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Let's test your knowledge.

A lady called me. Said she started using a lawn company a few months ago now her yard is full of weeds.

I told her two reasons why. First was they do not know what they are doing.

What was the second?

Everyone that does lawn care should know this.
Picked her yard up for $15 more per week then she was paying the bad company.

The second...weeds need love and have a perfect right to grow?

They were cutting to low I'm sure. Also watering weeds need less water than grass, then of course skill if someone is spraying them

Both very good answers.

But not the number one reason you get weeds from using a lawn care service.

Just a guess, I'm not in the business, but are they transferred from lawn to lawn by the mowers?

Snapperfreak said:

Just a guess, I'm not in the business, but are they transferred from lawn to lawn by the mowers?

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That's it.

You cut a yard full of weeds then drop the seeds off at the next yard.

I blow my mowers off after every yard

How much do I know? Do you have a minute?

gfp55 said:

How much do I know? Do you have a minute?

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How much do you know?

Sure I've seen weed seeds on mowers and I have my guys blow off the mowers before they load up the trailers when we do lawns that don't control the weeds. And if the cut rate crews are doing the low rent lawns, you know there is weeds.

I have always cleaned the mower and weed eaters off for every yard I mow. Lots of mowing companies don't do this. I see it all the time. Mowers packed with clippings being moved to next yard. Or my favorite is a trailer full of bagged grass moving lawn mowers to next job. If you are moving that stuff around cover it up.

Carscw said:

Let's test your knowledge.

A lady called me. Said she started using a lawn company a few months ago now her yard is full of weeds.

I told her two reasons why. First was they do not know what they are doing.

What was the second?

Everyone that does lawn care should know this.
Picked her yard up for $15 more per week then she was paying the bad company.

Click to expand...

Transfer of weeds by mower is difficult to stop. I blow off the mowers and equipment between or after every yard also but there's no guarantee that everything is gone or off. How many people take the time to clean the under side of the deck and even if you do you're not going to get everything. Transferring weeds by mower can happen to everyone and anyone who mows regardless of how good the company.

I knew the answer as soon as I read Lawn Service but I'm a humble person and didn't want to look like a smart ***.:laughing: Next question.:smile:

We were required to clean combines, during wheat harvest, before transporting from state to sate more than 60 years ago.

SeniorCitizen said:

I knew the answer as soon as I read Lawn Service but I'm a humble person and didn't want to look like a smart ***.:laughing: Next question.:smile: We were required to clean combines, during wheat harvest, before transporting from state to sate more than 60 years ago.

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Being a smart azz is something to be proud of.

I blow off my equipment after every yard. However I don't clean my shoes, legs, pants. I don't ask the mailman to clean his shoes. Can't ask the neighbors to stop walking through. Can't control the neighbor with the weed factory across the street. Can't control the seeds already in the lawn from years ago... We try but you cannot blame the lawn guys

Ric said:

Transfer of weeds by mower is difficult to stop. I blow off the mowers and equipment between or after every yard also but there's no guarantee that everything is gone or off. How many people take the time to clean the under side of the deck and even if you do you're not going to get everything. Transferring weeds by mower can happen to everyone and anyone who mows regardless of how good the company.

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I agree.

But by not blowing off the equipment is just being lazy and sloppy. Not just because of seeds.

A clean mower is a happy mower

exotion said:

I blow off my equipment after every yard. However I don't clean my shoes, legs, pants. I don't ask the mailman to clean his shoes. Can't ask the neighbors to stop walking through. Can't control the neighbor with the weed factory across the street. Can't control the seeds already in the lawn from years ago... We try but you cannot blame the lawn guys

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I blamed the lawn guys.

She has never had a weed problem till she started using them.

exotion said:

I blow off my equipment after every yard. However I don't clean my shoes, legs, pants. I don't ask the mailman to clean his shoes. Can't ask the neighbors to stop walking through. Can't control the neighbor with the weed factory across the street. Can't control the seeds already in the lawn from years ago... We try but you cannot blame the lawn guys

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I agree, Transfer of weeds can happen in number of ways. Changing lawn company's isn't the answer to the lady's problem, if she has a weed problem call True Green or Scotts and have them spray for weeds and set up a program with them to keep them under control.

When you mow the yard and leave the clippings you are doing what?

Carscw said:

When you mow the yard and leave the clippings you are doing what?

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There really is a name for this.

Carscw said:

When you mow the yard and leave the clippings you are doing what?

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Mulching.

I always blow off all my equipment after every job. People who don't blow off all their equipment and next thing you know lots of your clients have weeds in their yard they never had before, that is a rookie mistake.

LazerZLandscaping said:

Mulching.

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Mulching is what you do to leave the clippings.

Mulching is one of the steps to leaving the clippings.

But there is a name for leaving the clippings.

Carscw said:

I blamed the lawn guys.

She has never had a weed problem till she started using them.

