Anyone do shrub prunning and trimming only?

[jdwilliams1]

Just curious if anyone has made a living providing top notch shrub trimming? I love to do that work and have been doing it since I was about 12 on my parents house, before the gas trimmers.

Anyway would be interested in knowing? If so how many times a year do you try to sell to your customers?

[Az Gardener]

I don't know if Indy is the place to be exclusively trimming. If you want to come to Phx I could keep you busy.

[Whitey4]

If you were going to specialize like that, I think you would need to know about growth regulators (and be certified to use them) and would have to include tree pruning as well. You would have to be able to get to hedgerows that were 15 feet tall. If you could do those things, I'd sub work to you for sure.

[jdwilliams1]

If you were going to specialize like that, I think you would need to know about growth regulators (and be certified to use them) and would have to include tree pruning as well. You would have to be able to get to hedgerows that were 15 feet tall. If you could do those things, I'd sub work to you for sure.

That is what I was thinking. I have pretty extensive knowledge about this. As long as the trees did not get too large at least while I was getting started. I have been doing this since 1984

[PHS]

Shrub/small tree pruning isn't my only service but I do an awful lot of it along with IPM services. I think you could build a business out of it if you set your mind to it and being in the right location would really help too.

I worked as an arborist for a long time and loved doing high quality tree work so for me doing similar type pruning on smaller plants is really enjoyable and I can work solo without all the headaches associated with a full scale tree business. Basically I offer shrub and flower bed maintenance along with the full compliment of IPM services and that keeps me on the property on a regular basis. If I only did pruning I may only be on the property a couple times a year which means I would have to develop a large number of customers to stay busy.

[PHS]

Forgot to mention I only handle trees up to about 15-20'. Anything bigger than that I sub out to a tree service that does good work and doesn't want to be involved with small stuff.

[Whitey4]

Shrub/small tree pruning isn't my only service but I do an awful lot of it along with IPM services. I think you could build a business out of it if you set your mind to it and being in the right location would really help too.

I worked as an arborist for a long time and loved doing high quality tree work so for me doing similar type pruning on smaller plants is really enjoyable and I can work solo without all the headaches associated with a full scale tree business. Basically I offer shrub and flower bed maintenance along with the full compliment of IPM services and that keeps me on the property on a regular basis. If I only did pruning I may only be on the property a couple times a year which means I would have to develop a large number of customers to stay busy.

I have much the same approach, philosphy and business plan. IPM is the way to go. Spray, pray and run operations like Chem Lawn simply can't have an effective IPM program. They don't scout properties on a regular weekly basis, and don't use cultural and engineering controls as any part of their plan, as far as I know.

I sub out my few accounts with 12 to 15 foot hedges. If I can't get it with my 12 foot step ladder, I don't do it. I also enjoy getting out the hand shears, and selectively prune to encourage air circulation and new growth under the outter canopy. I learned that technique at a state owned arboretum here. There are far too many gas operated hedge hackers out there. They can make nice lines, but more is needed to keep a shrub or hedge healthy and to avoid the plant from outgrowing it's location.

This is what I use to try and differentiate myself from the Chem-Lawns and mow and blow guys.... besides, it's a lot more interesting and fun.

[PHS]

Formal hedges aren't very popular here so I can do almost everything with Felcos and customers are easy to sell on hand pruning. In fact most of the time they are requesting hand pruning. In CA where more formal sheared hedges are common I found it much more difficult to sell hand pruning on any plants. The customers' mindset was like "the boxwood is supposed to be sheared so everything else is supposed to be too you idiot :)".

[PCSLAWN]

Just curious if anyone has made a living providing top notch shrub trimming? I love to do that work and have been doing it since I was about 12 on my parents house, before the gas trimmers.

Anyway would be interested in knowing? If so how many times a year do you try to sell to your customers?

Will you please contact me At 563 576 9281 Mike
I would Like To know some tips on Shub triming As I am New in the Lawncare feild Trying to get out of my factory job.. thank you very much:usflag:

[QualityLawnCare4u]

I hate it and try to avoid them like the plague. Folks here who will pay a fair price for lawn care will not pay squat for shrubs. I have actually been offered 4 dollars an hour in a high end area to do 7 acres of overgrown shrubs:dizzy:

[TScapes]

Just curious if anyone has made a living providing top notch shrub trimming? I love to do that work and have been doing it since I was about 12 on my parents house, before the gas trimmers.

Anyway would be interested in knowing? If so how many times a year do you try to sell to your customers?

It's definately a "Niche" in a market that has so few. We don't really have a need for it here, unless you do work for some Estates. However, I do know of a company in Atlanta that does basically what you describe. They have a broad base of clients, some of which are low frequency accounts (1-12x per year). They offer basically several services, but you could look at it like a Clean-Up service. They will come in, prune whatever, fert, do IPM (preventative and responsive) mulch, and be gone! They only have blowers, vacs (occasionally), shears, chainsaws, sprayers. Most of the time they HAND PRUNE, which is really an art form now a days! But the last I heard, he had several trucks and was doing really well. I can't remember the name of his company right now, but he used to work for a company called Gibbs.