What is the best Lawn Mower for Residential use or Commercial Use?

I often get the question "What is the best Lawn Mower for Residential use or Commercial Use? The answer to this question depends upon the amount of use, the outcome of lawn cut you are after, the amount of money you want to spend, whether you want it to be portable, and many many other factors.

Money is generally the most important factor. The most expensive lawn mower that I have is a Walker Brand with the "GHS" or "Grass Handling System". The Walker is more of a commercial mower that goes for around $10,500. It collects the cut debris and shoots it under and back to a "hopper", which swivels up to dump the contents when full. The Walker Brand is a riding lawn mower. The controls on a Walker are more advanced than those of most mowers - you use your left fingers to go left and right and your right hand to control the forward control. A Walker Brand Mower will give you THE BEST cut of all commercial mowers in my opinion. The Walker also does a very good job of picking up other debris like leaves, pinestraw, or anything else that comes in its path.

A good pick for a riding lawn mower for the homeowner is the Snapper 28. This is the same mower that Forrest Gump was cutting the football field with. It's slow, but it makes a great, consistent cut. The Snapper line of riding mowers also does a satisfactory job of picking up light debris (like leaves). With a bagger "system", the Snapper Riding Lawn Mower goes for about $1750.

Another great commercial riding lawn mower is the "Zero Turn" mower. These monsters come in all sizes from Scag's 36" to ExMark's massive 72" width. As the name implies, these mowers turn on a zero radius - that means that they don't need much room at all to do a 180 degree turn to start the next line of mowing. I like my John Deere 54" "Z-Trac" 23 Horsepower. It does the big overgrown jobs that I come up on now and then. It will also do a fine job of regular mowing, but if given the choice, I use my Walker. Most Zero Turn mowers will mow through 15" tall grass with no problem! My John Deere goes for about $7500 new, but you can pick one up on ebay for ~$3000 or so depending upon how many "hours" it has on it.

The amount of hours on any mower you are considering depends, of course, on how long it has been in use. It is important to know, also, whether the mower has commercial hours on it or residential. If commercial, look for a mower with no more than 400 hours on it for maximum value. Hours in the range of 1000 or so are, in my opinion, too depreciated to enjoy maximum value.

Email me any time with questions about mowers or any other lawn care machinery - I'll be glad to help!

Landscaping Services Differ In Prices - Cost Versus Value

Landscaping Services here in Columbia South Carolina differ from company to company. One company may offer you a price that is significantly higher than the next company. It really does pay in the long run to educate yourself to the facts about how landscaping jobs are priced so you can make the right choice in landscapers.

Not only should you look at the bottom line price of the landscaping estimate, but you should also look at the quality of service, promptness, attention to detail, and overall look of the finished installation. A low end bid may be cheap initially, but could result in dead plants, severed irrigation lines, erosion problems, or general lack of creativity or appeal. The "lowball" bid is usually low for a reason - is this landscape contractor licensed to do business in your city? Is this company reputable and can they provide you with character references? Does the company employ illegal aliens? Does this company pay their taxes? These are all questions that you should ask before you sign a contract for landscaping.

Another factor that drives the price of a landscaping project is the cost of materials. If the landscaping service that you are having to bid on your project has a good connection with a local nursery or farm, they can usually get a better price for the materials. It is generally up to the landscaper as to how much they charge you in the end for these materials - after all, the landscaper has done the foot work in locating the best prices and has done enough business with the material supplier to merit the "wholesale" prices that they enjoy.

Cost of labor is also a factor. What is the cost of the labor that the landscape contractor has to pay? If the cost of labor is significantly higher, then the dollar cost to you the consumer will be higher. If the cost of labor is extremely cheap, then there might be problems with communication, trustworthiness, and local economic impacts. It is a common misconception that immigrant labor is the only labor that is cheap. There ARE Nationalized Americans who are willing and able to do the labor that is involved in landscaping and Groundskeeping at a reasonable rate. A responsible landscape contractor will take these factors into account when running their business.

So whether it's lawn maintenance, landscaping services, or groundskeeping, it pays to take a good look at the company who you are employing. That money that you pay to the company might just come back around to YOU if you are prudent with your selection!

Regular Lawn Maintenance Service

Columbia, South Carolina is one of the hottest places I know of. Not only does the city retain heat from the paved areas and buildings, but the fact that the soil in Greater Columbia SC is so sandy contributes to the intense heat. Regular Lawn Maintenance Service here in Columbia, that is, every "x" days to cut the lawn, is probably not usually a great idea....here's why.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm in the Lawn Care Business and my primary customer base is customers who need their lawns cut. However, what I'm advocating here is that the lawns need to be cut at semi-regular intervals. If I were to cut any given lawn at the wrong time, I could damage the lawn.

