Please Help A Newbie

[SPEEDI2U]

I've never written here before so please bear with me. I'm new to the lawncare business and was wondering how do I know how to price mulching (already has mulch there), fertilizing and pruning (has about 100 very small bushes). This is for a business not a residence.

Also, when a customer asks for pruning do you just trim it, shape it, cut off the dead ends or what...I do not want to kill the bushes obviously.

Also, when you place the mulch down, if there are weeds there, do you charge extra to take care of them or is that all part of the mulching process?

Thanks

[pcnservices]

Originally posted by SPEEDI2U
how to price mulching, fertilizing and pruning

.....when a customer asks for pruning do you just trim it, shape it, cut off the dead ends or what...

Speedi2U,
Go to the search tab (on top of page) and type in these words:
how to price mulching, fertilizing and pruning and see what the archives of Lawnsite come up with.

Secondly the best guy to answer whether to shape or trim is your customer himself. Ask him/her how they wants it done. Dont scalp it.

[Doster's L & L]

Yeah. Use the search button. Its not a bad thing not to know what you're doing.....at all, but atleast you're asking. Use the search button quite extensively and you'll greatly increase your knowledge.

[SPEEDI2U]

THANKS SO MUCH SO FAR GUYS!!

another question: were do you guys get your mulch and fertilizer from, our phone book doesnt have any thing under mulch?

thanks, speedi

[Premo Services]

You can get mulch from nurseries in bulk, am sure there are other places also. You would find it in the landscape area of the yellow pages.

For the fertilizer, if a lesco is around you, that would a place to get it. go to www.lesco.com and see if there is a store near you.

[Premo Services]

Also, if there are weeds there, you would want to charge extra to remove them, charge by the hour because it will take longer than you think. After you get the feel of how long you think it will take, you can do a bid for weed removal. I have found it easier to charge by the hour. It is a PITA process..
Since you are new to this, chemicals are out of the question, you need to be licensed in your state to apply pesticides.

Here are some sites for pruning shrubs and stuff
http://gardening.about.com/cs/msub81/a/aa041399.htm

http://plantfacts.osu.edu/

Be careful when trimming-pruning bushes. If you cut too much off you will cut all of the green off, and others will not bloom.

[SPEEDI2U]

THANKS YOU GUYS I REALLY APPRECATE IT!!

KEEP IT COMING!!

SPEEDI