Explore MTD’s lawn mower history graphic and see how lawn care has evolved from the original mower – the goat – to sophisticated machines.  In addition to the history and invention of the lawn mower, learn facts about the differences between gas and electric mowers and the environmental benefits of a manicured lawn.

When winter rolls around, you may be wondering how to protect the trees and shrubs you’ve worked hard to cultivate throughout the growing season. Follow these tips to help ensure that your landscaping makes it to spring unscathed.

Keep winter in mind when planning your landscaping

The first step to making sure your shrubs and trees survive the winter is to plant ones that are appropriate for your region. Use your zip code to look up which hardiness zone you live in, and then select plants that are tagged for your zone.

Hardiness describes a plant’s ability to withstand the lowest temperature that is likely to occur in a given area. Choosing plants that are hardy for your region is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your landscaping makes it through the winter. By taking winter into account when designing your landscaping, you can reduce the effort required to winterize your shrubs and trees.

When you’re planning a new garden, try to plant in places that are sheltered from the wind. If possible, put your most delicate plants in an elevated section of your garden. This will help prevent them from being exposed to the coldest air, which tends to accumulate in low areas.

How to protect trees and shrubs from cold damage

Preparation is key to protecting trees and shrubs from winter weather. Proper watering during the growing season will help them cope with dry winter soil. When the cold hits, winterizing your shrubs and trees can prevent them from getting dried out by harsh gusts.

Homemade wind shelters are great for protecting trees and shrubs. Start by hammering stakes into the ground around them. Then, wrap burlap around the stakes. Staple the burlap to the stakes to secure it.

Young shrubs and trees are especially vulnerable to wind damage. If you have young trees, use twine to tie burlap around their trunks. To prevent animals from nesting in the material, wrap it with chicken wire.

You can also build a shelter to winterize shrubs planted near the road, which are at higher risk of dehydration because they are exposed to salty de-icing treatments. It’s best to use erosion-control fabric rather than burlap because it has finer mesh and won’t allow as much salt to get through.

To winterize shrubs that are tall and narrow, wrap twine around them. This will prevent ice and snow from accumulating on the branches, which can weigh them down and cause them to break.

How to protect trees and shrubs using mulch

Mulch is helpful for protecting trees and shrubs against temperature fluctuations, which can cause them to freeze and thaw throughout the winter. Lay a few inches of mulch around the base of your shrubs and trees – especially newly planted ones – to help prevent the soil from losing heat and moisture.

Using a chipper to make your own mulch is a great way to clean up your yard and recycle wood debris. Keeping your chipper blades sharp prevents damage to your machine and makes it chop more quickly. Quality wood chipper parts, such as vacuums that help you quickly collect debris for your mulch, can make the job easier for you.

This is an article from one of my favorite websites http://www.greenindustrypros.com/

Having an eye toward sustained and successful growth requires you to also have an eye toward an efficient and effective organizational structure. Without the right people on your team doing the right things, your dream of building a bigger and more profitable company rarely amounts to anything more than just that, a dream.

Your company’s organizational structure allows you, as a business owner, the ability to magnify yourself by leveraging employees. Thus, developing this structure properly will offer your organization opportunities for growth while maintaining your quality and profitability as you manage more work.

Keep this in mind: The current business environment lends itself well to an inspired entrepreneur who is committed to improving his staff. The best-run landscape companies are starting to grow again. You can join this elite group when you put your focus in the right place.

Step 1: Identify how you plan to grow

Strategically evaluate your organization to determine exactly what your present emphasis is and what service lines you intend to offer and/or expand. Does this offer the sales opportunity you are striving for?

For example:

What services do you currently offer your clients?

• Landscape management
• Enhancement services
• Irrigation services
• Tree care

What services could you expand into?

• Landscape construction
• Water management
• Parking lot sweeping

Or, can you continue with fewer service types and expand into different types of projects?

• Residential or commercial services
• Estate work or resort properties
• Government work or municipal projects

To answer these questions, you have to know your market and recognize where your passion is—and how that passion can help you grow your business.

Step 2: Identify who you’ll need to grow

Once you’ve outlined the manner in which you can grow your business, evaluate your current staffing and determine what positions are necessary to adequately service these projects. This will be your organizational chart.

Each primary segment should have a manager with appropriate support staffing. You may find that from a practical standpoint, individuals will wear multiple hats until you have enough volume to adequately support a full-time commitment.

Here’s an example:

• Landscape Maintenance Director – additional project managers may be included under this position
• Landscape Construction Director – additional project managers may be included under this position
• Office Manager (you must have office support when you want to grow) – human resources and accounting positions may be included under this position
• Sales Manager – estimators may be included under this position

There are additional staffing needs you’ll also develop as your company grows, such as mechanics and IT support. These positions are typically covered by outsourcing; only the really big, multi million-dollar firms have these types of support staff on the payroll, in most cases.

Step 3: Putting the team together

Write a detailed job description for each position you identify—all the way down to your field staff. Going through this exercise will help you better understand your hiring needs—and how to advertise and interview for these positions. Job descriptions should include responsibilities, reporting relationships, specific tasks, salary range and commitment.

Remember, it is an excellent market for hiring right now. Use this to your advantage by starting with a good plan and a thorough job description. With this in place, identify the best employment sources in your area to get the word out on the positions you have available. Set specific times during the day during a given week to schedule one-hour interviews. Choose a time when you can offer uninterrupted attention to candidates. Use your job descriptions as talking points during those interviews.

Take your time through this process and choose employees who can buy into your plan and vision for your business. Remember, you are hiring them to help you grow. And when you grow, they have an opportunity to grow as well. This is a win/win arrangement your prospective employees need to be made aware of.

Get employees excited about your business and what it offers. Most importantly, get them focused on providing excellent services. Good businesses stay focused and keep their eye on the ball.

Finally, you must ask yourself: Where do I fit in as an owner? Ideally you want to sit as a manager on top of these new positions you’ve created and oversee activities. If this is not your forte, you must hire someone to do it. Think about what you are best at and enjoy the most.

source http://www.greenindustrypros.com/article/10338914/the-first-step-to-growing-your-company

I am a little late but I said I would share.

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) – One Midlands family says they have lost the keys to their livelihood after thieves stole thousands of dollars worth of lawn care equipment overnight.

The Samuel family says a truck and trailer full of that equipment were taken from their home on Cora Drive between midnight and 3:00am Wednesday.

Vernon Samuel says he uses the lawn care equipment for his business, Top Notch Lawn Care and Maintenance.

He says that any money he makes is used to support his wife, Lafabia, who was diagnosed with breast cancer this summer and is undergoing chemotherapy. Lafabia says whoever took the equipment also stole her husband’s livelihood.

“Just the idea of knowing now that our source of income has been taken away from us because I’m unable to work is heart-wrenching,” said Lafabia.

The Samuels have also done their part in looking for the stolen merchandise. “We also took it into our hands to ride around in the neighborhood to see if we locate our property,” said Lafabia. “However, we have not had any success with doing so.”

The stolen truck is described as a 1990 white Chevy that had a black trailer attached to it. The trailer has the words “Bowhunter by choice” on the back of it and “Bentley Builders” written on the side.

“It would have to be somebody that was probably watching and saw the opportunity and they took it,” said Lafabia.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident. Meanwhile, the Samuel family also says they did not have insurance for the lawn care equipment.

If you want to help the Samuel family, dial 803-665-2882.

lawn care South Carolina