Lawn Mowers

This beautiful golf course is struggling because they are probably applying budget lawn care techniques. It is also a very dry climate and it is pretty tough to keep the grass looking healthy and green all of the time. This is their challenge and the challenge of most home owners who want a great looking lawn on a budget. We decided to write this post to describe to consumers just how they can maintain their lawn while on a budget and still have a really great looking lawn. It is not that hard. You might not have the best and most lush looking lawn but it will certainly be healthy and something to be proud of. So exactly what do you need to do?

Budget Lawn Care – Techniques

All it takes is water, fertilizer, weed control, lawn seeding and mowing to have a great looking lawn. Each of these items will cost some money, but the more work you do on your own the less it will cost. A thick healthy looking lawn has a better chance of resisting the weeds. Fertilizer and regular watering will accomplish that. If you have only a few weeds, hand pick those out of the grass, otherwise apply weed control several times a year.

Regular mowing is great too. But do not let it get too long or you will damage the grass when it is cut. At the same time do not cut it too short as well. Cutting it too short allows for faster evaporation of moisture which dries out the grass more quickly. In dry times allow the grass to grow a bit longer, while when it is raining a lot you can cut it a bit shorter. Adjust your lawn mowers cutting height accordingly to manage the amount of water you need which in turn reduces the cost of water consumed.

Spread Lawn Seed

Spreading lawn seed over your lawn during the prime growing season with a little topsoil added and lots of water will cause the seeds to germinate and thicken up your lawn. In turn a thick lawn keeps the weeds from growing as well.

Manage your costs and if you decide to hire a company, evaluate just how much it would cost if you did everything on your own. It might be a chance to save money and keep to your budget.  Once your lawn is in great shape, there will be less work involved to keep it that way. All it takes is regular mowing at the right times, fertilizer consistent with the time of year, and weed treatment on a regular basis. With water and sun, your lawn will look great within weeks and it is easy to keep it that way, provided that you do the regular maintenance.

It is that time of year when homeowners must prepare their lawns for the coming winter. Fall lawn maintenance incudes the basic things that everyone should do to ensure that their lawn survives the winter so it will look great next spring includes removing all debris such as branches and leaves falling to the ground. If you have any pine trees or Cedar Trees you will also want to remove all of the needles that fall to the ground. It is amazing how many Pine Needles fall from the tree every year.

If you have a pool, leaves and needles are going to be blown into your pool, sink to the bottom and become a rotting mess next spring when it comes time to open the pool. the best approach in addition to having an air tight surface cover on your pool is to rake all of the leaves up from your lawn and also to remove any leaves from the pool in the fall when they are still intact and relatively easy to remove.

Fall lawn maintenance – don’t Leave the Grass Too Long

In addition to removing all debris, the lawn should be cut one final time to ensure that it is not too long that it provides a home for small animals such as mice and moles. The small animals will create trails underneath the snow in the grass and leave a maze of trails with dead grass all over your lawn. It can be pretty messy if you have this happen to your lawn. While your lawn will recover, it will take a few weeks before the trails disappear and the lawn is back to normal.

Approximately one month before the end of the season consumers should also apply fall fertilizer. This fertilizer is especially designed to promote root growth and a healthy lawn for the next season. If you have a grub problem, begin treating the lawn in August with grub control treatment. You will need to apply several applications to properly deal with the grubs. You will know if you have a grub problem. Your grass looks thin and animals are digging up your lawn to get at the grubs. They apparently are considered a delicacy by skunks and raccoons! We have seen entire lawns ruined by these grubs and the animals digging up the lawn to get at them.

Protect From Heavy Snow Loads

Consumers will also want to protect small shrubs from heavy snow load. Heavy snow can break the branches of a small shrub ruining it for the next season. Consumers can build small wooden tents over the shrub to protect it from the snow. Taller shrubs should be wrapped in burlap after the first snow or freezing cycle to avoid broken branches etc.

These are maintenance activities that will improve the overall look of your property. These activities preserve your investment in shrubs and your lawn for the coming year. These steps are relatively easy to accomplish. They do not take a lot of time or expense and is well worth the investment.

Fall lawn care is very important when it comes to maintaining a healthy looking lawn. Failure to prepare your lawn for the winter can mean dead patches of grass in the spring. A thin lawn and it also can provide shelter for lots of animals through the winter if the leaves and other debris are not removed. They make little trails under the snow. Also under the debris and leaves, which will kill the grass and leave a patchwork looking lawn in the spring.  Raking debris and leaves in the fall before the snow arrives can prevent this and keep your lawn looking great. Consumers can do most of the work themselves. However they can also arrange for contractors and lawn care companies to do the work that is needed on their behalf. Whatever you decide, the following should be considered as part of your regular fall lawn care routine.

