aeration +preemerge+low mower setting ?

[captken]

What are the steps the pros take? I need some advise guys, should I cut the grass very low before I spray [so the preemerge will work better]? Should the areation be done before or after mow/spray?
What should I be charging per sq/ft. for all this?

[CCLS]

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Well,
First off if the grass wasn't cut short in the fall then cut it before you put down your preemergent. I would aerate before you put down your preemergent, because then the preemergent will penetrate below the thatch layer. If you are power raking or dethatching, make SURE that you do this prior to applying your preemergent. Otherwise you will be removing the preemergent that you just put down. As for price, it is hard to say not knowing how big the yard is. If you mow & bag charge a price for mowing and bagging. I would charge 3X what you do mowing for aeration. And as far as fertilizing and preemergents go, it will just depend on how much your product costs and how big the yard is. Hope this helps a little.

[captken]

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thanks for your reply CCLS, the yard is 3 acres. For me this is a big job. I want to give a fair price and make some money to. Any one else want to come in here?

[CCLS]

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I would charge $60 an acre for mowing. As far as aeration goes, I hope you have a pull behind aerator, because a push aerator is going to take you forever.

[mariner]

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I used to fertilize a yard for a company that I previously worked for and it was marked as 98,000 sq ft and they charged $400.00 an application. Hope that'll give you some sort of an idea!
P.S. An Acre is 43,560 sq ft just incase you did not know.

[troy elam]

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Iwouldn't mow the grass short for it will make the roots move uo or become shorter in the soil. As far as aeration I would do this before applying any pre- emergents. Pre-M are to be put down last as to they act as a blanket cover of the soil so that unwanted weeds will not germinate. Don't do anything that will disrupt the soil after applying a pre-M, for it will decrease your % of control.

As for pricing, I cahrge 4 - $6.50 for fertilizing and 10 -$12 /1000 SQ' for aeration.
Hope this helps!

Grow Rite Inc.

[Seascape]

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I seldom areate in spring. Depending on the residual of the pre-m you are using i usually try to hold off on pre-m until soil temp. reaches about 55 degrees. 55 degree soil temp. is when 90% of germination begins. I wouldnt areate prior to pre-m.Pre-m forms a gas at the surface of the soil prohibiting seeds to germinate. As for price pre-m should be your most expensive application. I used to figure up the total dollar amount of material i will need for the season on that property than divide it by # of apps. I would than put my profit on top of that and agive a per app price. However i use a very less sophisticated system now. I can pretty much just look at a property and give a quote.However have sq. ft. recorded on all your paper work in case the EPA comes poking around.Also if theres indication that other companies have serviced the property and that maybe this customer is trigger happy or just shops till he drops than you may for the 1st year quote a higher price on app 1 pre-m because this will be your lesser profitable round. Ive seen companies slash my prices after pre-m is applied because they know they only have to apply cheaper ferts and broadleaf control the remainder of the year. Once youve established a relationship with the client you go back to my 1st method. You just wont see as much profit on round 1 but you will see more profit on other rounds.
mike