It's all about that green

 Am I trying to say Happy St. Patrick's Day? Maybe hello to Spring? Perhaps making money or lamenting about inflation and the money it's going to cost us all? Hey, then again, could it be I'm just optimistic about the lawns and their change from winter brown to forest green?

Actually it's all of the above. This will be a year, pleasant in some respects and challenging in others. The rising prices is of concern, and operating a business is definitely more difficult than it was 12 months ago when we enjoyed Covid gas prices, pre-wild fire grass seed, and pre-war fertilizer. Yet, whether you're a home owner or a lawn care provider, one must learn to adapt. That's why Spring is a time to look forward with hope instead of despair, of watching growth, and taking a collective breath. Stop for a moment to appreciate what you have and admire the clover because things can always be worse.

So, Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Tomorrow's a different story.

Betting on D.I.Y..... well, maybe not?

 I hear from many people who say they're going to do their own lawn care in 2022. However, these same people may not be aware that doing it yourself may actually be more expensive when all is said and done.

Prices for fertilizer, seed and Fiesta have seen dramatic price increases over the past 6 months, In some cases they've doubled.

The reasons for the increases are numerous and complicated, but they are global (Supply is way down, global supply chain disruptions, higher overseas freight, higher rail and long haul truck freight, China is not shipping out of country, Russia, higher natural gas costs, higher fuel costs, higher crop prices, shuttered work forces, and Possible collusion and greed among the Major suppliers to name a few).  

The reasons for the increase in Seed are different than the fertilizer and to a large degree can be attributed a very VERY poor growing season in Oregon and B.C in 2021  that virtually wiped out the crop and doubling the price.  Most of the Seed suppliers have very limited supply and are not taking on new customers. 

For the Liquid Iron,  the cost has gone up 30-40%, mainly due to supply issues. 

And of course all these price hikes are being passed on to the consumer. Whereas a Lawn Care Provider may raise your cost a few bucks to cover increases, buying the product for personal use could cost you over $100 and up depending on the size of your property.

Add to that your labour and time, and doing it yourself doesn't seem like such a cost-saving adventure anymore.

Most lawn companies have pre-pay savings, usually before the start of the season, but if you wait until after those deadlines, I would have to say, all bets are off.

The difference in a year

 As the 2021 lawn season comes to an end, I find myself reflecting not only on the season's completion but the 2020 year as well.

Although the two are strikingly different---2020 had record breaking heat and drought. 2021 had excessive rain and frequent fluctuations between cool and heat---the fact remains, the two years were not so far apart by the end.

Crabgrass and chinch bugs were right on schedule, and although the levels of infestation were less in '21, they remained problematic all the same. The new product, Bio Titan for chinch, had little to no effect as a pre or post-emergent, and crabgrass?...It's the same old song and dance with that weed in the post pesticide era---wait for the fall and this annual dies-off then reseed the affected area (rinse, repeat every year.)

2021 also saw an increase in turf disease, most notably rust, due to the flip-flop between cool and humid temperatures, and all the rain made controlling weeds more difficult. 

I can't remember a year where so much work had to be moved to another day due to rain or heat. But this is lawncare. It is a profession that must adapt to the changing climate as much as the degree of difficulty in issues and the seemingly less effective products to address both.

The law of diminishing returns indeed!

The party's over

 

Actually, the party was over a year ago, but with COVID, it came and went without much fanfare. As we approach the 1st anniversary of the date, I would like to clue in those who don't know, to exactly what I'm talking about.

Up until the middle of last July, home owners who wanted Killex could order it online from Western Canada, and a nice, neat package would arrive at their door via Crown Corporation, Canada Post, no questions asked.

If you ever wondered how your neighbour kept their lawn weed-free, chances are he or she has a bottle or two of the concentrate stashed in the garage.

Granted this method wasn't cheap, but a loophole in the Ontario Pesticide Bylaw existed that made this possible same as those who brought back illegals from the States. 

You see, since many of the bigger industries---golf, sod, farming, government owned property, forestry and now cemeteries---were exempt under the bylaw, provisions had to be written into the act, were it wasn't illegal to have a product like Killex of Par III in your possession. You just couldn't use it or sell it without risking penalty unless you were exempt.

So when it became clear that the Ministry of the Environment couldn't police everyone, relying on whistle-blowers and public complaints, the abuse began, and over time increased until the Ontario Government finally went to the source and said "no more."

E-mails were sent to customers informing them, "As of July 2020, Killex was no longer available to customers in Ontario."

