Floridians

[billslawn89]

hows all the lco's in florida doing? i'm in southwest florida and its been slow. we had some cool days and a couple of light frosty mornings and that just put the brakes on the grass growth. i'm on my 14 day mowing cycle and this week, all i'm doing is driving to each clients property, getting out, clean anything up and leave. i leave the house by 8am and back home by 10am..nothing to do...this is like february weather...well, guess its good due to being busy this summer with all the rain! well, hope everybody else is doing well.....:drinkup:

[DaveinSWFL]

I am just south of you in Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda. Mowing had been slow, but we are staying busy with clean ups, rock, mulch and landscaping jobs. I am enjoying the cooler weather after a tough summer. It's freezing in Ohio, man I sure don't miss that!

[tamadrummer]

Basically I am in the same situation. I am just driving around. Planted a hibiscus today and that is all I did. Of course it is the worst time to be planting non-winter hardy plants.

Oh well, I hope everyone still likes me because I will be billing for showing up and expecting my monthly check.....:rolleyes:

More frost tonight. If it isn't slow already it will be done in the morning.

[CkLandscapingOrlando]

Thats Florida.I cold as I dont know what.My heater says 48 and I'm not happy bellow 75.At least we can still get paid down here without playing in the snow

[billslawn89]

ya thats one good thing, still getting your monthly check from each clients when you're doing nothing. thats why i at least go show up every other week to show my face so they don't get mad. driving me nuts though not doing nothing. and sure, this does beat the cold weather up north, no more snow pushing for me, i put my time in on that...

[lawnguy001]

Here in Jax. , i was on every other week before last week. Then Heavy frost for a couple of days.... now it's all burned off. No more visits for me until week before Christmas.
Walt

[Sym]

I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bored. I was done for the week at 1 pm today...good gosh... I started at 930! I edged and blew off a bunch of lawns but that was it. Sometimes, I can't wait for April to start actually working again.

and yes...the winter checks are nice...

anybody putting on your winter weight yet? hehe

[South Florida Lawns]

I mow every other week. A lot of my yards don't even need cutting but I still cut them. As long as I keep putting down the lines in the yard the customers are happy, plus It helps mulch up some of the leaves.

[Equipguy]

Like most everyone else we're on a 2 week schedule and using the off week to do fill in work like mulch, plantings etc. But it does seem to be cold much earlier this year. I prefer the warm weather for sure.:)

[CkLandscapingOrlando]

I like it warm so this sucks.I'm bored and winter really aint started for us.Hell it should'nt fill like this for 2 months

[tamadrummer]

I am hating this crap. I am not into the cold at all!

I mowed leaves today. I usually blow them into the beds under the shrubbery because no one wants to pay for cleaning or mulch so the leaves are great but today it was just too deep. Lots of mowing and blowing of leaves. Set the deck high and chop.

[billslawn89]

well, more frost for me this morning, the heaviest one so far, everything looked white, even some of my plants got stunned! tops are brown, i even turn on the irrigation this morning to prevent frost damage. it went down to 34 here.. too cold for this time of year. i went and cut 4 out of 9 today and they really didn't need them, and this is 2 weeks now. higher end clients so i went thru the motions.

[South Florida Lawns]

these off weeks are killing me with boredom. I'm pushing trimming and mulch jobs but its slow this weekend. It sucks when all your friends have to keep working and you got the week off and not much to do.

I painted the floor of my trailer this week, took my good old time and it turned out nice.

[billslawn89]

hey, what all you guys doing... i'm going nuts here, not doing anything, last week i drove around in circles looking at all my clients properties, not much to do, this week so far, i cut 4 lawns and did some touch up work on shrubs. nothing going on the rest of the week either..well, guess i'll just do something around my house.:drinkup: i'll be out next week, the week before xmas to clean everybodys properties up then i think thats it for me until the beginning of the year. happy holidays too all if i don't talk to ya!

