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StainlessDeal

Artillery Fungus Related Questions

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Originally, I was going to post these questions in another thread, but they dragged out a bit and I thought that a new thread was in order.

This fungus isn't well known in Nebraska, but it IS here. I started to spot it last year, and have avoided any problems except the skeptical customer syndrome. You know the one, that's where as you're explaining the art'y fungus their eyebrows become more and more assymetrically arched? A sure sign they believe we have entered the "Sales Zone", I have an article I downloaded and printed that puts paid to this problem usually.

But I then often have to deal with the whole question of what to replace the much-beloved mulch with now that we understand it carries icky things to the house. It is amazing how attached some people are to their mulch, and as much as I'd like to sell weekly cleaning and prevention, I've found the market is a bit soft yet.;)

Usually I recommend gravel or one of the rubber mulch look-alikes, but since I don't really do any landscaping, I'm not an expert. Anybody have any better ideas? Has anybody been tempted to do any "Mulch Remediation/Removal services as an adjunct to cleaning the house?

I'm not happy with telling them that the mulch has to go, but that I have no suggestions as to what alternatives there are. As far as that goes, is there some money we are leaving behind?

Should we as PWers be looking for partners in landscaping to handle the mulch removal/replacement. How about the treatment of the infected area after the mulch is gone?

Just wondering about what other services we should be selling when this shows up to wreck an otherwise pleasant housewash.:lgmoneyey

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I have found that almost 100% of my customers with artillery fungus are using recycled mulch that comes free from the dump. It's made from ground waste shrubs/trees and allowed to decompose until it gets a nice blackish color.

I first made the link when I washed a house with bad artillery fungus. He used what looked like the free dump mulch, and I suspected it was the culprit. Later that day, I washed his sons house about 50 miles away. Same problem, same mulch. I asked the son about the mulch, and he said that his dad gets it free somewhere and just brings loads and spreads it for them.

Just this past week, I washed a customers driveway and noticed that I had blown crap all over their car. When I rinsed it, black specks remained. I feared oil or even worse chipping. Upon closer insepection, it appeared to be AF spores. Then I noticed compaction marks in the grass next to the mulch/shrub bed (same looking mulch). Asked the wife, and they said they usually parked that car 1/2 on the drive, 1/2 off because of parking issues. Mulch bed side had AF spores, driveway side had none. Mulch origin unconfirmed, but looking at it I'd bet it's free dump mulch.

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We suggest bark mulch and cedar bark mulch as a good substitute for shredded mulch. Bark versions even last longer because it doesn't decompose so readily. More pricey but in comparison to the alternative, we spend the extra $ to avoid the $$$ in the future.

Education even when it comes down to clichés like 'penny wise and pound foolish' is still an important point to give to customers, some have forgotten it.

Rod!~

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