Today I'm starting a new blog series on sustainability in landscaping!
You may be wondering, is that a thing we even need to be worrying about? Actually, yes. Just as we need to be concerned about sustainability in our building practices, transportation systems, and energy use, our landscaping practices have a surprisingly big impact on our environment.
You are probably here because you are a homeowner, or perhaps you are a colleague in the landscaping field. I'm hoping to convince you both that making the switch to more sustainable landscaping practices and 'green' equipment is the way forward.
If you've been following me for a while, you are already familiar with the fact that I encourage all my clients to shrink their lawn, use green mulch, and keep their leaves on site. If you're new here, you can check out my past posts:
For Homeowners Doing Their Own Landscape Care
So let's make the case for trading in that old gas-powered mower and leaf blower (and any other gas-powered equipment you may have) for electric. DO we really need to list the downsides? Maybe so:
Noise pollution. So. Much. Noise.
Burning of fossil fuels
Annual maintenance
Air pollution
Soil compaction (heavy riding mowers)
Hauling away leaves and grass clippings (you don't really do that, do you?)
None of these are good things, and all can be eliminated if we make the switch to more sustainable equipment and systems. Once you've mown your lawn with an electric mower, you will be SO ANNOYED when you have to listen to your neighbor's gas powered one. And his blower. And every other neighbors'. Every week. ESPECIALLY their hired landscapers'. Every day of the week. SO. ANNOYED.
SO what are these more sustainable land care systems that make using electric equipment easier?
Keep your leaves on site. Use them as mulch. Keep them under your trees (shrink your lawn!) and in your gardens. They are gardener's gold. For goodness' sake, don't cut down your trees to avoid dealing with leaves! Leaves are good! In fact, they are important habitat. If they're too wet and heavy to blow off the patio, get out that rake. It's been a little lonely anyway.
Stop shearing those shrubs all the time. They don't need it. They're not supposed to look like that. They don't want to grow like that. It's embarrassing for them. Let them grow in their natural shape. If they're too big for their location, you planted the wrong shrub. Time to plant something else.
If you still have one of those monstrously huge lawns, you can get a lawn mowing robot (or two or three). Talk about less work!
For Homeowners Who Hire a Landscape Care Team
Finding a landscape team that uses green equipment and sustainable practices in general is going to be tough to find, depending on where you live. Ok, in most places they are going to be tough to find. KEEP ASKING and let companies know that's what you're looking for. If you do find one, keep in mind you may need to change your traditional expectations.
Question #1: Are you willing to pay more for this service? I hope your answer is yes, because this team cares more about your landscape than the average mow & blow guy does. And they probably have more actual training as well. I hope they do, anyway. I really, really hope they have trained professional gardeners on staff to take care of your landscape and not just mow your lawn, torture your shrubs, and pile unnecessary mulch on your garden beds every year. This additional training is an investment in their team and is worth paying more for.
A landscape team who operates a fleet of electric equipment has to be coordinated in a different way than a typical landscape company. They've got to make sure loads of batteries get charged appropriately every night and loaded/paired up with the tools the next morning. They are working with a different set of rules. For instance, a battery powered blower is not going to run for nearly as long as a fuel-powered backpack blower, and it won't have as much power. So this landscaper is best matched with a client who understands that their landscape should be designed with ecology in mind and with sustainable systems in place. Leaves can be blown off of hard surfaces, but they can stay in the garden beds, for example. Adjustments will need to be made. Expectations will need to be altered. Landscapes will need to be designed differently.
BTW, that battery-powered backpack blower, while less powerful and having less runtime, is also lighter to carry, doesn't rumble against the body all day, won't damage the operator's hearing, and the operator won't be breathing in all those fumes. Did you know that one backpack blower produces more CO2 in one hour than an SUV does driving1000 miles? Really.
IF you are lucky enough to find a sustainably minded landscape care team, keep in mind that they may cost more, and it may take them longer to do the same job your previous landscaper did. But hopefully you can work together to put in place more sustainable systems in your landscape.
One more bonus for those of us who work from home... that electric equipment is so quite the noise disruption is completely eliminated!
For Landscape Care Teams
Just as I want to encourage landscape companies to transition to more ecological planting systems, I want to encourage them to also transition to more ecological maintenance systems as well.
California may be the only state in the nation to implement a ban on gas-powered landscaping equipment, but they are only the FIRST to do so, others will follow their lead. Bans are already being proposed in more states, and already being implemented in individual municipalities. The goal is not only reducing CO2 emissions but protecting noise ordinances as well.
Imagine being able to charge more for niche sustainable earth-friendly "Emission Free" services?
Imagine being able to start work earlier in the hot summer months because your equipment doesn't violate noise ordinances?
Imagine having all your systems in place and being ahead of the curve when those gas-powered equipment bans hit your area?
Imagine providing a healthier working environment for your employees?
It's a tough transition to make if you're already in business. It's a headache you probably don't need. But is it an investment in your business you can afford not to make?
If you're just thinking about starting a landscaping business or are expanding from a simple one-person show, please PLEASE please consider getting yourself some really great training in ecologically minded landscape care. We are in desperate need of land care professionals in South Central PA. A full-service landscape crew who can do more than unnecessarily shear shrubs and dump too much dyed mulch would bring so much value to our area. Crews who know the difference between weeds and plants. Crew leaders who can work with a homeowner to create sustainable, ecologically sound landscapes. Landscape installers who can source native plants from beyond the local nurseries and know what a plug is. Landscapers who can make quality assessments, apply fertilizers and pesticides only when absolutely necessary, and educate their clients. And mow their lawns. Quietly.
The Chesapeake Conversation Landscaping Council is a great place to start if you're looking for quality training in stormwater management, ecological planting, even crew training. Check them out here: CCLC - Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council (chesapeakelandscape.org)
It is completely possible to run a landscape company with a fully or primarily electric fleet of equipment. If you need referrals to companies that are doing just that, reach out to your local equipment dealer, or contact me. AGZA American Green Zone Alliance – The Leader In Zero-Emission Landscape Maintenance Strategies has software that can help you calculate the Environmental Landscape Footprint of a property and demonstrates equipment that can withstand commercial use. They can also help you calculate your ROI, reduced maintenance costs, and figure out the different infrastructure required for electric equipment. The difference in cost between gas and electric will narrow as we move forward, but those who are first in their market to make the switch will have a leg up on their competition.
Great selling points to your customers:
No CO2 emissions
Personalized services tailored to maximize the ecological impact of their landscape
Quieter operation: no disruptions for those working from home, or for classes/meetings at commercial properties
LEED certified buildings may need zero emissions maintenance crews
And for your crew: Better working conditions with quieter equipment, less vibration, eliminating air pollution that they breath in, and the ability to start work earlier in the day during the summer heat
It is also possible to run split crews while you transition - one that runs on traditional equipment and one that is more sustainable.
Let me know if you are a local landscape team making the switch to more sustainable practices. I would love to work together and refer you to my clients!
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