[Rowdy74x]

No frost here yet, but the centipede is all brown and dormant. I have been doing trimming of hedges and bushes, did some palm trimming, and a little bit of flower bed work. I have time to maintain the equipment now

[tallrick]

I have been busy repairing equipment for my customers as well as my personal stuff. Also spent a day filling in holes left by a roadside tree removal. Always enjoy some skid steer or dozer time on a job.

[CkLandscapingOrlando]

I'm glad fuel is down because I do alot of driving in circles this time a year.This is when I do most of my landscape work.Thats real slow due to the economy.I have a few jobs lined up though.

[gringo gardener]

just curious how BORED everyone might be now that there are some seriously CoLd northern temps ettling into our area

u southern(er) guys get below 50 yet ? LOL ! we r at 33* now

carhartts n gloves brrrr ... u'd thinkl we was back up north n all LOL !

[Greg78]

37* as I type. *trucewhiteflag*

[paradise32258]

25 here in jax ..warm and toasty in the house though..

[CkLandscapingOrlando]

25 tonight .I did'nt leave the house till noon today

[billslawn89]

this is terrible! i coverd all my plants today. went down to 29 last night and tonight suppose to go to mid 20's...yuck! 39 right now. we have a hard freezing warning going on till 9am tomorrow morning...:cry:

[billslawn89]

you gotta be kinding me! its 24 degrees at 4:33am. WTF? :dizzy::cry:

[gringo gardener]

yeah ... its pretty wild i'll say that for it - grrrrr ... brought all the potted plants into the garage n left the lights on in hopes of maintaining something above 30*

had to do the same thing last evening ... covering and tarping ... kinda makes the place look like candyland LOL !

news guy said its 30* (they're on the intercoastal) ... our themometer says 26* n were 5 miles inland from them ... my buddy's on the barrier island near the space center and said his is reading in the upper 30's - go figure.

[CkLandscapingOrlando]

I ordered 12x250 foot of frost blanket a few months back.It's been on sence last week.

[skennedy04]

It was 21 here this morning f#@king cold,not much to do here at all.
Have been doing a few clean-ups etc but other than that cant wait till the grass starts growing again.

[paradise32258]

20's here in jax also nothing to do today execpt work on postcard lay outs and surf the net lol..

[skennedy04]

20's here in jax also nothing to do today execpt work on postcard lay outs and surf the net lol..

What would we do without the internet?????

[gringo gardener]

i've been in florida for 5 yrs now n i have NEVER seen frost here before ( maybe its cause im 5 miles from the intercoastal - dunno) ... but on my way to the post ofc this morning I actually saw a FrOsTeD Lawn.

sweeeet !

[CkLandscapingOrlando]

Dont take this wrong but frostis not cool in florida.:nono:I left the house at 10 and the damn mowers were iced over.Damn if I did'nt miss some shrubs with the frost blanket.Well their to the ground now.No triming:walking:

[treegal1]

zone 10A/B my azz we lost some of our stock and loads of less hardy plants. oh well some replant work ahead

[JHLC]

All of this driving around in circles looking at lawns drives me crazy too. I really hate when you pull up to a group of five or six houses in a row and one out of the five needs to be cut. You cut just the one and the other four get mad. Its weird, in July I cant wait for December to get here. Now I cant wait for April so I have my normal schedule back. I cant stand not knowing what I need to do or how long it will take before I leave the house in the morning.

[billslawn89]

I really hate when you pull up to a group of five or six houses in a row and one out of the five needs to be cut. You cut just the one and the other four get mad. Its weird, in July I cant wait for December to get here. Now I cant wait for April so I have my normal schedule back. I cant stand not knowing what I need to do or how long it will take before I leave the house in the morning.

i feel the same! i have 3 clients all together. two lawns are bahia and the other is st augustine. well, the st. augustine lawn gets watered by the home owner, but the bahia lawns don't. i go there and cut the st. augustine lawn but haven't touched the other two in about a month! but i do go and edge and blow the drive way off.... lol :laugh: i do feel the same during the summer months, can't wait for the slow down, but now, can't wait to get doing something again! all my odd jobs are done. its terrible this winter with the cold weather. put a halt on the growing season. last year i was every other week through winter, this year, chatting on lawnsite! :laugh:

[PDLM21]

I mowed 2 out of 35 last week. Lost 2 last week. Hurry up warm weather.

