The Landscape Design Site Landscaping Blog

Judging from my own work load and waiting list, I’d say there must be a shortage of landscaping contractors and landscapers. Even in September I’m having to turn clients away. However, from what I know of my competition, there are plenty of landscapers to do the work. But for some reason they’re all telling me that their business has slowed down for the year. Why isn’t anyone calling them?

Fact is, there isn’t a shortage of landscapers. There is, however, a shortage in good character, good business practices, and trust.

- This post is in regards to the new Free Directory Of Landscapers And Landscaping Contractors that we’ve added to the site. Hopefully it will make it a lot easier to find a designer or company in your area. However, regardless of what source you use to find a contractor, I want to point out in this article that it is ultimately up to you to make sure you get quality and don’t get burned.

Evaluate A Contractors Character And Reputation

What is the most important quality to look for when hiring a contractor?

Is it he who creates the best design? No. Of course, you want to make your initial contacts based on their design styles and quality but you do not want to hire someone based solely on that. Is it the biggest most visible company? Absolutely not. Remember, these big companies started small. And to exclude a smaller unknown company may be missing the best design, quality, and company for the job.

How do you evaluate character? Of course you want to ask for references. However, you can’t trust that completely. Do you think a company is going to give you a list of their unsatisfied clients? I doubt it. So besides getting their list, you need to check with the BBB, your chamber of commerce, and the “word on the street”. A few things you need to find out about a company are:

Third Party Companies

Using the big third party companies that match you with pre-qualified and pre-screened contractors isn’t any guarantee. I recently got a call from the biggest one out there. They had project requests in my area and no one to give them to. All that was required of me was to pay $26.00 for the lead information. No background check, no screening, no questions. Just $26.00. So what does that tell you? Maybe, you really can’t trust them either.

You have to do the homework. If you don’t have a reference from a good friend or any good “word of mouth” leads, the background check is up to you. Like I said earlier, the first step is to get into contact with a designer that creates designs and quality that you like. Then, if your initial “gut feeling” is good when you meet them, check the company out.

Landscape Contractor / Landscaper Directory

We have created a free directory of landscapers portfolios that will allow you to look at individual company designs, projects, pictures, and plans, and to also directly contact design companies based on their work. The Landscapers And Landscaping Contractors Directory is open to everyone and is even free for active contractors and landscape designers to list their companies and web sites.

While it may take a while for every State in the directory to become populated with companies, I’ve also partnered with a third party company to pick up the slack until the directory fills up (no, it’s not the biggest one - just one I trust). See Find Landscaping Companies And Contractors if you can’t find anyone in the new directory.

Remember, image and visibility counts for a lot but is no guarantee of satisfaction. Some bigger companies have the logos, the trucks, the matching uniforms, and the visibility. While this is a good indication of an orgainized company, it’s not a “go ahead” to just write a check. And another thing to remember is that some of the smaller landscaping companies are the most creative and trustworthy. Some are small because they choose to stay small. And this, as in my own company, allows for more personal and dedicated attention to each landscape design, client, and project.

This time of year I get a lot of calls and service requests about trees and shrubs that appear to be dying. While there may be several causes, some are more common and probable than others due to current conditions. One of the most common found durring the heat and end of Summer is Summer Leaf Scorch. In the following post, Woods Houghton gives a good explanation and possible remedy for Summer Leaf Scorch.

This time of year I get lots of calls on trees and shrubs with the leaf edges burning back and veins and middle green but slowly browning. Most often occurs during hot weather, usually in July or August. Leaves turn brown around the edges and between the veins. Sometime the whole leaf dies, or a large number drop during the late summer. This problem is most severe on the youngest branches or new growth. Trees do not generally die and the twigs are supple and show signs of life. The leaf is often supple as well, which helps differentiate this from iron deficiency, salt burn and scorch mite. It happens often following a rain in Eddy county.

Leaf scorch is caused by excessive evaporation of moisture from the leaves. In hot weather, and low humidity water evaporates rapidly from the leaves. If the water has a high salt content such as found in South Eastern New Mexico salts may be left behind and some salt burn can occur as well. Salts also cause a physiological drought to the plant as well. If the roots cannot absorb and convey water fast enough to replenish this loss, the leaves turn brown and wither. This occurs in dry soil but if high salt concentration in the soil or water can occur under moist conditions as well. Other contributing factors include hot dry winds, limited soil area, or insufficient watering depth. Summer leaf scorch is more prevalent in trees and shrubs with shallow roots, such as sycamore, mulberry, cottonwoods, and some oaks.

To prevent further scorch deep-water trees during periods of hot weather to wet down the entire root space and proper location and planting of trees. Water less often but for longer periods of time will result in deeper rooting depth, less leaf scorching and reduced blow over of trees. The evaporation rate in Eddy County exceeds 110 inches per year, and in midsummer with temperature exceeding 100 degrees F. can exceed 2 inches per day. This can create a demand the exceeds the delivery capacity of the tree in simple words a two inch per day demand and the tree only has the physical capacity to deliver 1.75 inches. This can get further complicated by having two crops in the same location such as trees and a lawn, or trees and flowers. The grower needs to supply the water for both crops and in the hot dry weather this can be difficult.

For more information Contact your Local County Extension office. Eddy County Extension Service, New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. All programs are available to everyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. New Mexico State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Eddy County Government Cooperating.