I see many of my competitors doing just that - cutting the grass in the middle of a drought just because the "contract" dictates when the grass should be cut. What is happening is that they are killing the grass when it needs to be left alone (and watered!). Long Grass will help the lawn live through times of drought.

For my customers, I monitor their grass (and their grounds, bushes, etc). I take into account how healthy the grass looks overall. If their grass is due to be cut on, say, the 7th of August and it looks drought stressed and under watered, I will rescedule and round up the service to the next week or the next round. For this to work well for me, I as the service provider round it like that so I don't have to break my schedule by coming the following day (in this case the 8th of August).

Take a close look at what your lawn maintenance service is doing to your grass. Are they there to collect the cash no matter what (because the calendar says its time to cut) or are they doing whats in the best interest of YOU the customer and whats best for your lawn's health.

For more Lawn Care Tips, visit Busy Bee Lawn Care online!

Submitted by:
Ashley Brooks
Owner/Operator
Busy Bee Lawn Care, LLC
Columbia, SC
Cell 803.331.5323

Tree Removal Service for Columbia and Lexington South Carolina

If you are in need of a Tree Removal Service for Columbia or Lexington South Carolina, I can definately help. Being in the "green industry", I am in contact with some of the lesser known, yet most competitively priced tree removal services here in the Midlands Area.

One tree cutting, trimming, and removal service that I use alot is my Uncle. If he is too busy, I often refer folks to my secondary choice, who I will introduce you by referral to once you contact me.

The cost of a tree removal service depends upon their overhead, the equipment they use, the position and size of the tree, the amount of brush that will need to be hauled off, and generally the length of time it will take to cut down the tree and remove the debris from the premisis.

One important aspect about tree removal is the final touches. Make sure that when you receive a "bid" to do the work, that they include (or carve out) the cost of the stump grinding. Grinding away the remaining part of the tree that is in the ground can cost from $80 to $250 depending upon the size of the stump and the location of the job.

Final touches to the job also include the removal of the sawdust debris and the spreading of topsoil. Often times, areas underneath trees have an imbalance in the pH of the soil which inhibits proper growth of the lawn or other plants. Spreading good topsoil after tree removal can help the situation. Once you have the topsoil down, you can call in the lawn care guys to put down a healthy layer of sod grass or perhaps sew some seeds (depending upon the irrigation, time of year, amount of light, etc).

If you need a tree removed, please don't hesitate to contact me, just visit Busy Bee Lawn Care online for my contact information.

Happy Gardening!

Ashley Brooks
Owner - Busy Bee Lawn Care
Columbia S.C.
803-331-5323

Ironite makes your grass green!

Just wanted to share a quick tip with you that I learned. Not only does your lawn need fertilizer, weed and feed, proper cutting, sunlight, water, and the usual items, but it also could use a healthy dose of IRONITE. Ironite will clear out the plaque in your grass' root system to enable your grass to "uptake" those nutrients that you spread on your grass (like Carolina Special Fertilizer). What can inhibit that uptake of nutrients is salt deposits in the roots of the grass.

Here's a quick link to more information about Ironite:

Ironite Ad Copy

Call Busy Bee Lawn Care at (803)331-5323 for your Lawn Care, Grounds Keeping, Landscaping, Sprinkler installation and Landscape Maintenance needs!

How to Lay Sod

A green, vibrant, healthy lawn starts with good soil, meticulous preparation, and an eye for detail. Simply laying sod down over un-prepared land can be counterproductive and time consuming if things don't go as planned. There are 4 important steps in how to lay sod to insure that your lawn is the gem of the block. Laying sod starts with sufficient breaking of the ground, proper nutrients, proper leveling, and frequent watering after the grass sod is laid.

You must break the ground on which you are laying the sod in order for the grass to root properly. There is a special rake that you can get at the hardware store that is called a "thatching rake" - this is my favorite tool for breaking ground. For one of the most widely used grasses, centipede, you only need to break the ground about 1/4 inch. On the other hand, for St. Augustine, you need to give the roots a great deal of growing room in order for the grass leaves to thrive and grow long.

After you break the ground, go ahead and put out a light sprinkling of pulverized limestone (lime). Lime will "sweeten up" acidic soil...and can't really be over used. Lime will help make your soil less acidic. Acidic soil is common around pine trees, for instance, and is an area that should be layered liberally with lime. Another soil enrichment that you can do is to add "starter fertilizer", which can also be found at your local hardware store or building supply store like Lowes or Home Depot. Beware though not to use "weed and feed" as it will burn the new sod.