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I had this happen to a client about a year ago, the company used some new lawn care company in my area, their grass never had a single weed, next thing you know I drive by there and the grass is full weeds. That company mowed that week and two days later the turf is all weeds. I then put a all natural (won't harm humans or pets) weed killer down on the turf and then there was no weeds for the rest of that year. Now the company utilizes me as their landscaper.

Carscw said:

Mulching is what you do to leave the clippings.

Mulching is one of the steps to leaving the clippings.

But there is a name for leaving the clippings.

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Ferilizing? (grass acts as a all natural fertilizer)

Like said before, you can't get all the weed seeds off you equipment by using a blower, but if you blow off as many as you can it has to help keep it to a minimum. I know some states you have to power wash your boat and trailer before and after you go boating in fresh water lakes. Don't let the DNR find any weeds stuck to your trailer at the boat launch. Nothing can completely stop the transfer of seeds but at least you can cut it down some by using a blower or something else to remove the weed seeds from your equipment. But thats just me.

LazerZLandscaping said:

Ferilizing? (grass acts as a all natural fertilizer)

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Close enough.

When you cut the grass and leave the clippings it is called Grasscycling


Here is a article on it. I read it just a few mins ago. Some very good info.

http://eartheasy.com/blog/2011/06/grasscycling-–-the-easiest-way-to-nurture-your-lawn/

gfp55 said:

Like said before, you can't get all the weed seeds off you equipment by using a blower, but if you blow off as many as you can it has to help keep it to a minimum. I know some states you have to power wash your boat and trailer before and after you go boating in fresh water lakes. Don't let the DNR find any weeds stuck to your trailer at the boat launch. Nothing can completely stop the transfer of seeds but at least you can cut it down some by using a blower or something else to remove the weed seeds from your equipment. But thats just me.

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Yeah here in NH you must wash and check your boat before going on any body of water to prevent the spread of Milfoil and other things.

Mulching or putting the clippings back in your lawn can provide 25% of your lawns nutritional needs. A blade of grass is 85% water 4% nitrogen, 2% potassium and 1% phosphorus. When you mulch your grass blades need to be cut into smallest pieces possible so that they can drop to the root system and decompose easily, that's the reason or purpose for the 1/3rd rule.

Ric said:

Mulching or putting the clippings back in your lawn can provide 25% of your lawns nutritional needs. A blade of grass is 85% water 4% nitrogen, 2% potassium and 1% phosphorus. When you mulch your grass blades need to be cut into smallest pieces possible so that they can drop to the root system and decompose easily, that's the reason or purpose for the 1/3rd rule.

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What's the other 8%?

No one else wants to test our knowledge?

LazerZLandscaping said:

Yeah here in NH you must wash and check your boat before going on any body of water to prevent the spread of Milfoil and other things.

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In NH we also have that pesky fungus (red thread). That too will cross contaminate from lawn to lawn (with a dirty mower). The only way to avoid it would be a thorough deck scrubbing and then spray deck and blades down with 10% bleach mixture with water to kill the fungus. Once you've got it, well, you have got it. I have chased it for years and now have just accepted it. You can treat it, but the treatment is expensive and only works for a few weeks.

Carscw said:

No one else wants to test our knowledge?

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I'm game.

LazerZLandscaping said:

What's the other 8%?

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Grass is made up from these basic elements: water, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, carbon and oxygen.

Carscw said:

No one else wants to test our knowledge?

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Yes... not test but learn maybe. How are you going to get rid of this new customers weeds and how much time will she give you to do it?

Mike88se said:

Yes... not test but learn maybe. How are you going to get rid of this new customers weeds and how much time will she give you to do it?

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Have not really talked with her about it.
But told her we would eliminate the weeds in the fall as she has fescue grass and we just started the hottest month of the year.

Fescue likes cold so right now if we was to treat it with a post emergent the grass would also take a hard hit.

Around the 3rd week of September I will hit it hard with a post emergent.

Two weeks later I will aerate and overseed as we do every fescue yard the first week of October.

The fescue and the cold will choke out what ever weeds are left.

The last week if February I will have true green come out and spray it.

What happens when your spreading lawn lime, then a rainstorm comes, then the lime goes in runoff into water. What happens to the body of water?

Same thing happens with commercial fertilizers.

LazerZLandscaping said:

What happens when your spreading lawn lime, then a rainstorm comes, then the lime goes in runoff into water. What happens to the body of water?

Same thing happens with commercial fertilizers.

Click to expand...

This doesn't happen when the lawn is nowhere near a body of water.

Av8r said:

In NH we also have that pesky fungus (red thread). That too will cross contaminate from lawn to lawn (with a dirty mower). The only way to avoid it would be a thorough deck scrubbing and then spray deck and blades down with 10% bleach mixture with water to kill the fungus. Once you've got it, well, you have got it. I have chased it for years and now have just accepted it. You can treat it, but the treatment is expensive and only works for a few weeks.

