pine straw prices

[sweatdog20]

im currently buying my pine straw at $2.75-$3.00 per bale and installing it for around $5.00-$5.50 per bale. Is this a prety fair profitable price?

[AVRECON]

I think so. But I would always try to get just a little more, like $6 or $6.50.

[stslawncare]

see if u can find a farmer, even if u have to travel and get a pickup load just store it, can get it cheaper but charge the same!! maybe get some thats a little wet so no good for the farmers to use, usually they are glad to get rid of it actually.

[KirbysLawn]

I pay $3.50 for them delivered to me and charge $7 to customers. I have a new guy who has the best I have ever seen, he will deliver and install them for me for $5 a bale, I make $2 a bale and never move.

[Bunton Guy]

Who would that be Kirby ? Is it a independant pine needle seller

[lee b]

$1.75 for slash and $2.00 for long leaf {which will last alot longer}, I charge $5.00 to deliver and spread the slash straw, try not to use the long leaf because it hurts repeat business.

[Bunton Guy]

What exactly is slash ?

[Southern Lawns]

$3.24 for slash $8.00 delivered and installed (tucked).
$4.50 for long leaf $9.00 delivered and installed (tucked)
Above price is for detailed installation.
Wide open bed areas I lower price a little.

[65hoss]

I just did my 1st ever pine needle mulching job last week. Only 1 place around here seems to have it. You very seldom ever see anyone here use it. My best price I could talk him into was $6.25 per bale. I then charged $15 per bale.

[Craig Turf Management]

I pay 3.50 per bale delivered to my home or jobsite. I charge 7.00 per bale delivered and installed. I rarely have anyone question my price.

[Guardian]

..BUT how heavy are your bales?

Thats the issue around here. You can go to Lowes and but a bale for $2.75 OR my landscape supply Co sells a bale thats twice as heavy/full for $4.25.

Our delivery/installation rate is $10/bale (for the 4.25 bales)

Some LCO's charge $8-10/bale installed for the ones they buy @Lowes. That would technically be like charging the customer almost double what I charge.

It seems that the rule of thumb in this business is to basically charge DOUBLE whatever you pay.

[Clint]

here in east texas, we have TONS of pine needles.. personally, i mulch them and it looks great... i dont know if im following what you guys are saying here.. were talking about getting rid of the pine needles that come out of the pine tree, am i correct? ive never heard of anybody dealing by bales either.. im probably wrong. what are you guys talkin bout?

Clint

[stslawncare]

we are talking about bales of straw that u put on lawns when seeding

[lee b]

I'm talking about using baled pinestraw for mulch around flowers and such. Slash and long-leaf are two different varities of pine tree, slash is an improved variety that grows really fast and produces a short needle straw that decomposes fast too. Long-leaf is old growth type trees such as black pine, they grow slower, but produce better grade lumber and the pine straw decomposes much slower also. Baling pine straw is big business around here, since the Canucks have been allowed to flood the the timber market, the value of pulp wood has hit rock-bottom, so people are trying to make up some of the difference by selling their straw. Down south, pine straw is the #1 mulch material.

[lakegastonla]

Where are you guys getting these prices on delivered pine straw? What is the minimum delivery ammt? How do you store them (if it 500 or so bales, which is the min. I have seen) Cheapest price I can get is four bucks-a-bale.

[Southern Lawns]

No place to store my straw. I just pick up whatever I need by the job. I get it from a few venders I use for plants,trees and bushes. Seems to work for me. Wish I had a lot to put a trailer. There are several company's that will loan (drop) the trailer if you purchase the full load. when it's empty they come and trade out trailers. The best price I have seen for that set up was $2.85 per bale.