Amaranthus                       Amaranthus spp.
Snowcup                              Anoda cristata
Prickly poppy                    Argemone spp.
Sweet wormwood             Artemsia annua
Spider flower                     Cleome hasslerana
Angel’s trumpet                Datura metel
Sunflower                             Helianthus annus
Summer cypress               Kochia scoparia
Tree mallow                        Lavatera trimestris
Castor bean                         Ricinus communis
Marigold                               T agetes spp.
Mexican sunflower           Tithonia rotundifolia

The first thing is to pick a suitable spot for the compost pile. If possible, it should be out of sight, but still be easily accessible from the lawn, garden and the kitchen if possible. With the location picked out, you can proceed to build your compost bin, I prefer to use wire mesh fencing, but you could also use wood if you so desire. In either case when building your bin, do not cover the top.

Now that you have a compost bin, you cannot just dump lawn, garden or kitchen waste in the bin. Place the waste material in the bin in layers. Begin with a 4” layer of leaves. For the next layer, use approximately 1” of good garden soil. For the next layer add about 2” of grass clippings from the lawn, or you can use old plants. Do not use clippings containing weeds, or grass clippings, if your lawn has a disease of any type. Alternate the layers in this manner, several times.

After a week or so, take your spading fork and turn the compost pile. Begin to add kitchen waste (coffee grounds, eggshells, misc green waste) at this time. Be sure to turn the compost pile once a week with your spading fork. This will distribute the waste material, and the moisture, evenly throughout the pile.

After 8 weeks or so, you will begin to have usable compost. You can tell when the compost is ready, when you cannot find the individual pieces of waste material that you have added to the pile. Do not add oils, animal waste, or meat to the compost.

Just remember that the recipe for good compost is one part green material, from the lawn, garden or the kitchen, and two parts of good garden soil, and keep the mixture damp but not wet. If done correctly your compost pile will have an earthy smell, and your plants will appreciate the compost.

Healthy compost consists of one part green lawn debris and one or two parts of healthy garden soil. Healthy compost is also damp, although it is not soaking wet. It should also give out an earthy smell.

You can click here to find out more or click on the picture below….

In addition to these two DVD’s, we have 4 more about to be ready.
1. Estimating for Lawn Care Businesses. This covers how to estimate jobs, etc.
2. How To Set up and Run a Fertilization Business. Covers all aspects of starting and running a fertilization division for your lawn care business.
3. Retaining Walls
4. Installing pavers. This may be 2 DVD’s. We have so much footage shot it may nto fit on one DVD!

Dandelions- How to control

Getting Rid of Crabgrass

Measuring and Installing Sod

Pricing a Sod Job

Different Types of Sod

I’m working on some other articles to answer questions I received in the past few weeks. I’ll post them over the next day or so…

Patrikc

They are:
1. Landscaping basics (This DVD covers us doing planning with the software we use to do before and after shots, the basic install, etc)

2. Low Voltage Landscape Lighting. (This DVD covers us doing an install, goes over tips, tricks, etc)

3. Irrigation Installation (This DVD Covers us doing an install of an irrigation system at a new house. Includes planning, layout, installation, testing, etc)

4. Pavers (This DVD Covers us doing an install at a new construction job site from start to finish)

I’ll start posting samples of each over the next few days. Stay Tuned!
All the DVD’s are 1 to 1 1/2 hours long and are really cool (if I do say so myself)

Thanks!

With all the competition out there, you don’t have an excusel not to be as professional looking as you can be.
Get out there and get your lawn business a professional logo today!

Here’s a fun video I made about logos.

Thanks!

More coming soon. I’m just about done with the HUGE flower directory I’ve been working on.
Actually the writing part is done but I don’t have time to take all the photos of each flower (plus some aren’t native to where I live).
Anyway… I’ll do my best to get it all up in the next week or so.

Just seeing how the video works with the blog