Vertical Mulching.

[dhuffnmu]

IS anyone using the STIHL BT45 gas drilled for this. I am looking at picking one up. Also how are you guys charging for this service?

 

[treegazer]

A drill will work but you will get the job done a lot faster using air and you won't drill through any roots.

The air tool is lighter than the drill= less operator fatigue. Standing over the drill you breath in all that exhaust, the compressor for the air tool is usually far enough away that your not huffing exhaust while you are working.

I think everyone is going to have a slightly different way of figuring costs which keeps the market place competitive.

 

[leshiye]

Typically, yes, to the drip line in a grid-like pattern.

 

[Morice]

I also use the air knife for vertical mulching, works great. I backfill with a blend of different organics and pine bark fines (soil conditioner) at a ratio of 1 : 4. The organics increase microbial activity and the pine bark fine add structure.

 

[Getreal]

I have seen better success with radial trenching with the air spade for compaction. You break up more of the soil area. Backfilling with an organic humate mixture works well.

 

[phasthound]

We backfill with vermicompost.

 

[NickfromWI]

Seems you should go PAST the dripline, since the roots also go past the dripline.

love
nick

 

[Morice]

I agree that radial trenching works better than vertical mulching, but most of the time the home owner isn't going to allow you to rip long trenches in their beautiful turf.

Part of the organic mix that I spoke of earlier is actually vermi-compost.

 

[treegazer]

We have used a sod cutter to temporarily lift the sod out of the way. We do all the air work and soil amending then grade it out and lay the sod back down. The neighbors and in-laws never know we were there.

 

[Woodland]

We still find a lot of success with the old hole drilling method, filling with peat moss mixed with fertlizer. Has proven to be very effective

 

[Mangoes]

Can you ground this effectiveness?

I havn't Vm'd for years, found it to be not a lot of fun for limited quantifiable gain.

 

[Woodland]

Just in the visable results.. that seem to be lasting, especially if repeated in an every other year type basis

 

[guymayor]

[ QUOTE ]
We have used a sod cutter to temporarily lift the sod out of the way. We do all the air work and soil amending then grade it out and lay the sod back down. The neighbors and in-laws never know we were there.

[/ QUOTE ]Ninja root invigorators. I love it!

 

[northernsvcs]

how much are you charging to vertimulch? ive been charging 160-300 for trees depending on size... us the verti from phc, peat moss, fert, and compost. to refill with. i have only been using the drill. dont have 2,000.00 for the supersonice knife and another 10,000 for the compressor...
i have had excellent results with this system saved a lot of trees that were in real bad decline from retard home builders that decided to drive the heavy equipment all over the place.

 

[treegazer]

The Supersonic Air Knife is only $1,250 and you can rent an air compressor as needed. A rather small investment for the increased services you can provide.

 

[Zac]

I built an air knife for less than 100 bucks, it works awesome... compressor rents for $125 a day from united rentals.

 

[NickfromWI]

Zac, I think we're going to have to hear more about this!!!

love
nick

 

[KyLimbwalker]

[ QUOTE ]
I built an air knife for less than 100 bucks, it works awesome... compressor rents for $125 a day from united rentals.

[/ QUOTE ]

The tips on the airknife and the airspade is what separates them from DIY. I've never used the homemade version, but I would guess that it is not as fast as the pro versions. If this is true, then you lose potential income every time you use the DIY versions. Fixed costs are the "cheap" costs. Variable costs are usually more expensive in the long run.

 

[bushman]

Im always hoping to see a airspade on ebay!1250 not bad though,considering the money you can make.

 

[Chum]

Cutting sod to expose the soil should be done with great care - when we did our phophorescent dye tests for determining translocation rates from dripline to the upper canopies (oaks), most of the blue/purple compound was absorbed in the top inch or two from the surface - micro-fine root hairs that are the terminate end of the tree's system populate every square inch of soil. I'm thinking it's probably a stress point to disturb these little suckers (pun intended).

But on the other hand, I've witnessed some unbelievable recoveries from air spading then composting.