Landscape Before and After!

[Gatewayuser]

Here is a job I just finished. The plants are Wine & Roses Wigela, Boxwoods and Endless Summer Hydrangea. I added 2 tons of supersoil and tilled 1 1/2 ft deep.

Before

[Gatewayuser]

Before pic

[Gatewayuser]

Last before

[Gatewayuser]

Sod removed, bed laid out and 1st edge.

[Gatewayuser]

Super soil added, tilled in and plants added.

[Gatewayuser]

Mulch added.

[DRM Ventures]

Looks pretty good.......now they just need some grass to off set that nice dark mulch....

[Gatewayuser]

another last

[Gatewayuser]

Job complete. What do you all think? Before anyone says anything I know you should not work in even numbers but thats how the customer wanted it laid out.

[NEPSJay]

install looks good, whats with the lawn tho? it looks horrible

[Gatewayuser]

install looks good, whats with the lawn tho? it looks horrible

These are newer houses with a lot of clay so the lawns are not the greatest but I am treating it this year. The soil sample was terrible it needs everything imaginable.

[sheshovel]

All I can say is your customer has no imagination...........gee wiz...........

[Splicer]

So THATS where you used all that mulch we talked about...Good job brother!:clapping:

[Gatewayuser]

So THATS where you used all that mulch we talked about...Good job brother!:clapping:

No the 32 yd job I had was in Hamilton Twp. That job only took 5 yds. I put the bid in for the 120yd job but won't know anything for a while. It nice when I get small mulch jobs because it feels like they fly.
So I heard you were giving fliers to my customers, don't back stab me! :nono: :laugh:

[TheKingNJ]

If those are weigelas on the corners of the house, they are going to have a problem in a few years, the weigela are going to get too big for that area. They are not going to be able to see out the windows and they are going to grow right up against the house.

[Gatewayuser]

If those are weigelas on the corners of the house, they are going to have a problem in a few years, the weigela are going to get too big for that area. They are not going to be able to see out the windows and they are going to grow right up against the house.

They don't grow as tall or wide as most weigelas and the customer will trim them back when needed, they wanted them it that spot. You don't have to let plants get to their full size.

[FinerCutslawnCare]

Lawn makes me cry, but everything else looks good!

[Gatewayuser]

Lawn makes me cry, but everything else looks good!

The lawn does suck but will get better with time.

[Splicer]

So I heard you were giving fliers to my customers, don't back stab me! :nono: :laugh:
Hey! We talked about that already!:laugh: And what did I tell you? I said EVERY house will get a flier! Keep doing the quality work you do my friend and you will have no worries my friend:clapping:

(Besides, you never pointed out which customers were 'yours'. What was I supposed to do? Guess? :laugh: :drinkup: )

[zim bob the landscaper]

hope you do good this year gateway. you should rototill it and get some new loam and seed it, sod, or hydro.

[Gatewayuser]

hope you do good this year gateway. you should rototill it and get some new loam and seed it, sod, or hydro.

No need for seed new soil or sod just proper treatments and it will fill in, I already have the soil sample back and see the problems. I hope you and your dad do well to this year too zim.

[Gatewayuser]

Hey! We talked about that already!:laugh: And what did I tell you? I said EVERY house will get a flier! Keep doing the quality work you do my friend and you will have no worries my friend:clapping:

(Besides, you never pointed out which customers were 'yours'. What was I supposed to do? Guess? :laugh: :drinkup: )

I'm not worried about losing customers considering every year I have had a 100% renewal rate and already do this year. Could you believe how well my mower did in the rain yesterday, I did'nt think I would get done in time.

[qualitylawnmanagement]

Looks good man, Real nice job!

[MMLawn]

No need for seed new soil or sod just proper treatments and it will fill in, I already have the soil sample back and see the problems. I hope you and your dad do well to this year too zim.

Sorry dude, but unless there is tons of dormant seed lying there from a fall overseeding then if you really believe that you don't know what you are doing when it comes to growing turf. I'm sure that is fescue and it ain't goin' "spread" anywhere, at least not in the next 5 years. IT DOES need to be aerated and reseeded/overseeded at least with a good high quality fescue blend and it would do much better if it was broken completely up and either topdressed or sanded and then seeded. Fertilizer alone is only going to have very limited effects. I tell you this not to bash you but to help you. :waving:

[cgland]

You need to pull the tags off the plants. If the customer wants them, give them to them...don't leave them on the shrubs.

chris

[Gatewayuser]

You need to pull the tags off the plants. If the customer wants them, give them to them...don't leave them on the shrubs.

chris

I have to leave them on there until they get home tomorrow.

[Gatewayuser]

Sorry dude, but unless there is tons of dormant seed lying there from a fall overseeding then if you really believe that you don't know what you are doing when it comes to growing turf. I'm sure that is fescue and it ain't goin' "spread" anywhere, at least not in the next 5 years. IT DOES need to be aerated and reseeded/overseeded at least with a good high quality fescue blend and it would do much better if it was broken completely up and either topdressed or sanded and then seeded. Fertilizer alone is only going to have very limited effects. I tell you this not to bash you but to help you. :waving:

It needs a lot of lime because the pH is to low and is at around 5.5 which does not allow for good cell division and with out that it cannot get wider only taller. Maybe near the bed it needs some more seed but the rest of the lawn is ok, the reason its that bad near the house is because its a new addition that was put on last year. The lawn had 800 lb of grass seed put on last year its now just the matter of proper soil nutrient levels. I took turf, hort science, landscape construction and design at the college and vocational level so I think I know what I'm doing, but thanks anyway. I know for a fact that they can fill in with the right conditions and the 60 customers I have know that for a fact too. Most of my lawns are 1 - 7 acres so its not cost effective to top dress, it could use an aeration though.

