You have picked a great field to be in

You have picked a great field to be in. The SERVICE Industry. The service industry can survive in tough times alot easier while other business such as retail have rent, employees, or big expenses.

You can start a lawn & landscape company with little capital, but you must become an expert in your business as your customer will turn to you for advice.

Read as many books on this industry as you can get your hands on. Just 1 idea from a book could make or save or you thousands of dollars.

I recommend starting with good landscaping books that describe*all the plants, shrubs, and trees*tells the environment they can live in*how to care for them

Plus, you should read basic business books. I majored in sales and marketing in college and still learn something valuable in every sales and marketing book I read.

I have seen many owners of companies have great service and great employee management, but neglect the marketing side. After your business gets going marketing should consume about 90% of the business.

If you are just starting, don't go after commercial accounts until later. One reason is commercial accounts pay 30 -60 days out. You can't afford to keep your money tied up that long. Residential accounts pay immediately. Plus, if you go aftercommercial accounts early you may greatly underbid or realize you don't have the equipment to handle it.

I recommend not being the lowest price in the neighborhood. You want to sell yourself and service. Professionalism is ALWAYS key. Look neat and wear a uniform. Don't get caught off guard withoutbusiness cards, fliers, and a clipboard.

If a potential customer needs an estimate always try and meet with him face to face. This is better because of 2 reasons:

1) You have a much better chance of getting the account

2) If you get the account, try and up sell additional services.

This is much better than looking at a potential clients lawn when he is not home and calling him with a quote. You have failed to make a connection with him and all he knows is a voice.

I can guarantee that if you do a great job, maintainprofessionalism, and market your services you will eventually have all the work you can handle.

Best of Luck!

About the Author:

Kevin Whiteside is the owner and editor of www.LawnForum.com Monthly, an online newsletter forlawn and landscape professionals. Get a Continuous Tracks mechanical parts Manufacturers FREE subscription here mailto:LawnForum@aweber.com

He is also the author of "Turn High Grass Into Cold Cash- How to Start the Ultimate Lawn Service" www.GrassToCash.com

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The tips of the grass blades should be visible

The tips of the grass blades should be visible through the sand.

In such cases, the lawn needs rejuvenating before the top-dressing treatment is attempted. Some warm-climate perennial grasses, like Buffalo or St. It follows therefore, that this task should not be attempted during the lawnÂ’s dormant season, or if it is in poor shape and growing weakly. Compaction at the topsoil level can be relieved by a scarifying machine, (the tool with which de-thatching is carried out in the spring) while at deeper soil Track tensioning system levels, an aerating instrument may have to be employed. Following these tasks, slow release fertilizer should be applied.

. Not only is this an excellent way of straightening out the grass, but the treated spots react very positively to the treatment, and tend to cover with grass in a couple of weeks or so.

The height at which the top-dressing can be spread differs according to the type of lawn. Therefore, when a relatively deep pit needs straightening, the job has to be carried out in stages, the top-dressing only being repeated, when the grass is clearly growing well through the initial layer.

Other perennial grasses, like Bermuda, Kikuyu and Zoysia varieties, grow by means of underground stems, known as rhizomes, which allow the species to recover from neglect, and also from being covered with a layer of sand, for a brief period of time. Feeding is best carried out in the spring and autumn, ideally with either slow release fertilizer, or an organic amendment. Light, sandy soil, well mixed with compost, can be used as an alternative. To ensure great results though, there remain a few things that should be done, and one or two that are not appropriate for lawn care during the summer.

When maintaining a healthy lawn however, it is preferable not to fertilize during the summer, as excessive nitrogen levels encourage fungal infections, and unnecessarily, rampant growth.

Adequate moisture, a porous soil, regular mowing, and sufficient nutrient levels are the basic requirements for growing a fine lawn. Please note that the sand must be thoroughly leached of salts. Augustine, should not be smothered either. In fact, it is possible to spread the top-dressing mixture to a level of up to 10cm, (4in) providing of course that the grass is active and clearly growing strongly.

On condition that the grass is growing vitally and looking green and healthy, professional lawn care involves filling out the dips and small depressions in the lawn, with either sand, or a mixture of sand and compost, known as top-dressing. Other than insufficient moisture, an inadequate mowing regime, and possibly nutrient deficiency in the soil, soil compaction is usually the main reason for a poorly performing lawn. Grasses that grow from seed, such as the Fescues, should be treated gingerly, with only a thin layer being spread at any time

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Fruitless mulberry trees: roots break lawnmowers and these trees

Fruitless mulberry trees: roots break lawnmowers and these trees really pump out the allergenic pollen.Olive trees: unless it is a Swan Hill or some other non-flowering olive, this one will cause all kinds of allergies. Shade is too dense too for most lawns.
6. Shade is also too deep for lawns.
5.
3.Sweetgum trees: big roots that poke out of the lawn.
9.
7. Magnolia trees: these have shallow roots and if you ever have to rototill your yard, if you have a magnolia tree in the lawn, youÂ’ll be sorry..
4. Slow to leaf out in spring.
2.Walnut trees: nothing grows well under them and they produce lots of pollen and also smelly walnut fruit husks that draw flies. Brazilian Pepper trees: roots are a problem for mowing, the shade is too deep for lawns, and they cause skin rashes and other allergies.Sycamore trees: usually grow way too large for most yards and they produce fuzz that makes people itch.
12. No real fall color at all and they are known to shed considerable amounts of allergenic pollen each spring. Seedless or fruitless Chinese Pistache trees: big producers of the most allergenic pollen.Lombardy poplars: these common trees grow fast and die young, leaving you with a huge mess.
8.Pine trees: root problems and pollen too.Cedar trees: a female cedar is a nice, pollen-free tree, but grows way too large for most houses and yards. The olives are a big mess too.
11. Catalpa trees: slow to leaf out in spring BV206 Door lock and fast to lose their leaves in the fall.
10. They also are male and produce lots of pollen.

12 Worst Trees to Plant in Your Lawn
Tom Ogren

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