Why Bagged Mulch is a Better Investment

[knox gsl]

Originally Posted by JasonsLawnCare1

i totally agree with this. or use white rocks. that way the job is only done once and never again. lol

Where's the money in that?

[Darryl G]

Yahooooooo!!!!!!!

[knox gsl]

Originally Posted by PlantscapeSolutions

I know Jacob. In general Lawnsite is 90% yahoo's and 10% guys who actually have a clue. I joked with one of the site advertisers and he agreed 100%. If you get your rocks off by taking pictures of lawns you have mowed you are likely a yahoo. I peeked at one CT guys site that mentions being a landscape company and it mostly just cut grass pictures. Yawn, yawn, yawn.

I give a lot more credibility to guys who are licensed applicators, know lighting, horticulture, landscape design, arbor care, and in general are diverse smart guys who want to master their industry knowledge wise and are not just tunnel vision grass cutters. A mind is a terrible thing to waste and I think there are a lot of grass cutters who are content to use about 10% of their brain at most. Sad.

If you find yourself posting in the specialty forums like holiday lighting, landscape design, landscape lighting, or other specialty forums where you find no cut lawn pics you are highly likely to be in the 10%. Congratulations, you'll probably get a laugh out of this posting! If this posting bothers you well, I'm sorry to say you are likely in the other 90%. Now get over it and go take some more cut grass pictures to brag about.

While I agree with you on this you do seem a little cocky about what you've done business wise. I would also like to say that while bag is easier to use its not for my market. The quality isn't there and is more than twice what I pay for high quality oak bark mulch. I do use bagged for cypress and pine bark nuggets. I can say that its nice to be able to spread 40-3cuft bags in 30 minutes but still doesn't offset the negatives in this market. I would be willing to say that most of the GRASS CUTTERS on here have at least figured out the most cost effective way of getting mulch on the ground.

[Husky05]

Honestly the best situation is whatever works for you. I live in the Pittsburgh area and I am set up for bulk mulch. I have been to Southern Florida several times, (not to work) just to visit but have noticed all the landscape crews seem to use bagged mulch. I was reading a few of these posts above here and some people were saying that the mulch beds are smaller and its easier to maneuver.

When I first started doing this kid of work, I would load my pick up truck with 2-3 yards and have myself and 2 other guys edge all the beds and spread the mulch by hand. (Making as many trips as possible for more mulch) As my business grew I needed a faster way of doing things. I was luckily enough to have a piece of property were my business was located to build large mulch bins. I get walking floors of mulch delivered right to my business, 80 yards at a time from a supplier in West Virgina. I have double shredded dyed brown, black, and red mulch all the time and if I run out or am getting low another 80 yards is just a phone call away. 2 years ago I was installing so much mulch I needed a faster way to do it, so I invested into a Finn302 Bark blower. Believe me I was shaking when I was signing the paper for that machine because they are very expensive, however after using that machine and seeing what is capable of doing, I would hate to go back to the old manuel way. In my busy season, when we are doing mulch jobs on a daily basis, I can send out 2-3 guys ahead of me to a property and edge all the beds and clean up and have 2 other guys with me 1-2 hours behind them blowing mulch. I can mulch 10-12 yards of mulch per hour, the machine puts mulch down smoother and more consistent then you can with a rake. Last year alone I installed over 2,200 yards of mulch.

One other added bonus to the bark blower is in the fall when seeding really starts to pick up, all the yards I do not hydro seed, I obviously dry seed, after I am done prepping the soil, and applying the grass seed, I use the bark blower to blow mushroom manure. (Which I also have in bulk)

So really to get back to the point of this conversation, whatever works for you bagged or bulk is really the best situation. Because I don't know about everyone else but I enjoy doing this kind of work or else I wouldn't be doing it but the aside from running a business and taking pride in my work, I am doing this to make a living. If someone can make good money installing bagged mulch, that's awesome.

[Michael J. Donovan]

I think we can wrap this one up...agree to disagree, whether you like using bagged or not, up to each person, their company needs and their preference

thanks