Greenskeeper Lawns is staying true to its name despite water restrictions in the Dallas, Texas area. Most lawns throughout Texas and the Western U.S. are brown and dry due to drought, limited overseed and water restrictions. But, lawn care services are changing the scenery with an innovative approach of grass painting.
Home lawns can look as good and green as a TPC Network golf course. That is the proclamation of the owner of Greenskeeper Lawns, Austin Corder. Corder is a former golf course maintenance crew member at TPC San Antonio.
“I learned how to spray and paint the golf course. And, when I learned enough, I decided to branch out and launch my own business,” says Corder. “I love the idea of turf colorant on dormant grass. I wanted to bring it from the golf course to residential homes,” he adds.
In the area of Houston, Texas, a father and son team launched the lawn painting branch of their company, Alawnso Services, to expand business opportunities through the winter. Otherwise, without growing grass, they didn't have much work. Offering lawn painting as a service was a win-win.
"This is a real business. It’s a new market, an emerging market,” said Ruben Alonso, Jr..
While they acknowledge that people have been painting grass for years—professionals and sports field operators—still for home lawns, it’s a relatively new idea for many people.
“This is a great opportunity for an entrepreneur or ‘lawn-trepreneur.’ It’s not an IPO, Facebook or Uber, but it’s going to be big. It’s not going away,” said Alonso. (Read more about Alawnso's lawn painting business success here.)
Austin and wife Mariah Corder also were able to expand their business into a year round opportunity offering lawn painting services. By offering Endurant Turf Colorant applications in the winter, and then providing their other fertilization, weed and insect control services in the warmer months, they have year-round income.
“Due to water restrictions and certain areas not allowing overseed, turf colorant is a great option for winter. Residents don’t water lawns in the winter, so the grass is brown to let the aquifers fill back up. Endurant turf colorants provide a great alternative,” says Corder.
Among the varying watering and lawn restrictions among municipalities, the City of Frisco, Texas, for example, prohibits over-seeding and watering cool season grasses in the fall and winter. Read more on that policy here.
Endurant turf colorants provide a means to maintain curb appeal and green lawns in almost any challenge. This includes to overcome challenges of the common winter fungus on zoysia grass in Florida or to overcome the Texas drought and droughts across the western U.S..
Endurant colorants last longest on dormant and drought-stricken grass because such lawns are not growing or being mowed.
“I love Endurant turf colorant because it's a way to get lawns green for the winter. Austin and I come from an environmental background. We understand how important it is to keep water in our aquifers and reserved for necessities,” says Mariah.
But aesthetics remain a guiding value in Americans' love for a green lawn.
“Customers want to see a green lawn rather than a dormant brown lawn in the winter time,” says Corder.
His statement echos what leaders in golf have to say about grass as well.
"Golf is green," maintains longtime golf course superintendent Shawn Emerson, the director of agronomy of Desert Mountain in Arizona. Emerson has been a pioneer in golf course maintenance for decades. Like many others in the golf course industry, he has been a long time user of Endurant.
But the practice of painting grass, though gaining traction across the U.S., is still a bit more of a cutting edge approach to lawn care.
The Corders noticed that homeowners also like green grass. So with Austin's expertise from the golf course, the married couple launched the colorant aspect of their lawn, fertilization, insect and weed control business in the fall.
Corder became familiar with Endurant while working with the TPC Network. Many golf course superintendents have continued to use Endurant turf colorants on dormant fairways, tees and greens for years. From the Super Bowl to PGA and FIFA televised events, much of the grass on HDTV is enhanced using Endurant.
If painting grass is good enough for the NFL, it’s good enough for a home lawn, says Alonso.
For Greenskeeper Lawns, Austin and Mariah are offering a unique alternative to homeowners in their area. They service neighborhoods around Dallas, including Frisco, McKinney, Prosper and Little Elm.
While some do-it-yourself types may spray their own lawns, many homeowners aren’t aware of the products available or the process. So, they can get help from a lawn care professional to apply Endurant by asking their provider.