[gringo gardener]

here we go again !!! gonna be back into the lower 30's the next three nights ... b-r-r-r-r

[billslawn89]

here we go again !!! gonna be back into the lower 30's the next three nights ... b-r-r-r-r

ya, i know! mid 20's here they are saying! get out the blankets again to cover up the plants. i think a few of my plants are dead from the last hard freeze. no signs of new growth. been watering them too...well, just have to wait and see what happens. i keep looking at all the bad weather in the other parts of the country and starting to think about our hurricane season coming up. yuck! better start my home inventory now! :cry:

[skennedy04]

Its got to warm up soon.....dam this is a PITA
low 20's here again this week.

[gringo gardener]

hey bill thats too damned funny ... was just talkin with a guy this a.m. n he said the same thing ... flunkcasters gonna pound the snot outta this "cold front" like the last one n then just as soon as the weather gets nice agin they will start the hurricane hype!

n yeah i know its definitely a PITA ... actually made some adjustments to billing ... that really sucked :(

[skennedy04]

I feel like im in IL again....lots of palms to trim after all this cold..i hate trimming palms

[SunState Lawn Care inc]

It's bad up this way as well. Things are getting bad we lost 2 accts last week. One commercial that had 2 locations and one residential we have had for 25 years now. Her work cut her hours so we were cut we also do her husbands office hope it hangs in thre for a while.

[Sym]

as if I wasn't bored enough the past 2 weeks cuz of the last freeze...... I "did" 34 yards on Monday...WORLD RECORD!!! Of course, I didn't cut any....

[billslawn89]

as if I wasn't bored enough the past 2 weeks cuz of the last freeze...... I "did" 34 yards on Monday...WORLD RECORD!!! Of course, I didn't cut any....

you got a laugh outta me! i said what? 34 yards in one day...then i read the rest and blew up laughing! sounds like me...drive around in circles and do nothing. man i hope the clients don't get pissed! thats why i at least knock on the door to let them know i stopped. i guess we better just get our rest now, cuz it will probably be a busy summer...rain every day... grass grows just after you cut it with the mower..lol

[GrassmasterB]

this cold weather is a nice change from the last couple of winters but not good for business. i only have 1 green lawn left out of 39. and after this week i'm sure it will be brown too.

[Sym]

you got a laugh outta me! i said what? 34 yards in one day...then i read the rest and blew up laughing! sounds like me...drive around in circles and do nothing. man i hope the clients don't get pissed! thats why i at least knock on the door to let them know i stopped. i guess we better just get our rest now, cuz it will probably be a busy summer...rain every day... grass grows just after you cut it with the mower..lol

It will be the rainiest year ever!!!:dizzy:

[gringo gardener]

yeah bobby i hear ya ... it aint nice for the profits but sure n hell beats 90s thru nov n then back into the 80s come jan .... lmao

then again ya never know ... if bills right we could have an awesome year cause the grass'll be growin so damn fast people gotta pay us to cut it ... YEAH BABY !!!

[kutnkru]

I certainly would have thought looking at this nightly low I was back in NY!

[Equipguy]

Maybe these back to back freezes will be good for business. Several of our properties were hit hard 2 weeks ago and now maybe 2 more nights of freezing weather. Hopefully we'll get some landscape upgrades and plant replacement jobs as a result.:clapping:

[billslawn89]

Maybe these back to back freezes will be good for business. Several of our properties were hit hard 2 weeks ago and now maybe 2 more nights of freezing weather. Hopefully we'll get some landscape upgrades and plant replacement jobs as a result.:clapping:

ya! thats what i'm thinking also. i will start advertising for shrub installs/replacement next month. i was going to start advertising this month again for mowing, but grass is not growing at all here. i was out again with the blankets covering up all my plants today! this is terrible! its 7:23pm and it 44 degrees..burrrrrr:cry: another freeze warning for us tonight.