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I forgot to mention that! I tried to stay away from it for years, And a couple of my mowers have it. I clean them with a bleach-water mixture. It's a hit or miss chance and most of the time you can't avoid it.

But I still wash down all my mowers.

LazerZLandscaping said:

What happens when your spreading lawn lime, then a rainstorm comes, then the lime goes in runoff into water. What happens to the body of water? Same thing happens with commercial fertilizers.

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If it is into a pond it will raise the PH and help control green slime.

Not what you are looking for?

Carscw said:

If it is into a pond it will raise the PH and help control green slime.

Not what you are looking for?

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Nope. three more answers and I'll reveal the correct answer.

You get hard water. Have it in our water in my neck of the woods.

Lawn lime kills aquatic life, fish eggs and stuff!

BlazNT said:

You get hard water. Have it in our water in my neck of the woods.

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That's one thing you get...

gfp55 said:

Lawn lime kills aquatic life, fish eggs and stuff!

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That's another,

But the answer I was looking for is the Lime gets into a body of water and causes algae blooms. Same thing happens with some fertilizers.

We put lime in our pond it helps the fish grow

Carscw said:

We put lime in our pond it helps the fish grow

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Koi Pond?

I'm building one for a client this week.

Here is one for all the techs.

The engine is a Briggs model 42A707, code 1238-01.
18hp.

Engine starts up and runs good for about 15 mins then starts running bad like running out of gas then just shuts off.
Have to wait half a hour to restart. Then only runs for maybe 2 mins.

Carb and both coils replaced and still does the same thing.
But now sometimes can not get it to start at all.

Took spark plug out and grounded it next to the plug hole to check for spark. It starts right up. Put plug Back in and no start.

What's going on?

Compression release not working properly, wrong spark plug? Does only one side do this or can you take the other plug out and ground it with the first one in and have it run? If that's the case I would look for a short somewhere

exotion said:

Compression release not working properly, wrong spark plug? Does only one side do this or can you take the other plug out and ground it with the first one in and have it run? If that's the case I would look for a short somewhere

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You can take either plug out and it will start as long as you ground it at the plug hole with the end of the plug sitting at the hole.


Because of the problem the engine was taking off the mower and sat on the floor for 3 months. Was put back in a mower and ran fine never any problems for 6 months then started do it again.

You are close

Carscw said:

Let's test your knowledge.

A lady called me. Said she started using a lawn company a few months ago now her yard is full of weeds.

I told her two reasons why. First was they do not know what they are doing.

What was the second?

Everyone that does lawn care should know this.
Picked her yard up for $15 more per week then she was paying the bad company.

Click to expand...

The mower deck was dropping all the weed chaff from previous jobs. It needed to be cleaned in between cuttings.

Carscw said:

That's it.

You cut a yard full of weeds then drop the seeds off at the next yard.

I blow my mowers off after every yard

Click to expand...

When the pigs, on my East side, moved in, the only weed I had in my front yard was large crab grass, which I dutifully dug out every summer. Did I mention that he has commercial lawn equipment? He would park in front of my house and, when he was finished mowing, he would blow all the detritus into my yard (intentionally). There is not much grass left in my front yard - mostly weeds. No surprise there.

Carscw said:

Mulching is what you do to leave the clippings.

Mulching is one of the steps to leaving the clippings.

But there is a name for leaving the clippings.

Click to expand...

Over-seeding (weed seeds, that is). That's what happened a few years back, when the hairy crab grass came up one summer. Two neighboring yards had their yards professionally killed then replanted with good seed.

If you were running a race and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?

Carscw said:

If you were running a race and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?

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Ahem, second place. Duh

woody1 said:

Ahem, second place. Duh

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Don't laugh I did this on a Facebook group and the first 20 people said 1st.

Carscw said:

Don't laugh I did this on a Facebook group and the first 20 people said 1st.

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duh 2nd because you are 3rd and you are passing the one in second place so now you are in second place.

LazerZLandscaping said:

duh 2nd because you are 3rd and you are passing the one in second place so now you are in second place.

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Unless you are in last place and your passing the person in second whom has already lapped you.

Carscw said:

Let's test your knowledge.

A lady called me. Said she started using a lawn company a few months ago now her yard is full of weeds.

I told her two reasons why. First was they do not know what they are doing.

What was the second?

Everyone that does lawn care should know this.
Picked her yard up for $15 more per week then she was paying the bad company.

Click to expand...

Not in the business but if it wasn't for the weeds my lawn would be dessert!

harleyron74 said:

Not in the business but if it wasn't for the weeds my lawn would be dessert!

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That is too funny. I spray my own lawn for weeds in the spring and late fall. Purchased my home a little too late to spray everything, but I got rid of the ladino clover in my lawn. Next year I will take care of the nut grass, and crab grass. My property is surrounded by a farm and a deep ditch full of weeds. I will fight weeds every year.

What happens if you eat at McDonalds???:laughing: