Things To Do Outside During the Global Pandemic
Hibu Websites • April 6, 2020
When you can't go out, go outside!
Coronavirus has curtailed
many of our usual activities, leaving a lot of people with the “there’s-nothing-to-do” blues. But the crisis shouldn't keep you inside and away from your yard and garden. These days at home are a great opportunity for getting your hands dirty and reconnecting with your yard and garden.
What can you do?
I'm so glad you asked! You can...
Get out of the weeds.
Spring is the perfect time to pull weeds. Soft, moist soil makes pulling them out very easy. Manual weeding is best since it avoids all sorts of chemicals and herbicides. For best results, pull out the entire root system.
Spread new blankets on your beds.
It's a great time to mulch! After pulling the existing weeds, adding a 3” layer of mulch in your flower beds and under shrubs will help keep weeds at bay during the spring and summer.
For small projects, mulch can be purchased by the bag. The big home improvement centers typically have a wide variety of bagged mulch. For larger projects, ordering mulch in bulk will save time and money. Locally, Asheville Mulch Yard and
The Longest Yard are both open for business. You can have a load delivered and use it a little at a time or all at once.
You'll find good mulch advice at this link.
Restore an antique.
Smart gardeners know that compacted soil and other organic matter makes it darn near impossible to have beautiful turf. If your yard suffers from weed creep or bare spots, ask yourself how long it has been since your grass was aerated or dethatched. Your old yard may need some rejuvenation.
Spring is the very best season for lawn aeration, dethatching, fertilizing, and overseeding. We rent a variety of machines for these purposes, including one of our most recent acquisitions––the Stringer Quad-Aer 3000 aerator/seeder. This machine is amazingly fast, and it aerates and overseeds your yard in a single pass.
Give us a call
for advice on how to treat your particular yard and the equipment you will need to do it. Read more about lawn cultivation and best practices for our specific region
here and here.
Get grounded.
Spring is a great time to plant new trees and shrubs in your landscape. You can select from an endless array of bare root, containerized, or ball and burlap plants. Plants are available at home improvement warehouses, but they are not always healthy, they are rarely grown locally, and they are sometimes not appropriate to local conditions. In order to make sure the plant you buy is the best plant possible, shop at a local garden center. Area favorite, B. B. Barns
is open and taking online and telephone orders.
Find tips for successfully planting trees or shrubs that last in NC here.
Go for a buzz cut.
Trim and prune existing trees and shrubs. Most shrubs that are not blooming can be pruned now; and there is still time to prune roses, if you have them.
The blog of the Extension Master Gardener™ Volunteers of Buncombe County
has a great deal of information specific to our region. It’s a great place to explore the possibilities.
Here's to many happy and healthy hours of landscaping and gardening, everyone!
It's that time of year again!
SERVICE TECHNICIAN * LAWN EQUIPMENT REPAIR * SMALL ENGINE REPAIR As a Small Engine Mechanic, you must be highly organized and possess excellent communication skills. We are seeking a dedicated team player who can ensure fast, flexible, and expert service to every customer via excellent time management skills. In the Small Engine Mechanic role, you will enjoy working independently to repair a variety of Lawn and Garden Equipment with an emphasis on 2-cycle engines. Repair responsibilities include: Providing timely and quality repairs of customers’ products Maintaining high-quality customer service and care Meeting key performance metrics and/or productivity goals Knowledgeable and courteous customer communication regarding quotes and repairs Looking for ways to improve business performance and enhance the customer experience Maintaining bench stock inventory within the prescribed company guidelines and standards Keeping a clean, organized work space Requirements include: High school diploma or general education degree (GED) At least 1 – 2 years of small engine repair technician experience, preferred Ability to use a computer for parts inquiries and ordering Working mechanical knowledge, including the use of tools and test equipment Ability to perform accurate estimates, and repair of customer product Ability to follow directions and specific process steps to ensure quality workmanship Flexibility to work variable and flexible hours, including overtime Must complete all technician training elements within required timeframes Must possess and maintain a valid North Carolina state driver’s license Must provide your own tools Must be at least 18 years of age Ability to occasionally lift up to 100 lbs. Preferred Applicants will have Technical Certifications with Major Engine Manufacturers: Husqvarna Honda Kohler Kawasaki Briggs & Stratton Health Benefits and matching 401K. Travel and Expenses for Ongoing Training and Certification provided.
Cash in on quantity discounts of up to 20% in the Husqvarna Fleet Savings Program and the Husqvarna Arborist Savings Program . In no time at all, your crew will be outfitted with all the best commercial products available!
Times are tough for the local economy, and many businesses are struggling to simply survive the stay home order. There are a lot of ways that you can help--one of the easiest is by voting for your favorites in the Mountain Xpress's annual reader's poll . Being selected as the year's best is not just an honor, it is also a great form of advertising for the businesses that is honored. If you have had a positive experience with General Equipment Rental (and we do hope you have!), please consider voting for us in the Best Equipment Rental category.
Did you know that Husqvarna offers discounts on commercial equipment for pros? Well, they do!
Take advantage of big savings and you'll never have to borrow the neighbor's tools again. We've got blowers, trimmers, chainsaws, mowers, and more––and they are priced to sell! Check out all of the deals on the Husqvarna Days page. While you're there, get pre-qualified for 0% APR financing for as many as 18 months, for qualified buyers.
With an all new Honda engine, 10% more power, easier maintenance, and a design that looks as good as it cuts, it's little wonder that the Honda HRX earned the #1 spot. You expect the best from Honda, and with the HRX, that's exactly what you'll get.
Over the past two decades, the Mountain Xpress has grown its "Best of WNC" program into a fixture of the community. Highly anticipated by local residents, the yearly issue is the most comprehensive catalog of the best independent businesses in the Asheville area. Needless to say, being named "Best of WNC" is a huge honor and privilege for any business. Last year was the first time that Rental Equipment Store was a voting category. We are so proud and grateful to our amazing customers who voted us #1 Equipment Rental in WNC in 2019.
The pros know that there is more to a gorgeous lawn than proper mowing and fertilizing. The difference between average-looking grass and a verdant, carpet-like lawn is making sure that nutrients can reach the soil beneath your grass. Aeration is a critical step because it allows air, water, and nutrients to penetrate built-up grass or lawn thatch.
General Equipment Rental and Husqvarna want to say thank you to these superheroes who are still caring for all of us during the CV19 crisis. We are deeply grateful for the sacrifices they have made and the risks they continue to take every day on the front line.