January 2016

Using enhancement sales to improve your business

February 10, 2016By

How effective enhancement sales can make a successful landscape maintenance business. In the commercial maintenance world, enhancements can offer an opportunity to build customer loyalty and increase revenue and profit margins. With profits from base contract work being squeezed, enhancements can be considered the “icing on the cake” when it comes to having a successful maintenance business. We define enhancements... read more

What irrigation sprayheads do you prefer and why?

February 8, 2016By
photo: hunter industries

Alan White President, Turf Systems Burlington, Ontario “For over 15 years Turf Systems has been servicing residential and commercial clients using Rain Bird irrigation products, due to their continuous investment in bringing reliable water conservation technologies to the market. The introduction of the Rain Bird HE-VAN series nozzle, when paired with the 1800-SAM-PRS spray body, continues their tradition of finding... read more

SafetyWatch: Shoveling techniques

February 5, 2016By
video: LS Training System

Follow these important tips to preserve your strength and not strain or injure yourself while shoveling. Never use a shovel that’s too large. It requires excessive effort and tires you out. Use the largest shovel that you’re comfortable with and that’s easy on your back. Use large shovels for light snow dustings and little scoops for heavy snow events. Push... read more

Efficiency Tip: Paint it red

February 3, 2016By

A mistake that cost Mountain High Tree, Lawn & Landscape Co. more than $10,000 nearly 20 years ago is now prevented by two $10 cans of spray paint per year. “A guy wasn’t paying attention and sprayed 10 yards of turf with Roundup,” says Lee Kral, lawn service manager for the Lakewood, Colo.-based company. “We had to replace significant portions... read more

Emerald Lawns strives to do lawn care ‘the right way’

February 1, 2016By
photo: Emerald Lawns

An Austin, Texas-area firm grows by putting the customer first—and marketing, marketing, marketing. In 2006, Luke Hawthorne was fed up with the corporate lawn care scene. He’d entered the industry in 1993, grateful for a $10-an-hour gig. After a few months as a technician at a local company, he joined TruGreen. For the next decade, he served as technician, salesman... read more

Choosing between sod, seed or hydroseed

January 29, 2016By

When renovating or installing new turf, choosing whether to sod, seed or hydroseed is a case-by-case decision. Below, we break down a few considerations, but the most important one should always be what’s best for the lawn, experts say. “Whenever we’re making a recommendation we give (the client) what fixes the lawn the best because the last thing you want... read more