Saw a guy burning leaves today with the wind whipping around like crazy. Can’t believe they gave a permit for a windy day like this. Looked like a inferno movie from the 1980s. Leaves take forever to burn up too. They smolder for a long long time.
December 2009Monthly Archives
Start your Mulch Pile
What to do with all your leaves? A mulch pile is a good plan. Decaying leaves along with food scraps make for great compost soil. Also if you are a fisherman you will have some worms available as a bonus.
Goodbye 2009
2010 is almost here. For many people the past 2 years have not been great. Hopefully that will change this coming year.
Winter Snakes
Saw a snake out today when mowing / leaf mulching in Maysville. I have never seen a snake this late in the year. But with warmer temps into November this year I guess things change. It has been plenty cold the past 2 weeks though so I would think snakes would be hibernating or whatever they do in the winter.
Most Common Lawn Mower Problem
I’d say flat tires are the most common mechanical problem with mowers. They are an aggravation to fix for homeowners since they don’t notice them until the exact moment they are going to mow the grass. They also cause delays for lawn care companies like mine. But another problem with flats is the semi flat tire. The tire appears fine but has less air than in needs to get a level cut. I see many bermuda lawns that are butchered by lawn tractors. It is because of low air pressure in tires most likely. On a fescue lawn you would not be able to tell as much but bermuda looks back when it is cut unevenly.
White Christmas for North Georgia
Showing a 60% chance of snow on Christmas. I would love to see that even though I am no fan of snow normally. It is still a long way off so I would not count on it yet.
Whacky Weather North Georgia
So Thursday (today) and Friday were supposed to be identical weather days in North Georgia. No rain and 55 for the high. Well Thursday held true but now Friday is a mess. Rain, wind, and 39 degrees for the high? I’ll just assume rain is coming if the percentage chance is above zero. 
I love how the weather gurus talk about El Nino being the cause of unpredictable weather. Maybe they just don’t know what they are doing?
Pressure Washing / Cleaning Advice
I hope this posts reaches the masses. Any object on this planet that is outside will eventually need cleaning. Fences, decks, house siding, concrete, wood, vinyl siding, etc . Besides dirt, usually it will be mildew that gets on it.
Way too often I hear customers mention a salesperson of some kind that told them “fill in the blank material does not need cleaning ever”. I have heard it about vinyl siding, vinyl decking, trex, etc. The homeowners is being lied to point blank. Some materials need less maintenance than others but they all get dirty.
Pressure washing yearly or at least every 18 months is the best bet for keeping your structures looking their best. Of course different materials need different care… see comment from Trex Rep.
Privacy Fence or Hedges for Backyards
When trying to get more privacy for your back yard, two normal choices are fences and hedges. Both will work but have positive & negative attributes.
Hedges obviously look more natural and in my opinion are more pleasing to the eye. But they do require fertilizer, water, and trimming. The trimming is hard work and not something senior citizens want to do. I don’t even want to do it sometimes and I get paid to trim them . The trimming is not so bad if you can stay on top of them but if you are wanting them for privacy they need to be big. That means trimming up higher which is even worse than normal trimming.
Fences are the easier option if you need instant privacy. They come in different colors and styles also. But no matter what material they are made of they will need cleaning. I don’t care what the idiot selling the fence tells you. If it is outside, it gets dirty, period. I’ve had customers say that real estate agents told them their vinyl siding would never need cleaning! I personally like wood. You can stain it or paint it. So when you tire of one color just change it up.
Both options cost money to maintain. You can choose not to maintain them but your results will not be good.