For a lawn care professional offering lawn painting in winter can be helpful economically. Coming off a challenging time for many businesses, the new service offering is refreshing.
“I like the color of Endurant on dormant grass. The color stands out and is as true and realistic as it can get,” says Austin Corder.
Another benefit is that Endurant lasts.
“I love how the color of Endurant holds steady for two or three months,” he says.
Endurant can be used on any grass type and during any state of growth whether dormant or not. However, grass paint during dormancy and drought conditions provide green grass when there is no other viable option. Endurant allows users to maintain green grass without over-watering, over-fertilization or other chemical usage.
On a lawn that's not growing and being mowed, such as dormant bermudagrass, Endurant commonly lasts six to eight weeks. It's not uncommon for the colorant to last as long as three months.
“My previous golf course experience made me choose Endurant hands down,” says Corder.
Most people in the Dallas area have bermudagrass. This is true of lawns and golf courses, such as TPC San Antonio, alike. Corder stuck with the colorant preference of Roby Robertson, director of agronomy at TPC San Antonio.
When selecting the shade of Endurant, Endurant Premium was the standout because of the Dallas, Texas area's bermudagrass.
“I like the Endurant Premium. It looks like the dormant bermuda never went dormant. Endurant Premium looks like natural bermuda color in the summer time,” says Corder.
There are few people overseeding with rye seed in the Dallas area due to municipal restrictions on overseed. This includes an overseed prohibition in the city of Frisco, as well as national seed and water shortages. However, Endurant does come in a lighter shade of green, called Endurant Perennial Rye. There is also a darker shade of green, Endurant Fairway (FW). FW was initially used on golf fairways and some prefer it for a cool season grass look.
Any shade can be used on any grass type based on preference, including to overcome Texas drought or other challenges. To find the best colorant for your turfgrass variety, see this link.
Business startup costs can differ based on the budgets and preferences of the individual.
For Austin and his wife Mariah, start up costs were influenced by their multi-faceted lawn care business.
They launched the business this fall with about a $700 investment in spray equipment and colorant. They promote their services mostly on social media, including finding success with the Nextdoor App.
“The way I’m doing it isn’t the only way to do it. I chose to get a space saver tank in the back of my truck,” says Austin.
He purchased two gallons of Premium, GNC space-saver 200 gallon tank with hose reel, SiteOne lawn wand and edging wheel.
The lawn wand, edging wheel and paint led to a $700 investment initially, he says.
Some wait to invest in the edging wheel and other components. Geoponics recommends starting a business with a battery powered backpack sprayer and a gallon of paint for approximately $300.
Even so, the Corders business, Greenskeeper Lawns, has already earned back their investment costs.
Austin and Mariah Corder expanded Greenskeeper Lawns to offer application of Endurant Turf Colorants. It provided year round income. Meanwhile, it helps to overcome water and overseed restrictions throughout the Dallas, Texas neighborhoods of Frisco, McKinney, Prosper and Little Elm.
It's not a completely solo venture.
“I wasn’t expecting Geoponics to help with growing our business or even reaching out to us. Geoponics has been great. They are supporting and sharing advertisements, helping us along the way, pointing us in the right direction,” says Austin.
In addition to purchasing product and equipment, getting the word out about the business was key to success for Alawnso Services and Greenskeeper.
Painting one lawn is the best possible marketing for a neighborhood. Then, it sells itself as people see the best looking lawn on the block and want to know how to get it. It’s very dramatic comparing a brown dormant lawn to a green lively looking lawn, the Corders note.
For those interested in starting a similar business in their area, before and after photos posted to Instagram and Facebook, along with TikTok videos all help to spread the word. But in terms of social media, the best leads for painting services come through the NextDoor app, says Austin. Whether looking to overcome Texas drought or other challenges, grass painting with Endurant turf colorants is an innovative solution. While it seems new to home users, it has a decade's long track record among turfgrass professionals.
Contact Greenskeeper Lawns, LLC, 469-88-GREEN, info@greenskeeperlawnsllc.com and online at www.greenskeeperlawnsllc.com.
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