Going Green: Landscapers ‘Green-Up’ Their Businesses

It’s called the green business, and thanks to the 2011 “Green-Up Expo,” environmental efficiency can reach more of your homes, especially since landscaping in Georgia is a part of the $8 billion agriculture industry.

More than 150 people involved in the landscaping business attended this year’s expo. Casey Paulk, President of Paulk Landscaping, brought 15 of his managers to the event to learn more ways to “eco” manage.

He says, “We’re in the green industry, if we’re not practicing the best green solutions then who is?”

A big focus of the expo was reducing dependence on chemicals. Expo coordinator, Willie Chance, says there are ways around using harsh products, “Instead of spraying the whole yard with a pesticide you can put a bait and attract the pest to the insecticide and they just pick up a little in seconds and it takes care of the problem.

Vendors were also on site at Macon State College for landscapers to get their hands on the latest green products. Stephen Camp, with Lebanon Seaboard Corp., says, “The more you can get your soil healthier to take care itself and require less synthetic fertilizer the better off you’ll be in the long run.”

Paulk agrees. He says it’s more economical for customers to use preventative measures when it comes to their lawn care, ” Financially it just makes sense.”

Tuesday’s event was put on by UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.