What are the expensive materials causing delays for Tradespeople ?

Since 2020, tradespeople have had to balance record demand for their services with rising costs and materials shortages.

Against a backdrop of rising inflation and a cost of living crisis, the latest data shows that businesses are still having to tur

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Advice for selling trees

I set up an estate tree nursery a couple of years ago and now have around 550 trees, 18 species, ranging from 2-3m London Plane trees, Wild/ Bird Cherry, Wild Pear, Sweet/ Horse Chestnut, to smaller Silver Birch, English/Pin/Holm Oak, Walnut and Copp

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Lithium battery

Just a word of caution when using these batteries, I keep ally batteries in a stihl battery carrier. I use a sealey 20v secateur but yesterday a battery I use for it that was in a stihl battery carrier decided to go nuclear while it was in the back o

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Pruning by a BT cable

One of my customers has a rambling rose that now is touching overhead BT cables. The chap who has been doing their hedge trimming for years will not prune the rose due to it's proximity to the cables. Does anyone have any experience of working around

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Reasonable seed spreader

Need to buy a pedestrian spreader for a clients garden. Specifically needs to handle seed well. I currently have PG25 Broadcast spreader, and its appalling for seed. As its only for occasional use, once or twice a year, I'm not after anything over £2

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Slab laying.

Hi, a friend has asked me to lay some slabs in a chess board 'hit and miss ' fashion so there will be 13 slabs and 13 gaps. They will want to plant things in the gaps so I don't really want to stone the whole area down as a sub base. The ground is cu

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Glut of Gardeners looking for work

Because of the very hot dry weather there seems to be a lot of gardeners who are out of work and looking for a job.

This morning I looked at my emails and found fourteen people had applied for a job over the weekend.

I supose that most of these peopl

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Battery Handling Tips

Battery Handling Tips from our friends over at Stihl....

Also like their battery carry crates and multi battery charger .....worth a check out...

 

 

 

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Ten things you need to know about VAT invoices

Ten things you need to know about VAT invoices

With the change to ensuring all businesses who are Vat Registered submit digital VAT returns, I though this article would be a useful reference source.....

 

Need to register for VAT and start providing

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Feedback on Eliet Maestro Country Shredder/Chipper

i am thinking of buying a Eliet Shredder. What are your opinions and views on them?

 

 Thanks 

 

Andrew

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Downloadable Health and Safety at Work template

If you are planning to move into commercial landscaping or maintenance your company will be required to provide a health and safety document for the contracts officer to view (he might also request a copy for file).

Download this template document t

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Planting spade

Looking for a very heavy duty planting spade with a pointed blade for hard stony ground, just for plants not posts so no great depth required. Preferably ergonomic. Any recommendations?

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Customer Cash Flow dilemma .

Not sure what to do for the best here .

Doing a one off maintenance project for a customer i have worked for in the past but not a regular customer , however they always paid promptly and never any issues , lovely people .

Have submitted Two invoices ,

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Tool for weeds in block pavers/slabs

Evening

What tools are you using for removing weeds/grass from in between block paving and patios. I find the long wispy strands a real pain and very time consuming try too avoid using a strimmer if near windows etc what are others using please.

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Stihl Combi Carbon Extension

I just went to use my carbon extension & the fittings, on each end, aren't in line. They are about 45 degrees out. 

Is this normal? 

Can you loosen the bolt & rotate it?

Thanks. 

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Etesia mower.

Hi, thinking of getting an etesia mower, probably a pro 46. I currently use a hayter 41 pro ( which is great for the smaller/ fine lawns) and a Toro 22" recycler. However I need something that can boss the job a bit better than the Toro, it leaves a

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Hose use

My fellow pro gardeners raised the question 

during a hose pipe ban 

Are we allowed to use domestic clients hoses as professionals carrying out our work to keep a planting job alive ? 
I understand nurseries garden centres etc can and via a standpipe u

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Posthole borer for planting

We have a job coming up to plant 2000 plants in 2lt pots in ground that has brick ends,rubble etc 

Has anyone used a petrol posthole borer for similar? We do know we need one with a clutch as the one's without are wrist breakers.

Be grateful for any th

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Landscape Gardening Business Management Software

Hello everyone, I’m Marc from Custom Quoter and have been talking to Henry, Gary and the team at LJN, He mentioned that there are often threads discussing landscapers/landscaping software.
We wanted to create this discussion to have some direct conta

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Wetting agents

Whats peoples thoughts on applying wetting agents to a lawn. Especially given the extreme hot weather and dry spell we've recently had and no doubt will have more of in the future? 

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