Lesco Fertilizer Question?!?!?!

[Husky05]

I have about 40 Residential accounts and 4 commerical accounts that I do fertilizing for. I live in Pittsburgh and buy all my fertilizer from a Lesco dealer. The program I use is as follows:

Spring 19-0-6 Dimension (Fertilizer + Crabgrass Control)
Late Spring 21-0-12 Momentum (Weed and Feed)
Late Spring Grub Control
Fall 21-0-12 Momentum (Weed and Feed)
Late Fall 21-3-21 Winterizer
Late Fall LIME

Going in order from top to bottom the prices I get for this per bag is $18.48, $30.01, $52.45, $28.28, $19.63 each bag is 12,000 ft2 except for the grub control and the winterizer.

My question is, is there anywhere else I can buy Lesco Fertilizer cheaper. I have been adding my reciepts up for this past season for my taxes and I personally think (I could be wrong) that this fertilzer is expensive. The reason I say this is because the other day I was at Home Depot and I walked out into thier garden section and I noticed that they sell Lesco Fertilzier but as I looked at it closer it was completely different. It was fertilizer that was made for the Midwest states/part of the country. Why they are selling those products in the Northeast is beyond me.

Also, part of this posts question is, I have been doing these estimates all week. My typical residential account is 10,000 square feet and I would get 46.16 per application ( six total) or $277.00 for the year. This is $127.00 in material and $150.00 in labor. A few of my customers got quotes from companies like tru-green, or davey's they are anywhere from 6-8 dollars less. Now I know they are buying a much larger volume then me but there has to be somewhere cheaper I can get this or use a different brand that is just as affective. BTW, I use a Rotary spreader and all my fertilizer is granular.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly apperciated.

Thanks,

Dave

[indyturf]

I would check around and find 2 or 3 other fertilizer suppliers in your area.you can probablly find it cheaper. I paid $13.75 for my rd 1 19-0-6 w/dem. but I buy 500 bags

[indyturf]

you could also save some $ by using liquid weed control, permagreen makes a battery operated sprayer you can mount to your spreader that does a good job. plus you will save a ton of $ on herbicide by just spot-spraying the weeds and not the whole lawn.

[Runner]

Puting all that pesticide down makes no sense. First, do away with the dry granular herbicide. And DEFINITELY nix the grub control unless there is a problem that you are completely aware and sure of. Ax far as the lime in the fall, that makes no sense either. What is that for???

[Husky05]

Liming is an important part of a turf management program in the humid, eastern United States. Rainfall exceeds 30 inches per year, leaching basic or alkaline-forming ions, such as calcium and magnesium, from the soil and resulting in an acid soil condition which restricts growth of turf. The lime breaks down the acidity.

[GrazerZ]

I have about 40 Residential accounts and 4 commerical accounts that I do fertilizing for. I live in Pittsburgh and buy all my fertilizer from a Lesco dealer. The program I use is as follows:

Spring 19-0-6 Dimension (Fertilizer + Crabgrass Control)
Late Spring 21-0-12 Momentum (Weed and Feed)
Late Spring Grub Control
Fall 21-0-12 Momentum (Weed and Feed)
Late Fall 21-3-21 Winterizer
Late Fall LIME

Going in order from top to bottom the prices I get for this per bag is $18.48, $30.01, $52.45, $28.28, $19.63 each bag is 12,000 ft2 except for the grub control and the winterizer.

My question is, is there anywhere else I can buy Lesco Fertilizer cheaper. I have been adding my reciepts up for this past season for my taxes and I personally think (I could be wrong) that this fertilzer is expensive. The reason I say this is because the other day I was at Home Depot and I walked out into thier garden section and I noticed that they sell Lesco Fertilzier but as I looked at it closer it was completely different. It was fertilizer that was made for the Midwest states/part of the country. Why they are selling those products in the Northeast is beyond me.

Also, part of this posts question is, I have been doing these estimates all week. My typical residential account is 10,000 square feet and I would get 46.16 per application ( six total) or $277.00 for the year. This is $127.00 in material and $150.00 in labor. A few of my customers got quotes from companies like tru-green, or davey's they are anywhere from 6-8 dollars less. Now I know they are buying a much larger volume then me but there has to be somewhere cheaper I can get this or use a different brand that is just as affective. BTW, I use a Rotary spreader and all my fertilizer is granular.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly apperciated.

Thanks,

Dave

You could save yourself some good money on materials if you switch the 2nd round fert/granular weed control to a straight fert and liquid app of herbicide. Even if you do a second app of 19-0-6 with dem it would save you a ton of money. also you will get better weed control.Also drop the granular weed control in fall. Liquid herbicide is far ceaper than granular products, even at you pricing with Lesco. I would also look at the grub control as well. Consider if its really needed or not, and use it as a selling point -"we don't apply unless its necessary" for example.
As mentioned, the biggest way you will control your costs is to go to liquid herb applications. You already have 4 apps of fert. But if you are pricing each round per item you currently have what is considered a 9 step program. I'm going to go out on a limb here and quess that the Lesco salesmen put this program together for you. If thats the case you are buying way to much product for what you are charging. Your prices for these product is low also. I f you are only 5 or 6 dollars off of tru-green thenm your prices probably are too low. Think about Establishing a minimum charge also of about 50 -55 dollars on a 10,000. Sell the customer on quality not $$ your lawns will speak for themselves.

[turfmann]

Puting all that pesticide down makes no sense. First, do away with the dry granular herbicide. And DEFINITELY nix the grub control unless there is a problem that you are completely aware and sure of. Ax far as the lime in the fall, that makes no sense either. What is that for???

Leave the guy alone - he didn't ask for your opinion of his program, he asked if someone knew where he could buy fertilizer cheaper.

And since you didn't ask me for my opinion of your opinion, I'll give it to you anyway- I love competitors like you! Grub breakthroughs, moss covered lawns and lots of service calls from angry people that hired you to do what they could do themselves if they had the time! Gee, I seem to remember when I had 40 customers I had a Lesco spreader and a backpack sprayer. I did a good job for my customers so when I got bigger, I got a sprayer so I didn't have to do granular weed control. Little bigger and I could buy a ride on spreader.

Give the guy some positive reinforcement. If he wants to be slammed he can go ask his wife for some criticism.

As far as fertilizer pricing, project how much fertilizer you will be buying for the entire season and use that quantity to your advantage. Ask the salesman to price his products based upon the total you will be buying for the season, not for the day. If you can, buy in quantity and in advance. Direct ship if you have the ability to handle a pallet or two at your office.

[Husky05]

Turfman,

Buying in bulk is an excellent idea. I just go to the lesco dealer 5 times a year and each time buy the next step of fertilizer. Maybe if I buy all 5 applications at once it will be cheaper. Plus I will definitely look into selling the grub control application instead of providing it.

[Tscape]

Leave the guy alone - he didn't ask for your opinion of his program, he asked if someone knew where he could buy fertilizer cheaper.

And since you didn't ask me for my opinion of your opinion, I'll give it to you anyway- I love competitors like you! Grub breakthroughs, moss covered lawns and lots of service calls from angry people that hired you to do what they could do themselves if they had the time! Gee, I seem to remember when I had 40 customers I had a Lesco spreader and a backpack sprayer. I did a good job for my customers so when I got bigger, I got a sprayer so I didn't have to do granular weed control. Little bigger and I could buy a ride on spreader.

Give the guy some positive reinforcement. If he wants to be slammed he can go ask his wife for some criticism.

As far as fertilizer pricing, project how much fertilizer you will be buying for the entire season and use that quantity to your advantage. Ask the salesman to price his products based upon the total you will be buying for the season, not for the day. If you can, buy in quantity and in advance. Direct ship if you have the ability to handle a pallet or two at your office.


Uh, Runner was giving very constructive advice. From what I can see of his posts he has a strong knowledge of turf care practices and his advice should be valued.
Positive reinforcement? How about constructive criticism instead? You want positive reinforcement go to your mom's house for dinner.

[The Ranger]

Husky05.
Look at upping the amount of N in your product choice. We use a 32% N product that we buy for less money than our 24% N product. Straight fert, no FE, CA, or MG. Also read an old post of mine labeled "Know your N cost"

[crzymow]

There should be an Ikex dealer down there, im from up near erie and i get all my fert., seed and hydroseeding mulch from them. just so you know you cant use momentum on residential properties anymore as well. the price i recieved for weed and feed fert (trimec) was $21.00 a bag. The fert with dimension was $18.25/bag, and it has a bit more dimension in it. IKEXINC.com, check it out, i know there are down in that area, just not sure where exactly.

[Husky05]

Alright I will definitely look at the Nitogren prices and I will definitely check that website out. Thank you very much!

[Runner]

Ok....
If you're gonna help the guy out with his question....and regarding keeping the price down to market, how about if we eliminate some unecessary costs to the customers - LIKE DUMPING UNNEEDED PESTICIDES INTO THEIR SOIL! Common sense??? Perhaps so. But even more so than that, let's do it for the right reasons.
As far as the lime thing goes,....Thank you for the reply, because I realize that it was sincere and genuine. :) I KNOW what it does, but why I asking, is I was just wondering why it was being applied. How do you know how MUCH to apply? Whay are you telling the customer (how long will this take - 1 season? 2 seasons?) If you haven't seen any test results, INCLUDING the CAC, then you are just taking a wild guess AND perhaps applying something that MAY not be needed (let alone could possibly create hinderance).
I don't put people down, and I don't hold them back. For my 6 years on this site, you can go back and review my posts and I would like to see ONE post in any thread where I have done so. I have done nothing but take my 23 years experience in this industry, and spread it and used it to help others. The advice that I gave this guy was nothing but sound advice. Any responsible applicator would know that.