[MMLawn]

It needs a lot of lime because the pH is to low and is at around 5.5 which does not allow for good cell division and with out that it cannot get wider only taller. Maybe near the bed it needs some more seed but the rest of the lawn is ok, the reason its that bad near the house is because its a new addition that was put on last year. The lawn had 800 lb of grass seed put on last year its now just the matter of proper soil nutrient levels. I took turf, hort science, landscape construction and design at the college and vocational level so I think I know what I'm doing, but thanks anyway. I know for a fact that they can fill in with the right conditions and the 60 customers I have know that for a fact too. Most of my lawns are 1 - 7 acres so its not cost effective to top dress, it could use an aeration though.


Wow, that's a lot of turf "classes" esp for just an 18 year old.....BUT if you listened in those classes then you would know that while yes the "ideal" pH level for that cool season grass you have there.....well lack of having there :) is 6.2 to 6.5 SO while the pH is off a little that is NOT your real problem cause you also would have learned in those classes that while it is more acidic that plant material, esp cool season grass will still grow fine in that level and even as low as 5.3 pH. SO, Lime is NOT the cure all you say. Plus if you just top spread it and don't incorporate it directly into the soil by penetration, as you also learned in those classes, then you know it will take up to 3 years to change the pH. And YES no doubt clay is a troublesome soil type, but again if you do not at least seed it and aerate it then all the lime you add still will not make much improvement. You also should have learned in those classes that you should never mound the mulch up against the foundation like you did or if you do to use a barrier because termites love mulch and they love homes and mulch attracts them like crazy. You really should pull it off the foundation. Like I said I was trying to help you and still am, but now my rant: yes I am also being a smartazz in my tone about your "education" which I am sure is nothing more than HS ag classes and you getting defensive trying to make it sound like you have a 4 year degree in ls management form a university esp at your young age and given that I have been in business damn near TWICE as long as you have been on the planet. If you can't take constructive input then you shouldn't post your pics. I suspect you only wanted guys saying, "oh great, oh wonderful!" If you only want pats on the back email them to other teenagers and not someone who will tell you what is wrong and try to help you. :rolleyes:

Oh, and you may do home that are 1-7 acres but that damn sure ain't one of them.

[Gatewayuser]

Wow, that's a lot of turf "classes" esp for just an 18 year old.....BUT if you listened in those classes then you would know that while yes the "ideal" pH level for that cool season grass you have there.....well lack of having there :) is 6.2 to 6.5 SO while the pH is off a little that is NOT your real problem cause you also would have learned in those classes that while it is more acidic that plant material, esp cool season grass will still grow fine in that level and even as low as 5.3 pH. SO, Lime is NOT the cure all you say. Plus if you just top spread it and don't incorporate it directly into the soil by penetration, as you also learned in those classes, then you know it will take up to 3 years to change the pH. And YES no doubt clay is a troublesome soil type, but again if you do not at least seed it and aerate it then all the lime you add still will not make much improvement. You also should have learned in those classes that you should never mound the mulch up against the foundation like you did or if you do to use a barrier because termites love mulch and they love homes and mulch attracts them like crazy. You really should pull it off the foundation. Like I said I was trying to help you and still am, but now my rant: yes I am also being a smartazz in my tone about your "education" which I am sure is nothing more than HS ag classes and you getting defensive trying to make it sound like you have a 4 year degree in ls management form a university esp at your young age and given that I have been in business damn near TWICE as long as you have been on the planet. If you can't take constructive input then you shouldn't post your pics. I suspect you only wanted guys saying, "oh great, oh wonderful!" If you only want pats on the back email them to other teenagers and not someone who will tell you what is wrong and try to help you. :rolleyes:

Oh, and you may do home that are 1-7 acres but that damn sure ain't one of them.

That yard is 1 1/2 acres and got its first treatment a little while ago. I went to school at night after high school and I have 18 college credits all I have to do is take the basic stuff like math and so on and I will have a associates degree. I also just finished emt class and have another 9 credits in that.

I use pell lime yes it does take years for it to work to its full ability but it WILL bring pH up in less then a year by .3 - .5 I have many soil samples to prove it.

Your right about the mulch and I only put it down at 1 1/2" and against the house its only 1/2" deep which I learned in class and its not to much to worry about considering its a sun room with concrete floors if I had taken a closer pic you would be almost able to see dirt near the house. The slope is topsoil. I tell you what termites are TERRIBLE in my area I will be sending a employee to get licensed to treat them within the year.
I know your trying to help and I love to learn thanks for posting!:waving:

[Rcgm]

I agree with MM. There is no way that lawn is gonna fill in with fertilizer treatments. It really needs aerated or sliced. But I am not gonna say nothing about mounding the mulch because I do it still all the time mainly on slab houses.

[Onedge]

Gatewayuser where do you get the supersoil at? I've never heard of it. Thanks!

[Gatewayuser]

I get it at Evan's. Plants grow great in it!