Last Updated on January 2, 2025 by Brian Beck
We have a feeling that 2025 is going to be an awesome year, let me tell you why. The knowledge and technology that we are going to implement this year was either unknown or unavailable in years past and were terribly excited about this because it’s going to translate into the business that we only dreamed about when we started over 25 years ago. Let me keep this short and sweet as I’m sure you want me to get to the point. There are three areas that we are going to be jamming in: mowing, lawn care and irrigation. Let me go over these briefly so you know what I’m talking about.
If you were to talk to me 20 some years ago and asked me how often we should be cutting the lawn I would typically jokingly reply that if we had some garden gnomes camping out on your front lawn I would tell them the cut every 2 to 3 days. This is really what it takes to achieve a really great lawn, is cutting it multiple times per week. If you haven’t read my prior blog about this we touched on the paradigm of the once per week cut and how this mindset stems back to just after World War II when gas powered lawnmowers became widely available. The truth of the matter is that whenever you cut grass you put some stress into the plant. The longer it is and the hotter it is the more the plant has to overcome and recover to its original condition. So there are instances where this is often the case as the once per week tradition is somewhat flawed. Now, let’s step into the 21st century and realize the technology that is available now and not only in its infancy but well developed and powerful. Yes, I’m talking about robotic lawn mowing. Not only is it not a gimmick it will soon become the norm as the technology, energy and politics surrounding lawn mowing is abruptly changing towards automation. This will allow us to do what we have never done before and actually cut a lawn on a daily basis and defeat all of the problems that are associated with the route based mowing business model which is failing by the way. This is a big win for the turf industry and will be an even bigger win for the lawn when it is realized by its owner that this is what was missing all along. We’re going to be pushing automation pretty heavily this year as the economics are pointing towards it and now there is absolutely no reason not to take advantage of it.
Lawn care is in a bit of a predicament. Several years ago we opted to go the biological route as opposed to the synthetic means of fertilization and we are so grateful that we did! After seven years of of blood sweat and tears we have finally come to the realization why having a lawn is such an arduous task. Almost all of the problems that people typically associate with having a lawn stem directly from the use of synthetic fertilizers in addition to having very poor soil here people are fighting a phantom which is poorly understood at best and at the worst is completely unknown. If you read my last blog we have achieved to holy grails that I set out to achieve several years ago if you want to read my last blog. Those two holy grails are water carrying capacity and nitrogen fixation. When a lawn can green up by itself, stay green all year long, getting watered once every 7 to 10 days with zero fertilizer it begs the question how this could be possible. Well I have been resisting for several years of reducing our biological program to a bumper sticker but I also realize that this is the litmus test for understanding what you’re dealing with which is the ability to condense something down to a very brief statement. While here it is: we do not have a fertilizer problem we have a biological problem. Also, if you want a second bumper sticker I would simply say – invest in carbon, nitrogen is not the answer. We are building a system that is based upon efficiency and not how many movements or pounds of product we can put on a lawn. Let me assure you that the problem will not be solved by what comes out of the bag but rather what is in the soil that can mitigate and fix all of the problems that we face.
If you listen to any of my customers you will know that I am incessantly talk about proper watering technique and how most people don’t have a correct concept on how to water properly and thus waste hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year watching their water evaporated into the atmosphere. If you take anything away from this article take this – water deep, and makes a big difference. We have been working on a device for the past few years that I unfortunately had to set aside that will revolutionize how we irrigate our landscapes and provide a highly efficient system that will in essence eliminate winter kill and the replacement of plant life due to dehydration. The days of playing catch up in writing the winter kill roller coaster are over! We now have technology that will enable us to provide continuity and consistency in soil hydration and lessen evaporation and save our clients thousands of dollars that are wasted in inappropriate and inefficient irrigation practices.
If any of this interest you I would highly suggest that you learn more by giving us a call. We are radicals in the landscape environment and we have solutions to problems that people don’t know exist. We are not mainstream, we are not Orthodox we are not your grandfather’s method. We deliver an automated lawn that is efficient, less toxic and a lot cheaper than what you are doing now. 2025 is going to be awesome for everybody.
