Need lawn care
 

The company I was using notified me they will no longer be in business. I have made several calls to lawn services/landscapers and either no return call or they aren’t taking on new clients. HELP - I’m just looking for someone who is reliable to cut my lawn, weed plant beds on a regular basis and Trim the bushes as needed. If you know of anyone TAKING new clients PM me please. My lawn hasn’t been cut in over 2 weeks and looks bad and the weeds are taking over.

Choice Maintenance
352-502-2880

I use Choice Maitenance - they are reasonable priced, and show up. They have flexible plans (i.e. trim quarterly or monthly).

You want to ask your neighbors. Most of these people stay in one area saving time and expense of running all over the villages.

"Lawn hasn't been cut in over 2 weeks and looks bad and weeds are taking over." When you find someone it should be brought down slowly. Cut high. brought down over several weeks so as not to shock the grass. Weeds, you are likely seeing weeds that were always there but were cut off. You can buy weedkiller, I use liquid weed killer, it is faster working than the granulated ones. I simple spray bottle like from empty cleaners and spray em-don't hit bushes etc. Almost fun if you regularly tell em TAKE THAT YOU SUCKER.

I've lived in the traditional private home with a lawn most of my life. In high school I started and ran a lawn mowing business. The climate was far cooler than Florida.
This is the first time in my life that I ever had someone other than me mow my lawn.
Lack of room to store equipment, a too old shot back and all my other excuses. In nine years in the villages, we always pay on time and I am not a particular customer. Good enough is good enough. Our first guy, the best so far, disappeared stealing a months pay from us. The next guy also a nice guy, not as good work as the first, family issues he too disappeared. I called him and he refunded us the half month that he did not do the work. We are now on the third guy in nine years, quality of work is the worst yet.
I do not complain. Not sure but I think one more and I will go back to mowing my own.
I already do the chemistry, the weeding and the hedge trimming.

I called 2 of my neighbors landscapers, thinking the same things, you’re here, add another lawn with 0 travel - both said they were full - even after I said they do my neighbors.

From what am hearing, the ability of being able to retain or hire workers is impacting most of the lawn and yard maintenance companies, just the same as it is for all of the other service companies. It seems like ALL companies are having a hell of a time of retaining employees, and an even harder time addressing absences due to Covid illnesses or quarantine requirements. I wouldn't be surprised if that is one of the reasons there has been a change in the performance of lawn care services lately. So finding a lawn service company that can handle both mowing and trimming may be really difficult. And you may want to be a little cautious about "firing" your current provider before you get a new one lined up. It seems like they are facing the same situation as the restaurants and other companies around the country are experiencing. Who knows, if this keeps up we may have to start mowing our own lawn.

I've also wondered whether the huge number of homes that have been added to The Villages may compound the problem. Since there are only so many people in the tri county area that provide these types of services and with The Villages continually growing, the demand for these services will stretch available manpower to the limit. Even though the population of Sumter county has grown considerably, that growth is primarily us Villagers. And we all want the same services. I suspect that the population of working age men and women in this same area hasn't grown in the same proportion as seniors, so the number of people to work in these service areas is stretched really thin. Look at all the new homes built or going to be built south of 44 and consider how many additional workers it is going to require in order to provide services (including lawn & yard work). I sometimes wonder if the growth of The Villages will eventually exceed what the surrounding communities can provide for store, restaurants, and yes, lawn maintenance employees. Just a thought.

We all in conversation deal with one issue at a time. Yet, reality all happens at the same time. With endlessly extended unemployment, handouts galore, why work. People willing to work, is not just an issue around the villages or in Florida. It is a national issue. The cause is obvious.

Fortunately, I do not need to or want to work however as was done in WWII women entering the workforce was a major found, discovered labor force. I wonder if they adjusted the penalty of loss of Social Security to seniors for working if it would discover an obvious labor pool.

Seniors mowing seniors?????????

LOL in the heat? They’d get stroke. And if they could physically, many would be doing their own lawns in the first place.

"Seniors mowing seniors?????????"

I like that. :mademyday: Especially since everyone keeps saying they can't make tee times anymore, it will give us all something to do !!!!!!! :icon_wink:

I can't help it. Only teasing but your first customer could be the original post. For me, I will gladly charge you a franchise fee.

