Smart Spring Yard Cleanup

It's Cleanup Season
March is notoriously unpredictable. Shrubs can be crusty with snow on the first of the month, and then, a couple of weeks later, temperatures can warm up enough for flower and leaf buds to show signs of life.
Still, some early spring cleanup tasks are sure things this time of year. So go ahead and remove burlap from trees and shrubs as the weather warms. Prune away winter-killed branches to make room for new growth. Cut back spent perennials and pull up old annuals if you didn't get around to it last fall. Then look around. March is a good time to take stock of your yard and see if it's time to thin out crowded beds and do some transplanting to fill in bare spots.

1. Prune away dead and damaged branches. 

Where tree or shrub branches have been damaged by cold, snow, and wind, prune back to live stems; use a handsaw for any larger than ½ inch in diameter. Shaping hedges with hand pruners, rather than electric shears, prevents a thick outer layer of growth that prohibits sunlight and air from reaching the shrub's center. At right, Roger neatens up a yew by pruning wayward shoots back to an intersecting branch. Prune summer-flowering shrubs, such as Rose of Sharon, before buds swell, but wait to prune spring bloomers, like forsythia, until after they flower.
Trim overgrown evergreens back to a branch whose direction you want to encourage.

2. Cut back and divide perennials as needed.

Prune flowering perennials to a height of 4–5 inches and ornamental grasses to 2–3 inches to allow new growth to shoot up. Where soil has thawed, dig up perennials, such as daylilies and hostas, to thin crowded beds; divide them, leaving at least three stems per clump, and transplant them to fill in sparse areas. Cut back winter-damaged rose canes to 1 inch below the blackened area. On climbers, keep younger green canes and remove older woody ones; neaten them up by bending the canes horizontally and tipping the buds downward. Use jute twine or gentle Velcro fasteners to hold the canes in place.
A pair of sharp bypass pruners makes a clean cut on both dead and living foliage.

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3. Clean Up Around Plants.

Rake out fallen leaves and dead foliage (which can smother plants and foster disease), pull up spent annuals, and toss in a wheelbarrow with other organic yard waste. Once the threat of frost has passed, Roger also removes existing mulch to set the stage for a new layer once spring planting is done. Push heaved plants back into flower beds and borders, tamping them down around the base with your foot, or use a shovel to replant them. Now is a good time to spread a pelletized fertilizer tailored to existing plantings on the soil's surface so that spring rains can carry it to the roots. Add a 5-10-10 fertilizer around bulbs as soon as they flower to maximize bloom time and feed next season's growth. Use pins to fasten drip irrigation lines that have come loose and a square-head shovel to give beds a clean edge and keep turf grass from growing into them.

4. Prep Damaged Lawn Areas for Spring Seeding.

In colder climates grass starts growing in April, but early spring is a good time to test the soil's pH so that you can assemble the right amendments. Remove turf damaged by salt, plows, or disease to prepare for the seeding that should follow in a few weeks. Work in a ½-inch layer of compost to keep the new seed moist, increasing the germination rate. Begin seeding once forsythia starts blooming in your area. In warmer climates, March is a good time to add the first dose of fertilizer and crabgrass treatment.

Remove dead turf with a square metal rake, then flip it over to spread compost.
Don’t forget to prepare the lawn with an aerator.  We have them for rent here at Imperial Services Inc.

3 STEPS TO STARTING A SUCCESSFUL LAWN MOWING BUSINESS

Mowing grass for your neighbors is one thing, but actually starting your own lawn mowing business can seem like a daunting task. The reality is this: starting your own business is not difficult if you have the drive and do the research. Today we’re going to discuss the first vital steps to getting a business off the ground.

1. Drive and Research

Trying to start a business without drive and discipline is like trying to drive on an interstate highway with flat tires. You’ll end up going nowhere. The greatest factor that dooms businesses is not financial crisis or lack of capital; it’s equivocation and laziness.  Personal discipline is the most important initial step towards launching a new business.

Do the research. Think through every detail involving starting a business. Where will you get capital? What equipment do you need? Will you need to rent a space to store equipment and start the business? How can my business be found on the internet? Will I have employees? How will you generate leads for clients? Have the discipline to ask the hard questions and use all of the resources available to you to get the answers. The internet offers many helpful sources, ranging from ratings of lawn equipment to applying for a business loan. It helps to make a daily or weekly research schedule to keep your efforts on track.

2.  Capital

Gaining capital through pitching ideas to investors is becoming a thing of the past. New companies are often forced to find capital through other means. What if you don’t have your own money to start a business? What should you do?

The first step is to identify which type of capital you need to start, which for almost every new business is either Seed Capital or Start-up Capital. Seed Capital is funding for planning and research, whereas Start-up Capital funds equipment, supplies, and rent. Start-up Capital is particularly important for the first two years of a small business and it’s potential growth. When a business survives and begins to grow it will shift to Mezzanine Capital, which is also known as Expansion Capital.

Capital can come from investors, but most often it comes through the form of a business loan. When applying for a loan, think specifically about what the loan will be used for and the duration of the loan itself. Take time to think about how to sync up the funds of the loan with things you plan to use the loan money for.

3.  Equipment

A cost-effective business is a sustainable business. A smart investment when starting a lawn mowing business is buying quality equipment. Sounds simple, right? Think about cost this way: A lot of capital is tied up in fuel, rent, and hired hands. Equipment failure or malfunction is an unexpected added cost. Therefore, when purchasing equipment, the paramount element should be return on investment. Based on operating costs, equipment repair costs lead to a poor return on investment and can quickly place your business financially in the red. Study equipment manufacturing and equipment reviews before making any purchases, as the right equipment purchase will lead to a much greater investment return over time. We can help with any questions you have here at Imperial Services. There are also options of Free Financing with some of the larger equipment you might want to purchase.

Give yourself due diligence when considering starting a new company. Do the research and do your best to answer all the hard questions. Remember, if you have the passion and the drive, you can start your own business and make it successful.

For more information about our line of commercial mowers, contact your local Wright dealership today. IMPERIAL SERVICES INC.