The Green Industry's Resource Center

badgerfan · #1 04-07-2009, 10:35 PM

I started my landscape business a few months ago and have about 30 accounts presently. I have taken on several spring cleanups that I will be doing next week. I was wondering if anyone could give me a brief breakdown of what exactly a spring cleanup consists of in the commercial landscape business. I would also appreciate it if somebody could help give me a better idea of the equipment and its applictions that I should use during the cleanup. I feel I have an idea of what a cleanup entails but would love to hear from someone who is more knowlegable than myself. Thanks everyone!

Ryan

verant · #2 04-07-2009, 10:41 PM

well up here in MN..its often thatching with a front mount thatcher on a ZTR and then having a bagger to suck up all the debri of the dead thatch and left over leaves from last fall. Also cleaning out the beds and landscaping with a blower. All of the debri is usually hauled away also.

lawnproslawncare · #3 04-07-2009, 10:46 PM

Remove leaves, clean gutters, edge concrete, dethatch, trim shrubs/tree's, mulch, and sometimes the owner will have more

LB1234 · #4 04-07-2009, 11:01 PM

Not to sound like a complete horses fanny but...

That's great that you already have 30 accounts and spring cleanups lined up but isn't the "spring cleanup" written out in the contract/s and spells out what is and/or what isn't included? If not you could possibly be running into some problems were an argument might take place b/t yourself and a customer on what you feel is included in a spring cleanup and what they think is included in a spring cleanup. Be careful.

Also, I'm curious how you priced the cleanups if you aren't exactly sure what that includes...at least that's how I'm interpreting your post. Correct if wrong please.

As for equipment...it can vary depending on what you are going to be doing for your spring cleanup. Hedgetrimmers to cut back perennials like ornamental grasses or prune shrubs (be carefull what you prune and when you prune it), leaf blower to get all the leaves out of the beds, gloves and handheld mallet for getting those hard to pull weeds out of the ground, carryall barrell to emtpy the weeds/leaves, etc. into wherever you are placing it, hand pruners for any selective pruning...the list goes on...depends how much you are doing and what the jobs are like.

badgerfan · #5 04-08-2009, 01:34 AM

Yeah lb, I now realize that I should have spelled out in more detail exactly what my spring cleanups included in a contract. I have been telling customers that I am going to blow the leaves and debris out of the planting beds. I am saying that I will pick up sticks and debris from the yard. I also am saying that I will dethach the yard and bag the leaves from the yard. I think I told one or two that I would prune the dead growth from bushes.(dumb move) These are for good sized yards of about 17,500 square feet plus or minus. I started out quoting about 125 dollars until I realized that I was an idiot. My more recent bids have been around 280 dollars. I am learning as I go and probably won't make a dime on my first few jobs but I guess live and learn.

Does anyone know if the JRCO front mount dethacher works well?