[gringo gardener]

Bill

thats a great idear for a spring promo bout the plant replacement ... base temp at 6:50 is 31* n reel feel is 22*

[Sym]

ahhh.... nice warm weather again.... feels good to actually work!

[billslawn89]

hey all! :drinkup: how everybody doing? its still kinda slow around my area! did a small trim job and mulching today, but thats about it. doing my every other week so called mowings but thats it! i bet ya i cut 8 lawns in the last month, but i do see signs of greening of the lawns with the warm temperatures we've been having! :clapping: i'll keep driving around to each of my clients and clean up anything and maybe trim if needed. some clients are surprised i even show up, but they sure appreciate it though! take care! :waving:

[musician/lawnman]

I'm loving the rain comming down this week Bill! Ahhh, smells like money. And Mom always said money doesn't grow on trees! I certainly does... from June -October alot of money growns on trees (& out in the yard).
I have a feeling it about to pick up big time here in the area.
Hope your blades are sharp! Take care.

[KensLawnCare]

yes im loving it too had good rain 3 days in a row and looks like all week 5o% chance of rain we really needed it , how you doing bill?

[musician/lawnman]

Wow, I was tired with that post above.
(It certainly does) & Money grows not Growns on trees
oops! oh well, you guys get the point.

[skennedy04]

Send some of that rain up this way.....we need a lot of it.

[Greg78]

yes im loving it too had good rain 3 days in a row and looks like all week 5o% chance of rain we really needed it , how you doing bill?

Same here. It is starting to rain right now and the sun is still shining. I love it down here.

[billslawn89]

oh ya! another day of rain, alot of lightning and thunder too! yep, sharpened all my blades this afternoon, greased everything up and ready to go this week! getting an early start tomorrow morning, monday, cuz more rain in the afternoon! i have to get out of my lazy mode and back to full speed again! no more cutting dust! LOL

[South Florida Lawns]

The dust is over finally my lungs can rest.

[KensLawnCare]

went to go do clean-up job this mornin went to pick up my uncle to help school calls i got to pick my stepson he is sick ,damm so that has to wait got mulch job tommoroow looks like rain is gonna crap my day as well oh well thank god for beer:drinkup:

[billslawn89]

well, didn't get much done today either, only 3 yards cut, then the rain came around 10am. been raining all day, plus i think all week too, nice steady soaking rain. boy are things gonna grow now! nice! like ken said, its brew-ski time :drinkup:

[Greg78]

Got 18 done before the rain hit at 1:00 pm.

[skennedy04]

Been raining here since last night THANK GOD.....need a break from the dust.

[musician/lawnman]

well, didn't get much done today either, only 3 yards cut, then the rain came around 10am. been raining all day, plus i think all week too, nice steady soaking rain. boy are things gonna grow now! nice! like ken said, its brew-ski time :drinkup:

Same here, I was working off of salford & got rained out at 10 am.

[billslawn89]

Same here, I was working off of salford & got rained out at 10 am.

LOL! :laugh: i'm usually up and down salford on tuesdays! i was in port charlotte this morning, i guess they call it the new york section!?, off of kings highway. see what happens for tomorrow. i'm glad its not mid summer when the grass is growing like crazy, cuz i will be way behind already! some lawns i can skip this week since they aren't growing that much yet, but next week, look out! :drinkup:

[musician/lawnman]

Yeah I have some lawns off elmira there aswell, I usually hit em on wed.
Last year I finally ot my routes tightened up.
Mon-North Port
Tue- Eng. Rotonda
Wed-PC down midway then to deep creek
Thurs- PC down the edgewater area then on to PG.