One of the most important things to do when laying a new lawn is to properly level the ground. You can do this by hand or you can hire someone to "grade" your lot with heavy machinery. It all depends upon how much time and labor you are willing to put into hand grading your yard. If you have a small lawn like mine, you may elect to hand grade the yard. There is another specialty rake that landscapers use that is very wide with short (3" or so in length) tines on one side and a flat scraper on the other side. It looks like a conventional rake, but is specifically for leveling and separating out rocks and other debris. Take your time leveling your yard and you'll be glad you did - having to take up rooted sod and doing this over is no fun!

Watering sod that has been freshly installed is THE most important step to success. You must water your new lawn twice a day for at least 10 days to 2 weeks, depending upon the rainfall in your area. Do not let your new sod get dry and parched. Warning signs of an overly dry area are faded greyish green leaves of grass that just look dry.

So that's it! Your new lawn will establish in a short period of time and you will be mowing in no time. Give your new lawn at least 4 weeks and up to 6 weeks until your first mowing in order to allow the root system to establish. After that, mow only 1/3rd of the length of the blade of grass for maximum health of your lawn.

-By Ashley Brooks, Busy Bee Lawn Care, Columbia South Carolina, Lawn Care Service at it's Best!

Lawn Care in a Drought - what to do, to fertilize or not, and how to cut the grass properly

When your lawn is enduring a drought such as the one that we are in the middle of here in Columbia South Carolina, there are several things to keep in mind. Primarily, know that your lawn is in a "dormant" state and is not dead. Your grass may look like straw, become wilted and yellow, and generally look like it is not thriving.

Don't worry! Just keep watering it at the frequency you normally water, fertilizing at the normal lawn fertilization frequency, and cutting at the same times. The difference in cutting, though, should be that you cut your lawn at a higher level. Cutting your grass at a higher level helps to retain water and shade the lawn to protect against the drought.

Contrary to what you might think, fertilizing your lawn during a drought is actually good for the lawn - it helps it recover once the drought is over!

For this and more lawn care and lawn mowing tips, please visit Busy Bee Lawn Care on the web at www.BusyBeeLawnCare.com

Pine Straw or Pinestraw - How do you spell Cheap?!

Pine Straw Mulch is one of the cheaper ways to really dress up a landscape here in the South. Pinestraw comes in longleaf, loblolly, slash pine, and short leaf - but my favorite is the long leaf or slash pine, both of which are long (8" to 10" in length) with an "amber" color to them.

There are several benefits to using pine straw and certain circumstances in which using pinestraw would be of benefit to the landscaping situation. Horticulturally speaking, pine straw is a good mulch or "bed dressing" for acid loving plants (azaleas, hydrangeas, etc). It keeps moisture intact, especially through dry seasons and it also keeps weeds to a minimum.

I like to install or "spread" new pinestraw in about February, taking up some or all of the old pine straw which, at that point in the year has bush clippings and various other types of debris mixed in (which is unsightly). After about October, I like to "fluff" the pinestraw with a pitchfork and turn it over to reveal non-weathered mulch. This gives the effect of new pinestraw without the cost of new materials.

If you have any questions about this type of ground cover, mulch, gravel rock crush and run, or any other landscaping question, please don't hesitate to call Busy Bee Lawn Care!

Busy Bee Lawn Care - (803)331-5323

Spring is coming! Have you got a lawn care service?

Spring is coming! Have you got a lawn care service?

I am currently taking on new lawn care and grounds keeping customers as spring is in the air and folks are starting to think about the work that spring brings with it. Below are a few points of interest pertaining to my level of lawn care service here in Columbia, South Carolina. The "blanks" are negociable, please contact me at 331-LEAF for your estimate.

Here's the breakdown:

Busy Bee Lawn Care, LLC is a full service lawn care provider. I hold official business licensure in compliance with local law and am an officially licensed pesticide applicator (herbicide). I maintain liability insurance, and I use the best equipment on the market to do the best job in the quickest time possible.

The minimum fee is $50 for the basic lawn care service during the green season unless otherwise arranged. A recurring "basic lawn servicing" is defined as: Mowing the lawn, Edging the lawn, weed eating the edges of the lawn, and blowing away the debris that I create in the process.

