Business & Tech
Is Landscaping Taking a Hit?
A national survey indicates that more Americans are opting to mow their own lawns, though some local landscapers say business is steady.
According to the findings of a national survey released last week, South Orange and Maplewood residents may be less likely to see landscaping trucks dotting the streets this summer.
As the economy continues to struggle, Americans are cutting back on professional services like lawn care and hiring a handy-man to make room in their budgets for recreation, the Chase Card Services survey reports. They're spending on pool memberships and Little League, barbecue grills and summer camp instead.
Locally, lawn services start at $50 per cut, says Johanna Aguilar of Scalora Landscaping in South Orange. The same $50 can buy a week of basketball camp at the Baird. However, several local landscaping companies say they're not feeling the crunch.
Asked if she agrees with the survey, Aguilar said, “Actually, no. It has been slower, but only in the sense of big projects. Everyone is still having us do smaller projects, like upkeep and mulching. We got lucky in that sense.” She did acknowledge a slow-down in commercial business, but insisted the demand for residential services continues.
Steve Saggio, of Millstone Lawn and Garden in Maplewood, begs to differ. He says by early spring it was already obvious people were going to cut back on professional services. “A lot of people came in this spring, saying they were going to do their own fertilizing instead of paying for the service," Saggio says.
An average bag of fertilizer costs $14 to $15 and is sufficient for most Maplewood and South Orange properties, Saggio says. First-timers also have to purchase a spreader, for $24. The total comes out to $40, as opposed to the $65 to $75 fee for professional fertilizing. If neighbors share a spreader, the savings increase.
The supply store has been serving Maplewood for eight years. Saggio says he hasn’t seen any change in sales this year, just in what customers are buying. “People are staying home more, doing more themselves, growing their own vegetables and planting their own flowers," he said.
