FEATURE ARTI CLE
3 WAYS TO HELP CLIENTS GET LANDSCAPES READY FOR FALL & WINTER Landscaping is a year-round job, but with fall and winter on the way, your clients will be asking about things like leaf cleanup, perennial bed maintenance and fall planting. The thing is, not all clients are aware of just how much work it takes to keep their landscape beautiful throughout the cooler months and healthy come springtime. That means the last days of summer and the early weeks of fall are a wonderful opportunity to educate customers and offer new services that will bring new customers into the fold.
PROMOTE HEALTHY LANDSCAPE CARE To many people, autumn means falling leaves and lots of raking. While that is part of fall landscape care, there are many more things that need to be done as well. Prepare a fact sheet or advise your clients about all the other late summer jobs, such as:
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Removal of dead branches Trimming and pruning of trees and shrubs Perennial bed cleanup Tilling and re-mulching Grass fertilization Lawn aeration
22 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association
For many of these things—like grass fertilization—the common wisdom among homeowners is that it should only be done in the spring and early summer. Let your clients in on the truth: Grass fertilization, lawn aeration, pruning and all the rest will promote healthy growth though the fall months, which will result in a revitalized landscape in the spring. Your clients will see the difference once everything starts to grow again, and they’ll be quicker to call you back for more.
WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THOSE LEAVES? In the past, people raked and bagged leaves, tilled them into continued on page 25