Who knows what this week will bring, we could get rained out another time or two? Of course, I just sent out my newsletter/survey to all clients so I am getting alot of requests for other services this week on top of the lawns & rain delays. I have a decent size landscape job/retaining wall scheduled late in the week that might have to be postponed at this point. ehhh, but I guess better to be too busy, than sitting at home waiting for the phones to start ringing! Glad to be past that phase of business development. :laugh:

So I'll be back up in your neck of the woods in the morning playing catch up.
Good luck to ya, Time to brush the dust off & repolish those rain drop/ lightening bolt dodging skills.

[billslawn89]

So I'll be back up in your neck of the woods in the morning playing catch up.
Good luck to ya, Time to brush the dust off & repolish those rain drop/ lightening bolt dodging skills.

ya really! i remember last year i was cutting a lawn and seen the storm coming in the sky, so i kept going and was blowing off the drive and sidewalk and a lightning strike then a loud, and i mean LOUD thunder right after the flash of lightning and i just about hit the ground. sounded like a bomb going off! i said holy crap, screw the grass clipping and ran to the truck! scared me boy! :dizzy:

[lawnman_scott]

Same here, I was working off of salford & got rained out at 10 am.Do you guys not work in the rain? It was pouring here at 6:30 and it didnt stop all day. We worked till about 5:00 and I dont think it totally stopped once all day.

[tamadrummer]

Do you guys not work in the rain? It was pouring here at 6:30 and it didnt stop all day. We worked till about 5:00 and I dont think it totally stopped once all day.

In the summer I will mow in the rain but right now, no thanks. I walked outside yesterday morning and it was raining and walked back in the house and took the day off. Now, I am behind and need to work and it is raining for real this morning. I have a couple of good rain suits so I should be good to go as far as rain goes.

I am not thrilled about it but it is what it is.

[musician/lawnman]

Yeah, I don't like to mow in the rain but you can only get so far behind ya know? Sometimes you have to just to keep up.

[fl-landscapes]

Do you guys not work in the rain? It was pouring here at 6:30 and it didnt stop all day. We worked till about 5:00 and I dont think it totally stopped once all day.

I worked all day in the rain yesterday and might have to today. Grass isn't long enough to clump. Cuts were fine. We were still pruning on a commercial account at 6:30 last night. If the ground isn't too soft and the grass clumping isn't out of control we keep going. Like drummer said planned on catching up today and sure enough it's raining again. I say get er done if you can when you can.

[KensLawnCare]

my day sucked i done a clean-up job went to go dump i went to jump down off tailgate slipped and face first into the nasty mud puddle landed on my knee its so swollan i can barely walk i was so pissed looks like i have 2 knees my uncle just laughed had to get in truck all mudy dammit im still pist

[billslawn89]

my day sucked i done a clean-up job went to go dump i went to jump down off tailgate slipped and face first into the nasty mud puddle landed on my knee its so swollan i can barely walk i was so pissed looks like i have 2 knees my uncle just laughed had to get in truck all mudy dammit im still pist

oh man! that sucks! made me laugh though, about falling into the mud, not about your knees. i bet next time you won't do that! learn the hard way, i always say! i know i've done some dumb things, even called myself a dumba$$ afterwards! LOL...:laugh: hope you'll feeling better!

my day wasn't too bad! got most of my work done, left early this morning, i was cutting at 7:15am, even raced home and got my yard cut before the rain started again around 6pm.

[South Florida Lawns]

Do you guys not work in the rain? It was pouring here at 6:30 and it didnt stop all day. We worked till about 5:00 and I dont think it totally stopped once all day.

I do! My commercials are Monday and part Tuesday so I was out getting looks from ppl like, you can't mow in the rain haha.

My residential customers are all easy going, I have a few crazy elderly customers that would freak out if they saw me on their lawn in the rain, I skip them till it dries up.

[musician/lawnman]

Good day today all in all. My employee & I ran 22 stops, 1 of which was a mow+ Fert. for the lawn & all bushes, trees & shrubs. Then mid day I got a call from a new customer (well, new customer now) for an estimate which I pulled of route to get that in today too.

We hit a few patches of light rain but worked right through it. it's pooring pretty good now though!
hope you guys had a good one.

