Preparing Your PHC Business For Winter
Proper seasonal care of equipment extends beyond the growing season and into the winter months. You want to make sure you can get started on jobs come spring with minimal upkeep and maintenance. In this blog we cover some of the basic steps you can take to make best use of the downtime in winter.
Care for Equipment
If you take care of your equipment, it’ll take care of you – and the landscapes on which you work. Winterize your equipment properly by making sure that it is cleaned and stored properly. Run clean water through the devices a few times to ensure it’s free of any solution or product, then let dry completely. Store indoors in a cool, dry place where temperatures won’t get too low.
Take note of any repairs that are needed, such as damaged, rusting, or missing parts. Restock on any additional materials you’ll need to ensure a smoothly operating device, such as spare parts or lubricant.
If you need assistance repairing or rebuilding any Arborjet | Ecologel equipment, we have guides on our website. We offer specific steps on how to winterize your AccuFlo ISD, and a walkthrough of rebuilding and cleaning your QUIK-jet AIR. Both tools should be cleaned and cared for before winter.
Continue to Learn
Winter tends to be a slower time for the plant health care industry, with less work and fewer jobs. This makes it a good time to catch up on education and connecting with the industry. Many organizations offer in-person or online courses related to industry topics, often with continuing education credits available. These may also be offered at trade shows or online. Industry organizations, local ISA chapters, and local tree wardens often have shows during winter, so check to see what’s available near you. Shows are also good opportunities to meet others in the green industry, including distributors and companies developing new products.
We offer our own online accredited courses through our On-Demand Webinar Series each January. Courses cover Arborjet | Ecologel products and practices, and participants can get an “Arborjet Trained” certification.
Spring Planning
Take this time to look ahead for spring! Get some plans in place for spring planting, such as what you or your clients might want to grow, or formulations to combat known pests and diseases in your region. Think about soil amendments and fertilizers to assist with plant growth too, since you’ll want to get those down after the ground has thawed. We offer several programs of pre-selected products to help with different soil health and turf growth issues.
This is also the time of year when many companies and distributors offer early order programs, where you can get the best prices of the year.
Winter doesn’t have to be a dormant time for plant health care. Take the time leading into winter prepare for the season so you can hit the ground running in spring! Between equipment preparation, education, and planning, there’s plenty to do.