I had the same problem. Called 6 recommended places - only one called me back to say they are not taking new customers. I finally found one by listening for he sound of mowers on our nearby streets and getting business cards or if the worker was the owner, asked him to stop by my house for an estimate. So far, so good. He now makes ONE stop on my street and does 6 designers houses in about 40 minutes. Economy of scale.

Good luck.

Skip

Deans

R&B Landscaping
 

Call Vicky Anderson. 352 874-1819. They are taking new customers and are nice people.

Do not use Isom or PAX.
Poor service

Why not
 

Well over down the road in Pennbrooke Fairways and several other HOAs communities for seniors, the hoa is responsible for cutting your lawn. Something to consider for The villages,

All the mower guys are the same. They are over worked with so many customers and the quality shows through. I admit that I’m picky so I cut my own lawn

I agree. But, I suggested it on another thread and some people thought I was crazy.

Opinion
 

Has anyone used Fertagator Landscapers? What is your opinion regarding their service?

Lawn Cutting Service
 

We use a gentleman named Jose Perez. He is great. Very reliable. His number is 352-360-3222

1st Rate lawn care and pest control. 352-483-6487

Mowing
 

I use Brandon Garinger
352-426-9382

Is it a home or a Villa ? In 2 years I went through 5 or 6 people for lawn services and got 2 complaints from the tattletales from the area.

Given the uniqueness of the 3 counties and the cost of living the original residents pay due to the villages the growth will not be sustainable. The wages in Florida are way below the national average and while there isn’t an income tax there are consumption taxes on everything residents must pay. Many people go in and out of local service businesses without being qualified and can’t compete with illegal aliens who do much of the yard work.

So for 6.5 minutes they mow, edge blow your grass ? Hmmm smh

Son Life, (315) 836-5228.

We have been using deans for lawn because they are big and probably won’t run off. Have not been so lucky with people to take care of my shrubs so I do them myself but I love to garden so it is not a problem for me until I am too decrepit to do it. My butterflies love me for it!

Use Gene the best!
 

Give Gene a call we’re really happy with is service (352) 613-2306

Global Landscaping

Thank you to all who replied, I have contacted the company that mows all my neighbors, can’t get a quote nor a yes/no from them. Did fins a friend to mow so doesn’t look so bad. Now will check with all these companies and see where we go from here. I’ve already contacted a company that will be doing some extensive work in near future. They also mow but at present not taking new clients.

No shortage of similar ideas. Cable for example. As I read through the posts. Imagine getting the inmates to agree on even what flowers to plant on common grounds.

In high school I started and ran a lawn cutting business. I also shoveled snow. People?
I used to do it for a widowed neighbor because she was nice to us when we moved in.
Our neighbor across the street objected to my do doing hers.

I can't help it. I hear you do good work. When will you be coming over for free of course.

If, anyone is interested, weds 9/8/21 about 11:30 the babtist thrift store on Citizens blvd
has had two fairly new battery powered mowers. I did not look hard at them. Price etc?

A & J’s Property Maintenance LLC, cell 352-391-2565 , Office 352-205-5551.

This is not an HOA Community.

Fertigator????..............yes, they were great.

Fertagator????.........nope.

I thought of that also.

Lawn Care
 

Seems as if dependable lawn service is almost non-existent here - the area is growing so fast it is out pacing most service providers - most lawn service companies are much better at getting new customers than keeping existing ones - PAX is a perfect example - promise you a perfect yard - then show up maybe half the time - DO NOT USE - still looking for that one company that will charge a fair price for good service - open to all referrals

Coming up on ten years with Fertigator.
They prefer to have a group of neighbors, much more efficient.
Have not been disappointed.
If I need an extra trim or weed attack, they are responsive.

Labor market is tough.............they fight it every day.

Village Lawn Mowing
 

I Agree. Maybe The Villages could consider mowing the Residence Lawns in the Villages. It is getting harder and harder trying to find a reliable, dedicated mowing service.
kaydees1

Rather than that, maybe it's time for each of the CDD's to relax their rules for lawn coverage. Possibly allowing more rock usage, especially in the Patio & Courtyard Villa areas. That would reduce the number of yards that need to be mowed weekly so that the existing mowing services can handle those yards which have grass. That would also reduce the amount of water going for irrigation. Both of which would save the home owners money. Seems like win to me. And from what I've seen of the few "illegal" villa homes with rock instead of grass, they don't look bad at all.

It seems to be a fact of live in The Villages - you will have to change lawn service companies frequently - all are better at getting customers than keeping them - PAX is the worst