Fall Annual Plants and Watering BAN!!

[LawnJohn]

Hey guys!

Here in Metro Atlanta (including some surrounding counties), a watering ban has been imposed.

In the next week or so I'm scheduled to begin several annual plant installation on my commercial and residential properties, however they can not water.

My question for those of you who have been or are going through this simular situation, what are you doing or have done?



Thanks.

LJ

[MarcSmith]

you can either plant them and watch them die....in which case your clinets will call and say "hey bone head you planted flowers that need water when we are in water restrictions, I'm not paying for em"

explain the situation to your clients and let them decide what they want to do,
Hold off on installing them until you get some rain....
If prepaid in contract, refund to your clients and tell them you don't want to install plants that are going to cook after a week with out water...
If prepaid in contract...rather than refund the money find something else to do on the property with that money so you don't loose the income. Ie install a hardscape...or sweep the parking lot, ect...

Be proactive with your clients...and investigate fully how the water restrictions would affect your clients. Ie can only water on certain days, or certain time or only by hand, ect...The more you know the better you educate them, and the better you look....

[HS Football Rules]

http://www.atlantawatershed.org/WaterRestrictions.htm

Assuming this is the most current information, you have options:

30 day grace period for new installations

Watering allowed on weekends,,,deep water and 4" mulch

drought tolerant selections

It's do-able, just ask the LCO's from Arizona and California,
standard operating procedure out there!

[Isobel]

I would explain the situation upfront to the client. Say, "hey we've got a water ban in effect, if I plant now, you can't water and the plants will die. and that this situation is not covered by our warranty."

Let them decide how to procede.

If they ask for your advice, tell them we can wait until the restriction is lifted, or do some research and see if in fact there are any allowances for watering--drip irrigation, or soaker hoses, etc.

While you could plant drought tolerant plants, they still need water while they establish themselves.

[tjsquickcuts]

THat is way outted date. We have a total water ban in 3 of the 4 counties we service, and one with only one day a week to water and thats been in effect just about all summer. Cobb Co. has a complete water ban on everything. I have been told not to plant anything....Unless a you are on site while its watering, the homeowner is going to get fined no if and or buts. I have a few comm. and residential site we will be planting at and will water, but all and all I will not be doing any advertising for fall planting just because of the risk.....I hate to lose the huge chunk of income, but would rather keep a happy customer instead of running them off. I have already let all my accounts know that flower planting will be at their own risk and there will be NO warranty.....

[LawnJohn]

I think I'm going to side with not planting anything this fall and just cover the beds with pinestraw or pine bark.

It's gonna suck, but it is what it is.

LJ

[tthomass]

What about watering from a tanker?

[lawnMaster5000]

a tanker is exactly what I was thinking. Then I saw your comment about getting fined unless you are on site...

Can you water, and just not the property owner?

Either way, I think I would start looking for alternative income for this fall.

[LawnJohn]

Unfortunately, I can't dedicate a truck/tank for it and the number of installs don't justify it.............yet.

[MarcSmith]

have you though about renting a small truck and a 500 gallon tank and start charging for watering services? provided of course that you have the manpower

[Kiril]

Watering allowed on weekends,,,deep water and 4" mulch

drought tolerant selections

Be smart, use plants that can thrive with little or no water.

[MarcSmith]

Be smart, use plants that can thrive with little or no water.

The problem is with most annuals, if you want good color and healthy plants you need to water and putting 4" of mulch on a 6" annual is pretty pointless.

[clallen03]

From my understanding, you are still able to water on new install for up to 30 days. This is the interpretation I got from it.

http://www.gaepd.org/Files_PDF/rules/rules_exist/391-3-30.pdf

The last page is what Im reading.


Tell me your understanding of these rules are.

Hope this helps

[LawnJohn]

From my understanding, you are still able to water on new install for up to 30 days. This is the interpretation I got from it.

http://www.gaepd.org/Files_PDF/rules/rules_exist/391-3-30.pdf

The last page is what Im reading.


Tell me your understanding of these rules are.

Hope this helps


New install implies sod/tree/shrub installations....

Granted "...new install for up to 30 days.." can be interpreted as if "I can water the plant beds 30 days after installation", I'm sure that's not the case.

[LawnJohn]

From MALTA's website re: Cobb County

• TOTAL OUTDOOR WATER BAN
• LANDSCAPE EXEMPTIONS PERMITTED:
• For a maximum of 30 days after installation, only professionally installed new installation can be watered – this includes seeding and overseeding/aeration:
o If installed by a professional landscape company AND LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL IS PHYSICALLY ON THE PROPERTY, new installation can be watered at any hour of the day.
o If installed by a professional landscape company but landscape professional IS NOT physically on the property, new installation can be watered by homeowner, but only between midnight and 10 a.m.
o YOU MUST HAVE DOCUMENTATION (CONTRACT, INVOICE, ETC. showing installation date to show to enforcement personnel).
o After this 30 day period, TOTAL WATERING BAN IS IN EFFECT.
• Nurseries/Garden Centers – may maintain, as necessary, retail inventory but on-site landscaped areas are subject to ban restrictions.
• If new landscape is installed by homeowner BEFORE the total water ban went into effect (9/20/07) new installation can be watered midnight and 10 a.m. No new installation by homeowner after 9/20/2007 can be watered.

[MarcSmith]

New install implies sod/tree/shrub installations..

whose to say that a bedding plant isn't just a small shrub that doesn't live very long...

If I got a ticket I'd fight it...if i was within the 30 day exception clause.

I'm a professional landscaper as defined by the government, new plants were purchased, and they were installed in accordance with the best practices any professional landscaper would use. once you hit the 30 day mark, depending on the level of the ban, then you limited to your times, and dates based on street address.....

I love the rules. as a citizen, I cannot wash my car with my hose. but the guy who owns the car wash can blast away....also you coudl use the loophole...(l) other activities essential to daily business.

If you were hired to water plants, then it has become essential to your daily business....I know a stretch....but....

[PurpHaze]

whose to say that a bedding plant isn't just a small shrub that doesn't live very long...

[TIC Marc... so don't take it personally] I KNOW there are some nice educated folks on campus that would be willing to tell you the difference. :laugh:

[MarcSmith]

[TIC Marc... so don't take it personally] I KNOW there are some nice educated folks on campus that would be willing to tell you the difference. :laugh:


I know the difference...you know the difference, but who's to say the judge or the cop will know the difference:) .......Aw heck just have a couple dozen Krispy Kreme's and the problem will solve itself...either you won't get the ticket or you'll get arrested for bribery...in which case a ticket for watering is the least of your worries.

[PurpHaze]

How about going to the local arts and crafts store and buy some plastic or silk plants? They thrive with minimal watering. :laugh:

[LawnJohn]

Hahahaha.... True!

[MarcSmith]

How about going to the local arts and crafts store and buy some plastic or silk plants? They thrive with minimal watering. :laugh:

When I was in Florida I had a town house complex which I maintained but they did not want to pay for annuals...so they cobbles together some money and wen to Micheal's, (a craft store)....It was laughable... especially after about 2 months when the "plants" had been bleached by the sun to being almost white...