The cost of the basic lawn care service for your grounds is $_____ per visit. This year’s service on your property will commence on the _____ day of _______, 20____ unless otherwise requested (please contact me otherwise)

Billing – You will be billed by mail on a monthly basis for the services previously rendered in that month. Invoices are mailed at the end of the month and payment is appreciated before the 5th.

Grass Cutting Defined – Your grass will be cut to the most appropriate height every ______ weeks. At times, it will be bagged, and at times it will be mulched (whichever is best for the situation). Either method will be exercised at the request of the customer if so desired.

Herbiciding weeds in areas where they are inappropriate at the appropriate time (as I determine) is included in the cost of the servicing. The cost of the herbicide is included in the cost of the basic lawn servicing. Please be aware that to enjoy the benefits of herbicide, a risk in losing adjacent plants exists, albeit a minimal risk. Customer hereby assumes that risk as their own.

Fertilizer application will be recommended throughout the year. If you elect to do fertilizing, the cost of the fertilizer used will be added to the basic lawn care service fee for the month in which it was applied.

Bagging, hauling away of debris and disposal fees would incur a surcharge and are not included in the basic servicing (although leaving un-bagged debris on the curb IS included in the basic service). Bagging (to leave on the curb) will incur a surcharge depending upon the amount of debris.

Fall leaf/pine straw cleanup - Each year after October the 15th, our agreement switches to an hourly rate of $____/hour for my service (one man). For each helper I employ on that day’s service, there will be an additional $____/hour expense incurred (ex: me and 1 helper = $____/hour). You can elect to use our service as much or as little as you wish and to the extent and frequency of your need. The average fall cleanup takes anywhere from 1 to 3 hours total depending upon the amount of debris (this is not a guarantee of the time that will be spent on your property).

Hedge trimming, miscellaneous grounds keeping, pressure washing and other requested services’ costs are based upon the hourly rate. Roof clearing by estimate. Tree removal service is offered by referral.

Rain Delay – If it rains or is too wet on the day that your grounds are to be serviced, know that your needs are regarded as important and will be taken care of you as soon as possible. In anticipation of rain, your grounds may be serviced a day or two early.

Thank you for your business!

What's the best way to remove leaves - is any one leaf removal service the best?

Leaf Removal in the Columbia, South Carolina area can be a very labor intensive endeavor. Many folks decide to wait until the last leaf has fallen off of their trees before they do something about the removal of those leaves.

There is no good way to go about doing the removal but there are some critical pieces of information that I wanted to share with you.

First of all, decide whether or not you do indeed want to remove the leaves. The alternative is to leave them on your grounds and perhaps grind them up with a mower with a mulching blade to aid in the decomposition process. Often times, this is a good solution for the homeowner who has an overload of leaves.

If you decide to go ahead and remove the leaves, the #1 tool that you'll need is a gas powered leaf blower. The best leaf blowers on the market that I have found are the Redmax 8001, the Stihl BR 600, and the Echo pb 651t - all of which have the throttle mounted on the nozzle (avoid the hip mounted throttle!).

The next most important thing to decide is the strategy for pushing the leaves. Take a good look at the grounds and get a clear idea of what direction you want to push the leaves. WIND is a very important factor. On a particularly windy day, make sure the wind is at your back - nature can be very helpful in this way.

Try to do your leaf removal on a dry day - that is, wait at least 2 days after rainfall. This way, you won't be dealing with heavy debris and the risk of soiling your shutters, windows, etc.

And lastly, remember to do leaf cleanup on the day before the debris pick-up crew for your city makes their rounds. This way, your neighbors don't have to look at the trash and you have less of a risk of the debris getting blown around the neighborhood.

Tree Removal Service - Busy Bee Lawn Care, Columbia SC

So you have a dead tree in your yard? If you've ever shopped for service in regards to tree removal service in the Columbia South Carolina Area, you know that the bids for cutting down the tree and removing the tree can be very different.

One bid may be for the total removal of the tree, the grinding of the stump (you may have seen a stump grinding service rolling around before), and of course the surgical removal of the tree (cutting down without damaging anything!). This bid for tree removal would be significantly higher than the bid to simply "drop" the tree.

If you drop the tree where it stands and do not grind the stump, the cost to remove the tree will be roughly 1/5th of the cost of the total removal package. This option may be attractive to folks who don't care about the appearance - they just want the risk removed. Others may have the resources and manpower to haul off the downed tree, but lack the resources and skill to physically cut down the tree.

Whatever your choice in tree service in the Greater Columbia South Carolina Area, make sure that the company doing the work is licensed in your city/town, is insured, and has a good track record where safety is concerned.