DIY solution
A Washington D.C.-area landscaping company discovers the benefits of producing its own mulch and topsoil onsite.
Topsoil is vital for everyday operations at Denchfield Landscaping, a full-service design/build, and maintenance company in Hyattsville, Md. In the past, even by stockpiling soil between jobs and working with multiple vendors, the company would run out when it was most needed.
Yet, as the topsoil supply kept dwindling, the nearby pile of dirt removed from excavation jobs kept growing – resulting in what came to be known as Mount Denchfield, a 40- to 50-foot-tall pile of rocks and soil in the company yard. “That mountain would have been expensive to pay someone to get rid of – probably $20,000 to $30,000 to truck out,” says owner Kurt Denchfield.
When Denchfield Landscaping landed a contract that required about 3,000 yards of topsoil, they knew it was going to be a hassle to get that much soil. So Kurt’s son, Taylor, started researching options for turning Mount Denchfield into quality, usable topsoil.
Once the Denchfields found and purchased the right soil screening machine for their needs, they were in business.
“It’s fantastic,” Kurt says. “All of our field dirt we’d otherwise have to pay to truck out we now turn into topsoil and send back out to our jobsite or to our garden center.”
Visit bit.ly/lltopsoil to read the rest of this online only article.
Get your goggles ready
Our July issue was fantastic in print, but it’s even better on our new L&L app. It was the first issue we’ve dedicated entirely to water issues, and the new app makes it a lot splashier than the paper copy. The interactive cover will blow your mind, and all the extras will leave you feeling like you just came out of the pool. And as a reminder, this is different from our old, digital flipbook app, so if you subscribed to our old app, you’ll need to download our new version again. So, grab a swimsuit and a towel, and download the app today at bit.ly/lawnandlandscapeapp for your iPhone or iPad.
Social media, water conservation and ready-made customers
We’ve added more podcasts to our Lawn Care Radio Network. You can subscribe through iTunes by visiting bit.ly/lcrnitunes or listen to them on our redesigned multimedia site lawnandlandscape.com/media.
The Marketing Fix:
Staying social Posting to Facebook and Twitter is important, but can get away from you during the busy season. Chris Heiler explains how to keep up your social media marketing, and still complete your jobs on time. bit.ly/llsocial
Down below the soil
Alex Duffy from Aquatrols gives the facts on how wetting agents penetrate the soil and what you should expect from such a product. bit.ly/lldownbelow
Emergency mowing
Randy Glotfelty talks about www lastminutelawncare.com, a website designed so consumers can find a contractor when they need a quick mow. Glotfelty tells us where the idea came from and how the site works. bit.ly/llemergency
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Explore the August 2013 Issue
Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.