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Grass treatment and fertilising expansion

Hello. 
2021 I plan to offer more specialist lawn care.
As such I would really like to know what is out there in the way of drop fertiliser spreaders, Id probably like something that could take a full bag of fertiliser or near to it.
Also currently for a standard front and back we charge about £15 to £20 I was wondering what customers would pay for fertilisation treatment? I’m currently thinking 2 to 2.5 times the standard grass cutting rate? Or would you usually charge per M2?
Thanks for your help.

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Replies

  • PRO

    Beware James.... as soon as you offer this, you will be asked for moss treatments, then you need a scarifier, then people will ask for hollow tine then various specialist lawn problems - it all very quickly gets into expensive bits of kit, and a fairly specialist area. Then you are suddenly in the area where someone will ask you to returf a lawn - that is something I now steer well clear of :)

    I charge my standard rate (which includes 30 min minimum charge) and the chemicals / fertilizers at a set price per kilo or mixed litre - that price more or less compares pretty well with the costs if you bought them full retail... though I use Progreen and buy in bulk.

     

    • Agree re machinery Adam.  I have a rather old Bluebird scarifier and a Canon corer. I picked the Bluebird up for virtaully nothing, but the Canon cost about £1800. To be honest, seeing a return on the Canon will be a long process, but I look upon it as all part of the amoury.

      • Im lucky my freind has one i can hire, he is quite far away but its an excuse to visit.

    • Good advice there Adam 

      Why don't you like to relay turf??

      Steve

      • PRO

        Well it's really difficult to find the time...as I'm sure you know it's all in the prep of the ground and as we have a very full round we have great difficulty in allocating a consecutive day or two prep and lay new turf

        • Yes very long winded process 

          Average house on these new builds if they ask the housing to lay the turf its around £500

          But looking at there prep 

          A lot of work around my way (Scarborough) is shocking.

    • I have access to a hollow tine that i would plan on hiring for a week at a time.
      I almost got sucked into a re turf but the customer was always arguing with family every time i was round so after what you say I will avoid them in th future,(Unless it suits)
      Thanks for the fertilizer advice.

       

  • Why would you  use a drop spreader when a rotary one is so much quicker and in my opinion,  gives you a better even coverage.    Greenthumb charges £15-£20 for your average lawn............. it literally takes just minutes to do a lawn............ I just add an extra tenner to the cost of the fertilizer if I'm there anyway doing regular maintenance............. sometimes, I'll just do it for the cost of the stuff if I know the customer isn't well off and can't really afford it! . 

    • I had gone back through the forums and had thought that the consensus was that a drop spreader was more acurate and would not thrwo seed or fertiliser into the borders or onto paths etc. 
      Ill take recomendations for any spreaders.

       

  • PRO

    Hi James, do you have a spraying licence PA1/6? If so great, if not, you won't get far in terms of providing a specialist lawn care service. Ditto equipment, you'll need aerators, scarifiers and a couple of knapsack sprayers.

    Avoid drop spreader - go for broadcast, much more accurate and faster.

    Pricing wise, lots in the BOG a few years ago.

    Why a full bag? Most wheeled broadcast spreaders will do, but do you have many lawns around 750-1000+ sqms? You won't want to be putting a loaded spreader in the back of the van. Better to load with roughly correct amount for each lawn.

    If you're serious, I'd get some training and join the UK Lawn Care Association.

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