing efforts, are not producing a positive return on investment you will want to eliminate them from your lawn care marketing plan

The final step in your plan is to follow through on all incoming responses. Even if you can have the best plan in the world, but if customers are not happy with your customer service you might as well shut your doors before they even open.

Bob Smith is a noted Author and Lecturer and recommends visiting
Lawn Care Marketing

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Complete Lawn Care Tips – Killer Tips On Having A Great Lawn

Thursday, August 26, 2010 17:52 No Comments

Complete Lawn Care Tips – Killer Tips On Having A Great Lawn

Having a great looking lawn can be one of the easiest and quickest ways to increase your homes value.

People do not realize that the soil and the roots of the grass need air in order to grow, especially if the soil is compacted. This process of aeration just means is to perform a simple procedure or poking small holes in the lawn at regular intervals so that the oxygen can reach the roots and the water can get to them. This will help prevent thatch and increase the amount of nutrients getting to the soil. Your lawn can become compacted over time and aeration is especially important for long term health.

Adequate fertilisation is crucial point in keeping your lawn healthy and beautiful. Firstly learn what soil type you have and adjust the fertilizer to your soil needs. Over fertilizing can be harmful to your grass and make so called fertilizer burn for that reason compost is the best available fertilizer for organic lawn care .

Over-watering is one of the most common lawn problems. Too much water causes much more damage than under-watering does — this is because most varieties of turf handle short droughts fine, but can be wrecked with flooding. Brown patches (commonly a fungal infection) on the lawn can often be attributed over-watering. To avoid disaster, know the requirements of the grass type you have planted and water accordingly.

Don’t forget to pull any weed on your lawn. Include the measure to cut your grass higher,so you prevent the sunlight feed the weed. Weed have deep roots and many times you have to remove weeds digging them out by the roots,spraying weed is not very effective in fall, but if you choose it, remember to follow the indications on the herbicide label.

There you have my basic tips to keep a healthy enough lawn to make you want to defend it with your life.

I know how you feel, you want the perfect lawn but are a bit overwhelmed by it all. Then this is what you need to do NOW First, go to http://lovelawncare.com/lawn-care-reviews/ to get honest and impartial reviews on some popular and successful ‘lawn care and maintenance‘ products. Next If you are serious about having a beautiful lawn, TRY one of them, they do work. Third enjoy the si

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