Fall Lawn Care Routines

One of the main steps is to make sure that all leaves and any other debris is removed from the lawn. Leaves on the lawn provide shelter for small animals to burrow under and they also suffocate the grass. Rake up all of the leaves, dead branches and any other material that is on your lawn. You can use the leaves for composting or bag the leaves which the city will pick up.

Cut your grass and keep it relatively short. this also prevents the small animal problem. Mice, moles and other rodents cannot make a home in the long grass over the winter if it is kept short.

Apply fall fertilizer to promote root growth and prepare the grass for winter. The fertilizer should be applied in late fall  while the grass is still growing so it can be absorbed and utilized by the plants. Applied too late it will just sit there or runoff during rain storms etc and not be absorbed by your grass.

Apply Grass Seed

Also apply grass seed early in the fall when there is at least a month of growing season left. This way the seeds have time to germinate and grow before winter sets in. This will thicken your lawn and fight off the weeds that may try to penetrate your lawn. The best deterrent for weeds is a healthy, thick and well looked after lawn. Weeds will still penetrate in a few locations, however in most areas they will be smothered by the healthy grass which is exactly what you want to happen. The need to apply weed control will be less which saves money and helps the environment as well. Your lawn will look great all year round as a result.

Simple steps, that will contribute to a great looking lawn next spring that the average person can do quite easily.

As a consumer do you really want to have lawn care signs dotting your lawn? Typically lawn care companies want to advertise their services. One of the ways they do this is to place small lawn care signs on the lawn at corners etc. They attract people passing by. Usually, there is a phone number, web site address, etc for potential customers to obtain their information.  Would you be willing to allow your lawn care company to place signs on your lawn? Snow removal companies do the same thing, but at least they have an excuse. The signs are used to indicate the edge of the driveway so that they do not damage your lawn on the side of the driveway.

Lawn Care Signs

This writer is not actually in favor of allowing lawn care signs on our own lawn. Perhaps for the first time, it would be alright, but after a few days, it is definitely coming down. The other time it may be ok and in fact you need to place signs, is when you apply weed control. Then it is mandatory to let people know that they should not be on your lawn after weed control is applied. You want to make sure that children and pets are kept off the lawn.

Most weed control applications are ok after a few days or after the rain has washed all of the weed control material into the ground. The next time you cut the lawn, the signs can be removed. Another situation is when you are applying weed control on your own and not using a lawn care company. You really should put some sort of signage up. Make ensure that kids and adults are protected from coming in contact with the weed control material.

Lawn care signs are definitely not for everyone. We would just as soon not allow them on our own lawn unless weed control is applied. Then a combination of advertising and warning of weed application is probably ok. Commercial applications on commercial properties are a different matter. In this case, the owner may not care or if the lawn is in great shape, they may be proud of their lawn and allow the signs.

Discounts

Sometimes commercial companies will give a discount if you allow then to place their advertising on your lawn. A 5% discount might not be unreasonable for this service. Make sure that the sign remains on the lawn for a significant period of time or at least as long as the agreement specifies. This is a subcontract and both parties should get their value out of the deal. We have not tested this particular approach and would be interested if any homeowners were successful with this approach. Even a 10% discount would be interesting and worthwhile to allow signs on your lawn for a specified time frame.

Placing the sign at the edge of your property along the road or at one corner of your lot might also be ok. Your neighbor might object, however, if it is on your property he cannot really object to the Lawn Care Signs being in this location.

Following an organic lawn care program can be difficult for many people especially if there are a lot of weeds on neighborhood lawns. We have found that a combination of organic lawn care and traditional lawn care seems to work best. Following this approach we are able to have a really great looking lawn. But also have some control over the pesticides that we are introducing to the environment. We also are very careful of our pets and children as well as ourselves when it comes to using any chemicals. There is not much we can do about our neighbors lawn. But we can keep ours looking great and set the example for them to follow. Sometimes peer pressure works and causes people to take an interest. They  improve their lawns just because their neighbors take great care of their lawns.

Organic Lawn Care Program – what Is It

Basically it means that you do not use any harmful chemicals to control insects and weeds on your lawn. What should you do as an alternate? Unfortunately some people just let their lawns go. They still mow them once a week, but they are full of weeds and look terrible as well as contribute to weeds in neighborhood lawns much to the disgust of those neighbors.

