setting up spray rig read books next step?

[GXL2008]

Hello I sent a thread last week on getting started I read one book that was sugjested and bought some other book at barnes and noble this a lot more work then just spraying nit. with some chems. But I realy want to do this I just bought a new sprayer from ritten house 1538 centrfuge with a 5 hp honda i think this will work. Also can i use the same tank if i clean them. i want to start switching next month I really think this is the way to go I know this is a broad question but after I set up the rig what should be my next step. I'm so wore out killing evry thing I think ill loose half my cust. but I'm still going fo it.

[atouchofnature]

You may be surprised about losing your customers.

I just began the transition to organic in August. I am not planning to immediately eliminate synthetics, but instead phase them out. I explained to my customers that I would first try natural methods to keep their lawn looking good, and if for any reason, the lawn condition went downhill, I would spot treat the problem areas with synthetics. Rather than give them a price increase due to the higher cost of natural products, I increased the visits to 12 a year, and will be applying products at a lower rate with each visit. I also explained to them that in an integrated pest management situation, it is best that I lay my eyes on the lawn at least once a month to keep an eye on things. I didn't sell them 12 treatments, but instead I sold them 12 VISITS. Some of those visits will be nothing more than doing a soil test, or maybe just a visual inspection in cases where the lawn doesn't need anything at that time. I also offered them an 8 visit program for those who were not willing to go for 12 visits, but explained that the 8 visit program would be a much lower level of service. I didn't lose a single customer, and most went for the 12 visit deal.

Like I said, I am also new to this, but I do know that your next step is to send away a soil sample from every lawn & base the next step on the results. I would also get a topdressing of compost on ASAP.

[GXL2008]

Thank you. How are you applying the top dressing and are you getting the compost local. and I'm so used to just going to lesco and buying stuff are you getting products fto spray from a certian source I was looking at just starting by putting the ICT stuff down?

[atouchofnature]

I started with ICT's products, added to my regular program. I also added yucca extract & a couple of other products to the regular spray as a surfactant & soil conditioner. The 1st transition treatment was my regular fert & broadleaf with some extras added, then I went to spot spraying weeds, organic amendments sprayed overall, and a very, very light sythetic fertilizer (1/3 my normal rate). I plan to gradually decrease the synthetics while gradually increasing the organics. These customers have become accustomed to a deep green lawn, and if I switch to organics immediately they will lose that, and even though the deep green lawn with synthetics is almost like "makeup for the lawn" they still like the way it looks. I am hoping to overcome that by gradually decreasing the synthetics as the soil improves. My goal is to phase out synthetic fertilizers in 1 year, and pesticides in 2 years. I immediately dropped fungicides, actually giving all of my fungicide to a local squirt & fert guy. He has always been friendly with me, and I saw no reason to dispose of it when I could give it to him and save him a few bucks.

I buy the compost locally & spread it with a wheelbarrow, silage fork, shovel & rake. Hard work. There are things out there that you can buy to make it easier, but right now they aren't in my budget, and none of the local rental shops have them.