Sand Topdressing Business

[Topdresser]

I have recently come across an opportunity to start a business that specializes in fertilization and topdressing (aeration, sand, and other soil additives). The equipment will be very expensive but would allow a crew of 2-3 workers to aerate 4-7 yards a day dependent upon logistics.

I have called around in my area and not many companies offer this service. That begs the question, is there really a market out there for topdressing yards? If anyone would be kind enough to let me know if they think there is a market for these services in their area I would like to know. I believe that there is a market for the upper end subdivisions. Topdressing will promote better growth in our local soils that contain a lot of clay and allow the homeowner to have a smoother yard (remove low spots).

Also, if anyone offers this service, how do you charge (by sq. ft. ?) and what do you charge in general terms?

Thanks

[hardboiled]

I've sent you a pm with a contact of someone who might be able to give you some good info on this. He's made some applications on golf courses in Minnesota, where they have the opposite problem of too much drainage. I dont know your market, but I believe my area would respond well to it. I hope to do it on a smaller scale as soon as I can afford the equipment to handle it.b

[Topdresser]

I appreciate your comments - anyone else with comments?

[emeraldgreenlawns]

As a fomer Golf Course Superintendent myself, I am now selling topdressing services to homeowners, to complement the aeration process. I can tell you from golf course experience, this is a VERY beneficial practice. It will not only provide a smoother surface, but also provide better soil drainage, and improved nutrient retention. If you can get just one customer to perform this for 2-3 years, there will be a noticeable difference over just aerating. Be sure to take pictures before you start the process. You must inform them that this will not provide immediate results, but will take time to alter the soil charachteristics. There are also other ammendments that can be included/added to the sand, like Profile, Zeolite, and a few others, that will increase the CEC (cation exchange capacity) of the soil faster.
This is a future market trend! Be the one to start it in your area, today!
Good luck.

Bob,
Emerald Green Lawn & Landscape, Inc

[Stephen M.]

It's a good market if nobody else is doing it. Based upon my experience and the "learning curve", you have opportunity to develope an excellent market and be light years ahead of the competition who isn't doing it. When the competition wake up to the fact YOU ARE making money at this, you will see others entering the niche and competing against you, but you already have market share.

I have thought of the same deal this year, but my medical bills keep me from making the investment at this time. A savy marketing program will bring you results. Again, based upon experience, a new service starts off slow and gradually builds steam. For example, 3 years ago I purchased a DR Field mower for niche jobs; areas where a bigger tractor dare not go. I have established clients and new business coming in every year. People are willing to pay the bucks for a 1-2 time per year mow where they aren't inclined to pay bucks for a normal mow.

When the local rental yard purchased 2 DR Field mowers last year, I thought I would see a drop in business, but I haven't been affected by them.

GO GET 'EM!!

[lorenzo piedra]

What exactly is the material do you plan to use topdress?

Do you have any idea of how much compost it takes per 1K sq ft to apply 1/4 of product?

In most locations "commercial" topdressing is mostly done to sports fields.

Now since most sports Fields are in the hands of cash strapped public school districts and weed filled community fields how are they going to pay for this service?

Sorry to be so negative but unlike some 16 year old boys from Texas I am actually in the sports field maintenance and renovation business.

PS if you actually want to apply "naturally" organic material you don't need any fancy equipment.

http://www.milorganite.org/

[Ric]

I am cut and pasting a thing I wrote for my website a few years ago. I hope it give a little insight of what soil is. I am not sure how to post a picture on this forum or I would post the soil triangle. Understanding this essay may help you sell aeration and Top Dressing.

It is Copyrighted so to reproduce without my permission is Illegal.

Soil is one of the most important factors in successful landscape. We use the soil triangle as a basic tool to understand soil. Sandy soil consists of large particles with large void spaces and water runs right through it. Clay soil has tiny particles with tiny void spaces and water is trapped by it. Loam or silt has medium sized particles with medium void spaces that both hold and drain water.

Silt allows plant root to both drink and breath. It is important to remember. The spaces between soil particles, is where roots grow. These spaces should be 50% by volume. Therefore after free drainage soil should be 50% solid particles 25% air filled void space and 25% water filled void space. The more we know about soil the better able we are to grow plants. Soil is the environment in which plants live. We do not water or fertilize our plants. We water and fertilize the environment in which they live. We must understand the relationship between all of these factors of soil. Volumes have been written about soil. I only offer a very condensed version.



The top 6 to 8 inches of the soil (rhizoshere) is where most landscape plants, from the mighty oak tree to a blade of grass, get their nutrition. The movement of air and water through this environment is important. Proper Drainage is as important as irrigation. Saturated soil does not allow air to get into the soil. Air is important to the roots of a plant as well as the beneficial aerobic microorganisms in the soil. Fertilizer, irrigation, drainage and Aeration help us manage this environment we call soil. This environment is complex and changing every minute. Spend the extra money for good topsoil on the final fill and grade if you are building a new house. You will save that money many times over in water and fertilizer. Soil is one of the most important factors in successful landscape.



How do we judge soil? By looks, what color it is. By smell, aerobic soil has a sweet smell. Anaerobic soil has a sour or foul smell. And by feel, sandy soil will not clump in our hand or form a ball. Clay soil will clump in our hand but not break apart. Silt will clump in our hand and break apart easily. That’s Qualitative; measurement differs individual to individual (Quantitative denotes scientific measurement). We give those measurements a name and can put numbers to them. For example pH., which measures how acidic or alkaline the soil, is. In Coastal Charlotte Co. our soil is alkaline so the last thing we want to do is add lime. Instead we manage the soil chemically with acid forming fertilizers. Physical properties of soil are measured in terms like texture, structure, particle size distribution, particle shape, density, infiltration, percolation, hydraulic conductivity, and water potential etc.

Bulk density is the way we measure compaction. Compaction is why farmers plow their fields and core aeration is how we manage compaction on turf soils. Compaction of the soil closes the void spaces. Water, air, fertilizer, and roots need these void spaces for our plants to grow healthy. Chemical properties are measured in terms like cation & anion exchange, salinity, pH, redox potential, and volatilization etc. You don’t have to understand or know all of these term and reactions to have a nice yard, but the Farmer, golf course greens keeper and the nursery grower knows this science. It is this science that allows a few to feed the many.



What is soil? It is a matrix of physically and chemically weathered parent material (rocks & organic matter) along with microorganism that forms an environment. This environment of a sand-silt-clay matrix containing living and dead organic matter together with varying amounts of gasses and liquids has physical and chemical properties. Sand and silt are the skeleton of soil while clay is the flesh that holds it. Living and dead organic matter help to add structure and nutrition. Soil particles have shape, size, weight, density, texture, and structure. The void spaces allow movement of air, water, microorganisms, insects, nutrition and root growth.



Copyright (C) 2001 by Ric Yard Doctor(R) all rights reserved

[Ric]