Problem solved, right?

Sure, until the Federal Border opens again, and 2 4 D flows across the 49th parallel like Duty Free booze and cigarettes. After all, the Feds don't care about Provincial Band-Aids, they're after bigger fish.

As for the mail-order route, I suppose if you have a friend or family member living out west, they could send it to you? And I'll bet money, Canada Post won't turn away the business.

* insert slow clap*

Well done Ministry . . . well done.

 

To pee or not to pee?

 

I don't believe I'm actually doing a post about this subject, except I am.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, it is increasingly hard to find a restroom when nature calls. Most places have strict toilet policies now, that is, if you are allowed to use them at all. And it has become increasingly difficult to relieve ones self in the midst of an eight-hour route.

So it comes as no surprise when the reason a customer cancels a lawn care company hinges more and more on hygienic practices than service.

Frequently, I hear from new customers, the reason they quit their previous provider was from finding a technician using the home owner's property as their own private urinal.

Sure, this is nothing new, and in my twenty years in this business, it is not the first time I've heard stories such as these.

However, the frequency has alarmingly increased. It also makes me question the intelligence of a worker who decides in this era of  ubiquitous visual home security, at a time when most people are home in lockdown, to empty a bladder next to a backyard bush.

Rest assured, that when I tell you your lawn needs a good deep watering once a week, it won't involve me urinating on it.

2020: It's the gift that keeps on giving

 

It is not surprising, with the swarms of Japanese Beetle we saw last summer that we'd see an increase of grub activity in the fall, and now into the spring of 2021.

Normally, our spring aeration schedule is minimal as we have moved most to the fall for the betterment of the lawn. But not this year.

This year I'm seeing more devastation in need of recovery with aeration and seed. I'm seeing more raccoons and skunks digging. I'm seeing lawns in serious need of reclamation.

So, what to do about these turf-wreckers?

One way to deter further damage is to purchase Coyote Urine Pellets (raccoons) or Fox Urine Pellets (skunks) and trick your unwanted vermin into believing  a larger predator is near. Follow the label of the product for best results.

Once digging has ceased and reparation is underway, you might need to consider a grub application. There are two methods currently available: nematodes---best applied as a liquid application from mid August to mid October---or Grub Gone---applied as a granular end of May through July.

Which ever method you choose, be sure to consult the label before applying the product to your lawn.

With Japanese Beetle, you can make nicotine tea by crumpling a pack of cigarettes into a pail of water to steep for a couple of hours. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and apply to all plants affected by Japanese Beetle, late June through July, or when the insect is active. The nicotine is a natural insect repellent.

Pheromone Traps  also work well to help cull the population of the destructive insect.

With everything these critters and insects have given you, isn't it time you gave some back?

Welcome to the annual egg hunt

 

I have always believed there are enough lawns out there for everyone, but that was before Covid and the hottest/driest summer in 70 years.

Now, it seems all companies are scrambling for the almighty dollar to feed their bottom lines, and willing to get down and dirty to make it happen.

Sure, we've lost our fair-share of customers (mostly new from 2020) who decided it was our fault for the weather, and what it did to the lawns last year. Yet, we've also gained a shit-ton as homeowners play Swing-your-partner in hope of a better alternative.

Still, the dark and devious behavior of some of our competitors has been  just short of abhorrent. 

We've had our service calls removed from a potential customer's mailbox and replaced by one from the offending company. We've had companies cold-call our customers pretending to be us and getting them to sign up for service with their lawn care instead. And we've had lawns poached by cancelled companies who went ahead and did the spring fertilizer on the property anyway.

This last trick has been going on for years, and you should be made aware of it. It is called negative billing.

In fine print on the invoice, the bigger lawn care providers have a statement declaring,  in one form or another "This is a continuous service." Unless you cancel by a designated date---usually sometime in October---you are automatically renewed for another season.

Sometimes they will show and do an application even when you have cancelled. This taking the money of the street is very effective as they know most people would rather pay the invoice instead of being threatened with legal action.

This is also something we have to be keenly aware of when we arrive at a new property in case it has already been fertilized.

I don't need to call these companies out by name for the way they conduct business because I suspect you are smart enough to figure out who they are.

I realize, as a business owner, you need to make money in order to keep your company afloat, but you also need to maintain a reasonable level of integrity---a lesson sadly lost on some of the big guys in the industry.

In my opinion it is the only way you are going to keep finding enough eggs and the chocolate within.