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Does Your Lawn Care or Landscape Professional BAYSCAPE?
| Professional
lawn care and landscape services are booming industries that are looking
for your business. As in any
competitive marketplace, you–the customer–have the last word on
whether their services meet your expectations. If you wish your property
to be cared for using BAYSCAPING principles, do you know what to expect?
Use this checklist to determine if your lawn care or landscape professional BAYSCAPES:
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| 1) Read the
print, large and small: Review
a written description of services. You should also have a clearly
written contract in hand that is effective for a fixed period of time
before any work begins. The following points in this checklist should be
indicated in writing.
2) Does your provider apply insect and weed controls on a fixed schedule? If so, it is NOT a BAYSCAPE provider! Use of insecticides, herbicides or fungicides call for inspection of the site and a determination whether the pest problem warrants pesticide use. If each visit results in a pesticide treatment, shop for a more progressive company! 3) Does your provider apply fertilizer without checking soil needs? As with pesticides, fertilizers and limestone are tools applied for specific jobs. Their use should be adjusted to needs shown in a soil test. No test offered? Keep shopping. |
4)
What is your provider’s pest management philosophy? Are
non-chemical pest controls employed? Does the service include pest
monitoring, an explanation of pest thresholds that determine when and
where pesticides must be used, and spot treatments instead of broadcast
applications? Are pesticides used based on toxicity to humans, odor and
persistence in the environment? If no to these, shop on!
5) Does your provider offer advice on mowing, watering, seeding and aeration? Unless these activities are included as part of their service program, you’ll need to know how your care of your lawn or landscape contributes to its well-being. Does your service company recognize these important lawn care steps when they are required? |
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The impact of professional lawn care upon Casco Bay and all water bodies throughout its watershed depend ultimately on the requirements of customers who hire these services. Be sure the services you employ follow this important checklist. |