St. louis has a unique climate and varying soils, and our lawns require an equally unique treatment.
The Turf Plan helps you stop fighting Mother Nature, and work with her to get the best lawn in the neighborhood. The Turf Plan is a time-tested, scientifically proven routine using specific fertilizers and chemicals that vary according to soil type and expected weather conditions. It’s a mix of a little art with a lot of science, and when you apply The Turf Plan appropriately you get a better lawn.
Here’s why the grass is always greener with The Turf Plan
How The Turf Plan Came to Be
In the summer of 2007, Bill DiMercurio met Jeff Travers for the first time after mowing Jeff’s neighbor’s lawn.
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Jeff was a known DIY lawn expert, and usually handled all his own lawn care. However, this day, Jeff was headed out of town and his lawn needed to be mowed. So, he asked Bill to take care of his “PERFECT SWARD”. A “perfect,” lush lawn earns the designation of a “sward”.
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Jeff was very pleased with the quality service Bill provided, so he called Bill a few more times that summer when business travel kept him from mowing. After admiring the perfection of his lawn Bill asked Jeff what products he used to keep it so green and lush.
Jeff explained how he had developed a special program, known as, "THE Plan" back in 1988. Bill continued to pick Jeff’s brain for quality turf management practices. Knowing Jeff was highly credible, Bill followed Jeff’s advice quite carefully, and put it to a serious test.
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Bill’s mother, Mary, lives in the same subdivision as Jeff; so, Bill used her yard as an “experiment” to test "THE Plan." Mary did not have an irrigation system, and her lawn was nothing special. One of Mary’s neighbors had an irrigation system and used the largest national lawn care service in the U.S. The other neighbor’s lawn had been managed by a different competitor, for three seasons. So, “THE Plan” was going to have a big test.
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After a full season of lawn treatment following "THE Plan", Mary’s yard was significantly greener, exceptionally thicker, healthier, free of crabgrass, and more disease free compared to BOTH neighbors, even without the benefit of an irrigation system!
This is when Bill knew Jeff had a serious recipe for sward success with "THE Plan." A light bulb lit up in Bill’s head. Bill invited Jeff to start a business together with his exceptional lawn care advice.
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They contacted fertilizer blenders and started custom producing “THE Plan” as The Turf Plan. They started backing up their products with a website and newsletter filled with advice and tips for application.
The rest is history, and hundreds of lawns across St. Louis have benefited ever since.
In 2013, Jeff decided to concentrate on finishing his career at Monsanto, and retired from THE Turf Plan. Bill bought Jeff out of THE Turf Plan.
Jeff, has since, finished his career at Monsanto, and is proud to be fully retired. Bill and Jeff remain close friends, and are often found "talking turf."
Meet The Turf Plan Lawn Care Experts
Bill DiMercurio
President | Owner of THE Turf Plan, LLC.
Bill started his first business, Two Boys and A Lawn Mower, at the age of 15 while he attended CBC High School. In 2000, Bill decided to sell his small company to attend college at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. He graduated four years later cum laude with a degree in Business Management.
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After graduating, Bill moved back to St. Louis and accepted a job in finance as a hedge fund accountant and analyst. If you have ever met Bill, you probably know he is too high strung to stare at numbers in spreadsheets all day. After a year of office work, sitting in front of computer, Bill left to start a lawn care company to fulfill his desire to work outdoors, but more importantly, to work with people.
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Bill needs to interact with people! He is always happy to talk to his customers about their lawns, and anything else they want to discuss. He genuinely wants his clients to get great results.
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Bill looks forward to challenging questions, unlimited comments, new situations and challenges, and most importantly--seeing his customers succeed!
Outside of work, Bill enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He is married to his wife Jenny and has a daughter that’s as high strung as he is named Dylan. Bill resides in Chesterfield and enjoys cruising around with Dylan in a Polaris Ranger if he’s not spending time on his farm in northern Missouri.
When all his work and family duties are complete Bill enjoys playing golf, shooting sporting clays, and casually picking an acoustic guitar with a Bud Light. He has recently found a fun new hobby in playing pickleball. Bill’s absolute favorite hobby and passion is bow hunting. Bill has traveled many places across the world in pursuit of getting close to big game animals with a bow & arrow. He is always happy to chat about your hunting stories!
J.R. Schnarr
Operations Manager at THE Turf Plan, LLC.
Upon buying Jeff out of THE Turf Plan and having the desire to grow the business, Bill knew he would need help. With no hesitation, Bill turned to his childhood neighbor and friend, J.R. Schnarr.
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J.R. was raised in Creve Coeur in a green thumb family. His stepmom is a horticulturist, and his dad was an avid gardener. Every year Bill & J.R. worked in the vegetable garden, hauled leaves, cut grass, transplanted ferns and hostas, and learned about growing things.
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J.R. attended Parkway Central and attended SMS in Springfield, MO with the intent of majoring in Fish & Wildlife Conservation. After a change of heart, J.R. came home and decided to get a degree in horticulture after achieving very high test scores in botany. While working on his degree at Meramec Community College, he obtained a part time job at Bellerive Country Club.
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At the time J.R. had no idea he’d work at Bellerive for 18 years!
J.R. started at the bottom of the Bellerive food chain as a laborer. After about 4 years J.R. moved up the chain to Assistant Horticulturist. He did this for approximately 2 years. Then, he was promoted to the Assistant Superintendent of Golf and Grounds where he stayed very busy for 10+ years keeping Bellerive beautiful.
During this decade he was an instrumental part in managing a crew of 75 people to host 5 PGA Events including a PGA Championship, World Golf Championship, 2 Senior Opens, and a BMW Championship.
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Outside of playing in the dirt at work J.R. loves spending time with his family. J.R. and his wife, Barbie, have 2 teenage daughters named Brooke and Paige.
He spends a lot of time involved in his daughters’ gymnastics, dance, cheerleading, and coaching their softball. When he gets “J.R. Time” he enjoys fishing and hunting. He’s fished all over North America and even goose hunted in Chesterfield Valley. J.R. is passionate about enjoying the outdoors and always makes time to share stories about the one on his wall or the one that got away!