MOWING AND MAINTENANCE: Saving the Day

These days, using less of anything – from time to money to fuel – is good business. For lawn and landscape professionals, plant growth regulators (PGRs) aim to do just that. These products save contractors time, money and fuel by slowing turf growth, resulting in less frequent mowing.
 
Greg Black, owner of Black Landscape Contracting, Mechanicsburg, Pa., started using PGRs about three years ago with two primary goals: to see fewer clippings and to keep the turf on the area’s minor league baseball field – a key account – shorter and tighter. More recently, his goal has been to mow less often and save money on fuel. And he’s been successful on all accounts. “We’ve seen decreases in clippings and in the time it takes to mow each property,” Black says. “Fuel savings have definitely been noticeable because our shorter mowing cycles have reduced gas consumption.”
 
PGRs are becoming more popular among lawn and landscape professionals, with 19 percent planning to invest in the products this year, compared to 14 percent in 2007, according to Lawn & Landscape research. Manufacturers say this could be because contractors, like Black, are catching on to PGRs’ time- and labor-saving benefits.
 
Fuel prices are currently at their highest levels in history and mowing costs have increased as a result. Because PGRs slow turf growth, a reduction in mowing is realized, says Dr. Dennis Shepard, field technical manager for Syngenta Professional Products, Greensboro, N.C. In turn, reduced mowing can help mowers perform better and last longer because of less wear and tear.  Additionally, PGRs can improve turf quality and density and boost stress tolerance.
 
SEEING SAVINGS. Black’s crews use PGRs on both commercial and residential properties. About 80 percent of Black’s clients receive blanket PGR treatments, along with fertilizer and liquid iron applications to maintain turf color. Some commercial properties, particularly those billed hourly, only receive PGR applications on hard-to-mow areas like embankments. “Using PGRs on hourly accounts results in fewer billable hours,” he says. “For us, it’s a wiser business decision to only use PGRs on seasonal accounts.” 
 
Since using PGRs, Black’s crews complete each mowing job 20 to 25 percent faster, and can mow every 10 to 12 days instead of every seven. “Instead of four cuts a month, we can get by with three, or sometimes two, using PGRs,” Black says. Like time savings, fuel savings have been considerable. Each of Black’s seven maintenance crews saves about $100 in fuel each week, for a total weekly savings of about $600. “We don’t have to double cut because turf is not as thick or as heavy,” he says.
 
The time savings depend on a variety of factors – from the time of year to the product used to the rate of turf growth. But contractors using PGRs can ideally expect to mow every other week vs. every week, or once every 10 days, says Ben Cicora, herbicide and plant growth regulator business manager at Bayer Environmental Science, Research Triangle Park, N.C. “The savings are most significant during peak mowing seasons like spring and fall when grass is really growing,” he says.
 
Control, though, depends on the type of product used and the application rates. Some turfgrass PGRs will slow turf growth for a few weeks, and others, a few months. The product a contractor chooses will depend on his desired results and his budget. Some PGRs will control turf for three or four weeks, which may be suitable for contractors battling the busy spring season. Contractors will pay more for longer control. 
 
PGRs are most often used on cool-season turf in the Midwest and Northeast, Cicora says. They’re also used most frequently on commercial properties with hard-to-reach areas, like embankments and parking lot edges, which take contractors too much time to mow properly.
 
For lawn and landsape professionals struggling with labor challenges, PGRs can also help reduce maintenance costs and allow a contractor to reallocate labor as necessary.

WHEN TO APPLY. PGRs should only be used when turf is stress free, says John Spalding, PGR product manager, PBI Gordon, Kansas City, Mo. For example, PGRs should not be used when turf is susceptible to insect or disease damage because it will have no chance to outgrow the injury. Also, PGRs shouldn’t be used on turf that will experience a lot of activity, such as an athletic field prior to a sporting event, because the grass will need time to grow and repair itself.
 
Climate conditions also play a role when applying PGRs. Usually, there is no real reason to apply PGRs once the temperature rises above 85 or 87 degrees because the turf goes dormant, Cicora says. However, lush, irrigated turf may need a PGR application about once a month during the summer.
 
Black’s crews apply PGRs to each property every 18 to 20 days. If this window is missed, turf “jumps out” with uncontrollable growth, Black says. To prevent this occurrence, Black enters each PGR application and date into a computer system and an alert reminds crews when the next application should take place. Crews also keep job calendars in their trucks as an extra reminder.
 
“When you miss an application, it’s like the turf is unleashed after it’s been held back forever,” Black says. “Once you make an application you regain control, but it can be pretty unsightly until then.”
 
Black monitors humidity when applying PGRs and makes applications when the temperature is between 55 and 78 degrees. The products shouldn’t be applied when conditions are dry because turf will wilt. Black’s crews also maintain most of their client’s irrigation systems, so they can adjust watering times as needed for effective PGR applications. For clients who manage their own irrigation, Black instructs them on proper watering techniques and gives them a disclaimer on what their lawn will look like if they don’t follow through.
  
PRICING. The price of PGRs varies, Cicora says, and can range from $60 to $120 an acre or $1.50 to $3 per 1,000 square feet, depending on the product. Contractors spent an average of $3,747 on PGRs last year, according to Lawn & Landscape research.
   
To recoup the cost, lawn and landscape professionals need to weigh the product cost and the labor costs of spraying and mowing.  
 
Black spent about $4,800 on PGRs last year and he recouped this cost through fuel savings alone. But on new   or specialty accounts, like the baseball field, he factors in a fee to cover the PGR’s cost by considering property size and the amount of product used. Black’s average application rate is about 12 ounces per acre and then he includes a 30-percent markup fee. LL