[billslawn89]

Good day today all in all. My employee & I ran 22 stops, 1 of which was a mow+ Fert. for the lawn & all bushes, trees & shrubs. Then mid day I got a call from a new customer (well, new customer now) for an estimate which I pulled of route to get that in today too.

We hit a few patches of light rain but worked right through it. it's pooring pretty good now though!
hope you guys had a good one.

get that fert down before june 1! i was looking for ya today around salford when i was traveling up and down it. ya! same with me with the sprinkles...kept on mowing, felt good though! next week will probably be smoking hot again!

[KensLawnCare]

i was just tellin the old lady my knee feels alot better she says your getting drunck now ha ha im gonna hurt tommorrow i got mulch job 30 bags got uncle to help me get it done fast i gotta mow too i dont know how its gonna feel then haha it is so swallon ouch

[lawnman_scott]

I worked all day in the rain yesterday and might have to today. Grass isn't long enough to clump. Cuts were fine. We were still pruning on a commercial account at 6:30 last night. If the ground isn't too soft and the grass clumping isn't out of control we keep going. Like drummer said planned on catching up today and sure enough it's raining again. I say get er done if you can when you can.
I agree, I cant see taking a day off for rain. Who is to say that it wont rain tomorrow, or something breaks, get stolen....... I say do it now and deal with the rain, at least it isnt sunny and hot where you want to pass out.

[musician/lawnman]

Off Topic:
Question for you guys,
I have a kid brother that lives here in town, has worked for me a couple times for a day or two & works well I guess. He has lost his job & is in a really hard spot financially, he has 3 kids. What I can offer to pay him is not enough to get by really but will get him some income right now. Well, I have a really good helper right now, but I can't help feel the compulsion to let him go & hire my brother. Blood is thicker than water ya know? I know how it will end, a month or two from my brother will find work that will pay him more than I can afford to & need to leave which will leave me screwed & having to hire & train a new guy mid season. Which sucks cause slowing down then kills profitability. I think I know but, what the hell is a guy to do?
In times as tough as these families need to stick together right? Would you do it even if you know it will cost you in the long run?

[fl-landscapes]

get that fert down before june 1! i was looking for ya today around salford when i was traveling up and down it. ya! same with me with the sprinkles...kept on mowing, felt good though! next week will probably be smoking hot again!


Hey Bill,

You refering to the new rules in Sarasota county about no Nitrogen can be applied during the rainy season? I got certified last year. Thank god I do most of my work in Charlotte County. No fert in the rainy season SUCKS!!!! Bermuda and St. Augustine both need some N during the growing season.

[tamadrummer]

I pay my worker $10/hr. If we get done really fast, it is bonus time. Most of the time my bonuses are an extra hour pay or two no more than that.

Hope this helps.

[billslawn89]

Hey Bill,

You refering to the new rules in Sarasota county about no Nitrogen can be applied during the rainy season? I got certified last year. Thank god I do most of my work in Charlotte County. No fert in the rainy season SUCKS!!!! Bermuda and St. Augustine both need some N during the growing season.

ya! that is correct! nothing can be put down during the rainy season! alot of st. augustine lawns i seen now are yellow! needs the N to green up or iron.

[tamadrummer]

I believe you can put down K and micros just not N or P. You can also use herbicides/insecticides.

In the summer the turf shouldn't much N but the K will do it a ton of good!

[billslawn89]

Whats up fella's? been real busy here with all the rain! grass and shrubs are out of control! i got done doing all my clients shrub trimmings, and had to start all over again! hope everybody is doing well! :drinkup:

[musician/lawnman]

Workin My Arse off man, Been just non stop. I gotta go but hey, I'll be able to talk more in November.
:)

[tamadrummer]

Workin My Arse off man, Been just non stop. I gotta go but hey, I'll be able to talk more in November.
:)

This is exactly how I feel! It is non-stop and my system of everyone one on a certain day has been thrown out the window. I am behind everyday right now!