Soil Drench and Pricing

[Themadd1]

I am looking to be more competitive in the pricing of my soil drench and spraying . Currently, we use square footage currently to price our jobs. In regards to fert we use Arborcare, being around the giant of Davey we like the convenience of location. So we are looking at $2 per ft. That is a price at 50 gal per 1000, with a minimum of 130. Just want to get a gauge on the marketplace. Thanks,

Themadd1

 

[Themadd1]

Hey you looking at me?

 

[Themadd1]

Does anyone out there actually do soil drenching/deep root fertilizing? Just wondering how it goes, and if customers are interested....

 

[begleytree]

You won't get a lot of answers on this with it being posted in large equipment. Moved for more exposure.
-Ralph

 

[TreeJunkie]

explain what you mean by soil drench.....Same as deep root fert. by liquid injection???? If so i bid it 85 per hour plus 50cents per gallon.

But if you mean basal soil drench w/ products like cambistat, merit that varies greatly.....

I am very interested in what others charge for deep root fert.....both liquid inject and drill hole method...

 

[Tree Wizard]

You have to know what your materials costs are, what your labor costs are, what your equipment costs are, what your overhead costs are and how much profit you want to make. If you charge what others are charging you could go broke, or you could be ripping your clients off.

 

[Themadd1]

I have a program down, we are still waiting for the big spring rush to get some work in. We have a 100 gal Lesco Spray Rig and are looking at a minimum of 130 for deep root fertilizing only. I cant see going higher than 150 minimum for merit and fert. Although, the mauget does well for most insect/fungi issues. I think we may stay with this option and only do fertilizing with the soil drenching method.

 

[TreeJunkie]

I think 130 minimum for deep root is a little high.. I'd shoot for more like 85 mini......Many times you may only have to come out to do one or two trees. maybe only 20 minutes onsite...If you charge 130 for something like that you may bite yourself in the arse..

I love to see all the responses on here about this kinda thing....

Makes me think that not many on this site participate in complete tree care.....Climbing and chainsaw topics get a ton of responses....But PHC and you can't get anyone to participate....What's up with that?

 

[Trignog]

Keep the replies coming. This is the only way I learn about tree care. Untill I get with a full service firm.

Tree care doesn't stop at pruning with me, I want to know it ALL!

 

[Themadd1]

Updated Information

So, I have had this fert program up and running now for three months and I have already sold/completed more with this program than last years mauget program. We still do both and there are benefits to either DRF or Mauget but customers seem to like the organic nature of the DRF better.

I am going to start a thread on my new program which I have just stated researching and that is the NEW and improved Integrated Pest Management program. I am sure there are tons of thoughts on this bad boy.

P.S. For all of you who told me $130 was too high, let me just say this. I havent sold anything lower than $190 in two months. I totally underbid the market on this and now have quite a list of customers for next year already. :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Stihlhear]

Fert program pricing

We charge 175 front, 225. backyard ( average city lot approx 1/8 acre) Merit plus 75. This is competitive in our market. I have friends in other markets that charge by gallon approx 1.75- 2.25.

My suggestion would be to look at other add ins and not compete by calling it a fertilization program, but rather a prescription fert program. We never start a program without knowing what the clients soils are like to begin with. Soil interactions are pretty deep, so be carefull using "complete fertilizers".

 

[elmnut]

5 gal per inch DBH 1.25 a gal 1.45 if merit is added. using phc for trees.

 

[diltree]

$200 minimum guys no matter how small the job, then adjust the price from there.....come on you have to diagnose the problem, price the Job, prescribe a treatment, supply the chemical, perform the application, all on top of the many costs of being in business. Don't sell your self short, a good arborist is worth good money.


www.dillontree.com

 

[Stihlhear]

No one gets out for under $225. Merit for $0.20/ gal is a giveaway it costs you that much. If your applying merit , you are giving a years worth of insect protection away for $20.00 on a 20 inch tree, I think you need to check your cost of application. You are giving away alot of value for not so much $.

What are you paying for Merit? 300 gal @ $0.20= $60.00. Foliar spray for any pest here starts at $175.00 (1 tree), where are you Idaho and have no cost of doing business, no ins., no advertising no.... .

On a side note Mass. is a very expensive state to do business.

 

[diltree]

good points

You make great points and I'm right with you...Its not just about the base cost of the chemical or product you provide, Its about the value of the service you provide. I don't care what state you are working in, never under value the services only a well trained arborist can provide.


www.dillontree.com

 

[Themadd1]

Wow, It has been a while since I was on the site....

So after running the program for a few months we have realized the potential of soil drenching program added to the always productive injection program. Although we have seen a loss in the injection fertilizing program over the 1st and 2nd quarter we are confident that the addition of this product is going to raise the bottom line in the future. We have been using PHC products and notice at the present we are running around $ .27 per $1.00 on product. Does this sound like a fair representation overall? Return customer's are not going to get the injectible product next year and I believe we will then run around $ .07 per $1.00. As this is going to impact the overall performance over the long run we feel that alternating the customer between the organics and fertilizers yearly will benefit the customer and increase our revenues. Any thought?

Themadd1

 

[Themadd1]

One other thought? How much water are you running through your rigs we average approximately 20 gals per customer. This includes soil drenching, insect spraying, and other services. This average is for approximately 5 trees per customer.

Tthemadd1

 

[Stihlhear]

As Elmnut posted earlier in this thread, we use 5 gal/ inch @ DBH.

 

[Themadd1]

At 5 gals per DBH, how many holes are you injecting? We use an eight GPM pump, and it averages out to approximately 1 sec per hole. If you are using the 5 gal per DBH then you are using 180 gallons on a 36 inch diameter tree? Those numbers are out of control... Where are you injecting the material? How far apart? At this rate you are really losing alot of material to leeching, and it is probrably not any more beneficial to the tree. I can see that you are giving the tree a good watering, probrably too much water in a short period of time but the tree needs to have the slow release fert in the root zone, and with that much water you are missing the right zones...

 

[Themadd1]

Our average is approximately 20 gals per tree because we are using one quart of water per hole, that is enough water to disperse the materials and water the root zone. On a 36 in Diameter tree that some to approximately 900 sq feet with holes every three feet equals out ot approximately 100 holes for that size tree. 100 qts equals 25 gallons of water total. On a 1 inch diamter tree we would use 6 injections and use 1.5 gallons of water. So I dont see where your numbers are coming into play.