Dandelions and other large leaf weeds are pretty easy to deal with. If you dig them up every time you see one, it can take only a few minutes every week to deal with these weeds. Other smaller leaf weeds are more difficult and will take more time to remove. However if you stick with the removing them every week, you can control them well. In addition, the key to fighting off weeds is to have a really healthy lawn. Apply grass seed to thicken the lawn, apply high quality top dressing to provide the lawn with lots of nutrients and use an organic fertilizer as well. Make sure it gets lots of water as well to ensure a healthy thick lawn which will be more resistant to weeds.

Organic Lawn Care Program – Spot Program

We also use some inorganic products to control weeds, We tend to apply this where there is a concentration of weeds instead of pulling them one by one. We do not apply the pesticide throughout the entire lawn and reduce or control the amount applied this way. The one exception is dealing with grubs. Once you have an infestation of grubs, you pretty much have to spray the entire lawn, because the grubs will kill the grass and the animals will dig up your lawn looking for grubs to eat.

Consumers with all sizes of lawns need more than lawn mowing service in many cases. For some like the one in this picture, mowing the lawn probably takes too much time. The owners have more important things to do. They also have lots of gardens and shrubs that need maintenance services on a regular basis. For others they just do not want to be bothered with looking after a lawn. They hire a lawn mowing service. Then there are a few that simply cannot do it themselves and will hire a lawn mowing service to look after their lawns. If you need your lawn mowed, what other things do you need in addition to someone just cutting the lawn? Fertilizer, weed treatment, watering, patching, removal of leaves and debris in the fall and spring are just a few of the other types of services that may be needed.

Lawn Mowing Service – Other Services

In addition to someone cutting the lawn, many home owners would like the edges of the lawn trimmed so that it looks nice and neat. They also would like any grass cuttings swept off of driveways and sidewalks and disposed of. Fertilizer should be applied at regular intervals to ensure healthy root growth and strong blade growth so that you have a nice healthy looking lawn. In most locations, fertilizer should be added four times a year.

Lawns also benefit from the annual application of lawn seed and top dressing to help thicken the lawn. This application of lawn seed and top dressing will also help to control weeds as well since weeds have a difficult time growing in a healthy, thick lawn. A healthy, thick lawn is the best defense against weeds making inroads in an otherwise great looking lawn.

Water is Important

Water is also important. In large lawns, it can be difficult and expensive. Unless you have an underground sprinkler system to water your lawn regularly. Making sure that your lawn gets regular watering will keep it looking green all year round. If you cannot water the lawn regularly, let your lawn grow a bit longer to help conserve moisture in the ground.  If your lawn turns brown, do not despair.

As long as your lawn gets some rain, it will simply enter a dormant stage. Then return once it rains or is watered. Your lawn care specialist should be discussing these options with you. Not just automatically applying fertilizer or cutting the lawn each week. The good ones care about your lawn. They just do not focus on providing the service whether it needs it or not. We have all probably seen a dried out lawn that has not grown much being cut by some guy who could care less about your lawn. Avoid this type and hire someone who genuinely wants to see a nice looking lawn.

It is even more important to add grass seed and top dressing in the spring when there is lots of moisture to promote a healthy lawn. This is the best time for new seedlings to grow, establish roots and help to thicken your lawn.

What are the basic lawn care requirements and how do you get your lawn looking like the one in the picture? This lawn is in perfect condition with no weeds and no bare patches or even thin patches. We all would like our lawns to look like this. It is actually not that hard if you follow basic lawn care guidelines and devote a few hours a week to keep it in that condition once it is in the condition you want it. One of our neighbors has let their lawn get into bad shape, however in the last year he is making efforts to bring it back and is making good progress. His lawn was full of weeds and was losing the battle to dandelions and other weeds. What did he do to bring it back?

Basic Lawn Care Requirements – Improving your Lawn

The first thing he did was to actually begin cutting it on a regular basis. He had let it get long between cuttings which gives the weeds a chance to really grow and especially the dandelions. Secondly he applied some weed control which killed most of the weeds. Thirdly he went over his lawn and pulled out any weeds he saw by hand. this was a lot of work, but once completed, the weekly review and weeds to pull out became less over the weeks.

