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If this property looks familiar to you it’s because this is Project #8.

Rather than write a “project post” describing a major phase of the job, I wanted to cover a production tip that can improve productivity and the quality of work.

Add a Step to Reduce Time

I guess you could call that an oxymoron, but adding the right step (or two) often reduces the time a job takes.

In this example I’d like to talk about adding one step in preparation that makes a huge difference.

The plants above have each been tied to lift the branches into a neat bundle.  This exposes the planting bed; clearing the way for any work you may have to do around and underneath the plants.

This is not the first time these plants have been tied.

For their installation the plants were arranged & spaced — then, once they were set in position they were tied up to make planting, backfilling and grading easier.

In the picture above they are tied up again in preparation for the drip-irrigation install.

Now some of you might say that’s overkill.  In fact, I doubt many irrigation contractors would do it, but I know the pipe install will go quicker and turn out better.

How do Tied-Up Plants Improve Work Quality?

I’ll take it a step further: “Tying up plants improves worker moral and work quality”.  These two things go hand and hand (at least they should).

The irrigation crew was psyched they didn’t have to work under the low branches.  They trenched easily, laid down the drip-pipe and backfilled – all the while with smiles on their faces.  And the job turned out great!

The next day a landscape crew came in to mulch.  You guessed it – we left the plants tied-up.  They too were smiling and the mulch job was neat and uniform.

There are certainly other tasks that can be added to make jobs go smoother and turn out better. 

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