Anybody do fertilizer only?

[Smitty58]

I thought I was going to get my pesticide lic. and offer everything this year. However after a lot of reading and my ins agent giving me a price I decided to just do fertilizer. My Lesco dealer says you can do fert. 5 times a year ,so I'm wondering if any of you do just fertilizer and what kind of marketing ideas can you use to get only fert jobs. For example do you tell potential customers or existing customers that you'll do a 5 step fertilizer only application and that is all they need. Or do you just tell them you only do fert and if they want anything else they will have to call someone like Chemlawn.

 

[Dragonscapes]

set up a deal with another company for them to do your spray's I'm not fond of doing it but it has worked out well in the past so long as they don't try to steal your customers

 

[Nitroman]

I'm in the same boat. How well does useing somthing like scotts dry fert. and nothing else work?

Sorry to ask a quistion on your thread.

 

[Premo Services]

Smitty58,
Only applying fertilizers is not too good, you are going to need weed control also.
I would find a good fertilizer company in your area and see about subbing out the fertilizer applications, because they are going to have apply weed killers, and preemergents to help with the weeds.

 

[DUSTYCEDAR]

u can find a local guy to sub it to make him a deal
i sub for other guys works great i get new leads for fert and i give them all the landscaping and mowing

 

[Brossard Garden]

You could try to promote a pesticide free treatment on behalf of your concern for the protection of the environnement and the safety of children ? We have pesticide ban in Montreal and it's not good for business. But there is opportunity for just fertilizing lawn. You could offer natural or low impact chemical. Good luck !

 

[James Cormier]

Originally posted by Brossard Garden
You could try to promote a pesticide free treatment on behalf of your concern for the protection of the environnement and the safety of children ? We have pesticide ban in Montreal and it's not good for business. But there is opportunity for just fertilizing lawn. You could offer natural or low impact chemical. Good luck !

This is not a smart idea.
one because your not doing fert only because concern for enviroment, you stated your doing it because you dont want to spend the money on insurance and licencing.

Safety of our children? I more concerned with the micheal jacksons of our world and cathloic priests.

BTW, the biggest abuser of pesticides is the general public, we dont need people in our industry spreading no truths.

 

[Randy Scott]

Realistically, if a customer wants a green lawn, they will want a weed free one as well. Sooner or later you will have weeds with just a fert program. Either set it up to have a sub spray at the recommended times during the year for weeds, or forget the whole idea. You are setting yourself up for headaches and misunderstanding with the customers. Regardless of how you explain your fert only program, they will still be disappointed when they have weeds.

 

[James Cormier]

Good Point Randy, several years ago I marketed a Organic Program. Man did my phone ring off the hook, Once people found out they were not getting crabgrass control, grub control or weed control that I could guarntee results from they changed their minds. The few people that went with the program where very dissapointed with the results, compared to a regular IPM program. People who are against pesticides or LCO's , Just dont want nice lawns, its not important to them

 

[DUSTYCEDAR]

everyone has different priorities some want a nice lawn some don't and very few want the weeds to grow faster that they already do. if they have a nice lawn it will need some weed control to stay that way
if u don't have the lic. just don't bother with the fert only. focus on what u r currently doing to make money and the money will come