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06-09-2004, 12:20 AM
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Ranger
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Southwest ct
USDA Zone 6
Posts: 1,742
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JG,
May I ask your methodology for roughing up beds? Is is a strictly verbal take down or do you get physical as well? I have yet to find the best method for this. I like the garden weasel at Big Orange. It is six stars is a row aboutr 8" wide that do a decent job or roughing up mulch, but is is fairy slow and takes a lot of elbow grease to get it into the mulch.
When remulching I tell my guys to put enough to give it color, and when pressed say 1" on remulching. If I want to liven things up a bit I stick my hand in the mulch to see how deep they put it. It guarantees a return visit by one of the guys later in the day to check my work as well!
I have some accounts that we mulch yearly, and I fear what would happen if we went mulch crazy yearly.
__________________
As a father I was always aware that I was raising my sons to leave home, marry, establish families, and be men who could stand on their own two feet. We must fulfill our own destiny. I really wasn't concerned about what they might 'do' but I wanted them to 'be' good men.
- David Epps
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06-09-2004, 12:53 AM
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Sapling
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Join Date: Apr 2004
USDA
Posts: 277
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We have 3 Garden Weasels going at a time ( we're getting good at it now) to rough it up with those if it is a crusty mulch and take it off completely if it has gotten too high. Sometimes I will use only an inch if a client wants only a top dress. It is amazing how high with mulch some of the beds are we go to do. We took 6" off a bed today. Any new mulch would have rolled off into the driveway.
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Julie
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06-09-2004, 09:07 AM
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Gold Oak Member
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lake Geneva, WI
USDA Zone 5
Posts: 1,243
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Julie and John,
You both make excellent points.
Over mulching is worse than no mulch at all. After we have established a 1"-2" layer on our maintenance accounts, we only put enough down to ice the cake.
And I agree John that tired employees, variations in depth, and stingy or generous loaders, are all variables that are tough to control. Still, if I've measured the beds, I will do the math. And when a plan is involved, the surface area calculator is real slick.
I've worked out of a trailer too, but it was (until last week) the only trailer I had, so extra mulch could be a real bane, one that I had to loose at the end of the day, or be stuck trying to start the next job.
Now I've added a Maxi-Dump trailer and a Dingo 425, which we will use to speed and ease loading compost and mulch into wheelbarrows on installs, as well as to eliminate completely loading and unloading sod by hand (Hurrah!). I hope that the reduced physical strain will mean my employees are better able to attend to details like getting that first layer of mulch at a consistent three inches in the bare spots, and down to a cosmetic one inch at the base of trees, shrubs and perennials.
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06-09-2004, 10:06 PM
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Gold Oak Member
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Join Date: Nov 2003
USDA
Posts: 883
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JW: Exactly! I just did about a 10,000ft mulch job and figured it at around 50yds. There were some areas with more old mulch remaining than others, and we put down 40yds.
There is no perfect scientific formula for getting mulch requirements exactly right. Garden beds are all different sizes and shapes, they've got varying amounts of plants within them, and employees cannot be expected to install exactly 3" of mulch consistently over any size area, nevermind 10,000sq.ft.
I do use a 'rule of thumb' formula, but I also provide customers with a mulch "estimate" and not a concrete "bid", so that I can adjust up or down to reflect tha actual amount put down.
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06-09-2004, 10:50 PM
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Gold Oak Member
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lake Geneva, WI
USDA Zone 5
Posts: 1,243
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07-17-2004, 02:50 AM
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Seedling
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Join Date: Jul 2004
USDA
Posts: 72
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Out here in CA our main type of 'mulch' is called "Gorilla Hair"
Its really just shreaded redwood.
The problem is two-fold. Sitting in the lumber yard the very bulky material is 'full of air' (very fluffy) So we get nailed at the counter paying for a yard getting a half - 3/4 in return. Then when we apply, and it settles, we're short!!!
That my friends is a double whammy, and the cheif reason we aviod it like the plague. The other drawback is that it once leaves or paper or whatever hit it, it sticks! Then we have to hand pick and that eats up man hours like crazy.
My mulch is a layer of mushroom compost (yes we use pre -emergents) or just some straight tan bark. Cedar chipped have migrated out here too, and it doesn't have the associated fluff issue's but the drawback is that its colorless (white) and then fades into an ugly tired looking shiney gray.
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11-17-2004, 06:52 PM
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Gold Oak Member
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Long Island, NY
USDA Zone 6
Posts: 1,322
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11-18-2004, 12:51 AM
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Seedling
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Join Date: Nov 2004
USDA
Posts: 102
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Guys and gals this site here has a calculator that hasnt failed me yet.
http://www.clearwaterlandscapes.com/calculator.htm
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If you want it done right THEN have your wife do it
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