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Many times hedge trimming starts because plants anticipated mature size was not taken into consideration when they were planted.  This means recurring hedge trimming costs to keep them small / contained to the area they were plants. This is typically done with noisy hedge trimmers and blowers that also pollute. 

Many times hedge trimmed bushes were planted in locations that are not ideal to have them trimmed and to be able to properly clean up.  

Look at the amount of room in the middle of this landscaped area where plants could have been planted to make it easier to maintain the landscaping.  There are time of day restrictions so trimming before or after vehicles show up is tough.  Once vehicles are parked what happens about the dust and debris that gets kicked up from blowing and wind blowing.  Some people keep windows open and debris can get under cars which means clean up is tough.  

Blowing near business' doors is not pleasant either.  Debris and dust can get into units even when closed.  

Many hedge trimmed bushes have an outer layer / crust of leaves.  Just below those leaves is usually dry wood / branches.  Think about the risks if bushes at your property catch fire especially if they are close to buildings and vehicles.  

TELEPHONE: 702-348-8399  

EMAIL: INFO@ONTIMEVEGAS.COM

When bushes are hedge trimmed, the acceptable amount of growth between trimming is subjective and can make landscaping look unkept. What one person says is ok, another says not. 

Since each round of trimming has a cost it is sometimes difficult to balance looks and costs.  Who dictates how often bushes get trimmed?  A certain number of trimmings are factored into most maintenance contracts, what happens to the monthly cost when this changes? 

One of the major equipment manufactures put a gas use calculator on their website comparing their blowers gas use to others.  The average gas use of six "brand name" blowers came out to just over one gallon of gas per hour per blower.  Most gas powered landscape equipment is two stroke which means oil is mixed in with the fuel.  

We used the calculator for running a blower 30 hours a week.  This equates to about 1560 gallons of gas a year.  Now consider how many machines get used at properties you manage or own and multiply that by the number of years it has been going on.   

 Have you ever asked your landscapers to break out the annual cost of hedge trimming at each property? Multiply that number by the number of years hedge trimming has been going on.  As costs rise; so does the cost of hedge trimming. 

Have your landscapers offered ways to reduce or eliminate risks of hedge trimmed bushes and the costs to maintain them?  Why not?

We prefer to take a proactive approach to dealing with costs and it involves customers understanding that other landscapers silence affect budgets and how landscaping looks. 

TELEPHONE: 702-348-8399  

EMAIL: INFO@ONTIMEVEGAS.COM

Many landscape maintenance contracts call for visual inspections of irrigation systems one time per month.  If an irrigation system is inspected today and a leak starts tomorrow, that leak can waste water for weeks, leading to costly fines and an unnecessarily high-water bill. 

To address this, we have used a smart monitoring device at customer properties. These devices detect abnormal water use and immediately send notifications to designated people allowing us to quickly dispatch a technician. Because we know what time irrigation clocks turn on and off the water, we can compare that info with when the notification was sent to hopefully quickly narrow down the location of the issue. This usually significantly reduces the time and cost required to find and fix leaks.

TELEPHONE: 702-348-8399  

EMAIL: INFO@ONTIMEVEGAS.COM

 From the Southern Nevada Water Authority. “Clay, sand and rock-hard caliche make up the majority of soil types found within the Las Vegas Valley, but one thing they all have in common is a small percentage of organic matter - which is needed to support plant life. The pH or relative alkalinity of the soil may be high which could be limiting nutrients added through fertilizer.” 

Many landscaping contracts “include” fertilizing with granular fertilizer. There are many issues with fertilizing this way including that it is typically is activated when it gets wet and the Vegas valley gets rain only a few times a year which means the fertilizer might not get activated when the plants need the nutrients so it is a waste of money and can be activated in areas where plants do not need it or allow animals to eat it since it can sit on the surface for some time.  

There is an alternative that delivers nutrients to plants through the irrigation system.  Water usually costs more per gallon the more is used so the less water that is used saves customers money. 

TELEPHONE: 702-348-8399  

EMAIL: INFO@ONTIMEVEGAS.COM

  Many landscape maintenance contracts “include” removing lower branches for clearance up to about 10 or 12 feet off the ground. What are customers paying for once there are no more branches below that height?  Tree health can generally improve if trees are looked at and cared for as a whole rather than below or above a certain height.  

Have you ever priced out from a tree company the cost to trim just below 10 / 12 feet off the ground and compare that number to your monthly maintenance contract?  

 Mature and healthy trees provide benefits to but total tree health and trimming is often times not addressed by properties or their landscapers. Proper care can reduce exposure to risk and is more beneficial to trees and properties. 

From Davey Tree Service website "Good pruning practices from the time trees are young can benefit trees health as they mature…also frees the tree of weak or overextended branches that could fall and damage property…"

From Arboristnow website "  

…strong winds can make them (branches) incredibly dangerous. Gusts and gales can send branches flying… while particularly strong winds can uproot trees or snap trunks like twigs… In urban and suburban areas, limited rooting space prevents trees from establishing a robust root system, making them more susceptible to being uprooted by wind… Through proper pruning techniques, these issues can be mitigated or… corrected, reducing the tree's risk of failure…"