Next he spread lawn seed over the lawn to thicken it up and then dressed it with topsoil to give the lawn some needed nutrients. Finally he added fertilizer that would not hurt the new seedlings that were beginning to grow. Over the month and half that this took, his lawn was transformed from a weed-filled lawn to something that looks pretty good. It will only get better as time goes on and he continues to pay attention to his lawn. Note that you cannot ever ignore your lawn if you want it to look great. Once it is in great shape, you still need to regularly apply fertilizer, deal with weeds that find their way into your lawn and cut the lawn at regular intervals.

Summary – Basic Lawn Care Requirements

• Mow your lawn on a regular basis before the lawn gets too long
• Deal with the weeds and use a weed killer
• Pull out any weeds that remain by the root
• Add fertilizer to your lawn based on the time of year
• Add lawn seed to thicken your lawn
• Apply top Dressing to cover the lawn seed

Not every consumers has time for Lawn Care and Maintenance  that can be completed by a professional Lawn Care and Maintenance Services company. The cost can be higher than perhaps you want it to be. However at the end of the day you either have the time to do it yourself and the energy to do it yourself. Or you hire someone to look after your lawn and shrubs. A lawn and garden like the one shown in the picture looks really great when it is properly looked after each and every week. If you let it go, it does not take very long before the weeds creep in. The grass gets thinner and the shrubs are overgrown.

Sticking with the program will ensure that your lawn always looks great. A neighbor of mine gets easily overwhelmed by a lot of work. He just cannot see the forest for the trees as the saying goes. As a result he does nothing and his lawn has deteriorated. In our opinion this is another situation where he should just hire someone to maintain his lawn for him. They would keep it the way he really would like it to look.

What is Included in Lawn Care and Maintenance Services

Obviously cutting the lawn is important. At least once per week so that no more than 1/3 is cut off the stem at a time. Regular fertilizer aimed at the time of year that your grass needs the most help with. For example in the spring, growth is encouraged. While in the fall root development is important to ensure that your grass will last through the winter.

Applying weed treatment when needed will keep the weeds at bay. Also making sure not infestation of bugs gets the better of your grass as well is also important. Next it is important to trim the edges of the grass along walkways and gardens to keep everything looking neat and tidy.

You will be responsible for water in most cases. Home owners need to make sure that the lawn is given a good watering at least once a week if not more often if you are in dry conditions. You will have to monitor the rain fall and water accordingly.

From time to time, your lawn care company may suggest de-thatching of your lawn to remove the old dead grass that has accumulated in the lawn. This allows the lawn to breathe and provides room to grow. It also means that evaporation will take place more quickly. Check the moisture levels of your lawn after de-thatching.

The lawn care maintenance team should also make sure that the blades on the lawn mower are always sharp. The blades of grass are cut rather than torn. This provides a much better look to the grass and it is also healthier for your grass as well.

What are the lawn service prices in your area? Do you have the time to devote to cutting the lawn. Also doing garden maintenance for a yard like this one?  Remember that what is shown here is only the front yard. It will take at least an hour on a riding lawn mower to cut just this part of the lawn. Then you have the back lawn and the trimming and edging to do. There is also weed prevention, insect prevention and any repairs that may be needed from time to time. Most people owning a home of the sort in this picture can make more money working than they will save by doing this work themselves.

Of course they may want to do their own work for the exercise and the therapeutic side of it which is fine as well. Many consumers get a lot of satisfaction out of doing this sort of work themselves. Instead of hiring someone to do it for them. But if you do not have the time, or the health to do this work, or just do not like this sort of thing Find another option. It is a good idea to hire a lawn care service company to look after your property for you.

Lawn Service Prices Factor

The time it will take to complete the job, the kind of equipment that is used, how much trimming is required and how much actual lawn care is needed will determine the lawn service prices that you end up paying. If you need garden or shrub maintenance this will be an additional factor in the overall price. In addition the number of times per month or even per week that someone must come to your property to look after the lawn.

For example if you have a fast-growing lawn that gets lots of water and fertilizer, your grass will grow quickly and may need to be cut every four or five days to keep it looking great all of the time.

Most people will request several quotes. As well as recommendations from friends and neighbors before making a decision. They need this info in which lawn care service company to choose to maintain the lawn for them. Even if you receive recommendations from friends or people you know regarding a particular lawn care company, always request several quotes for exactly the same service and use this information to counter the offer if you are not satisfied with it.

Lawn Service Prices – Quoting

Be specific about your needs. The more clarification that you can provide, the better and more accurate your quote is going to be. Be specific about your needs and ask for suggestions. You might also ask the lawn care company for suggestions that will help to keep the quote within reason. For example, if you ask for the grass clippings to be disposed of instead of using a mulcher on the lawn mower. There may be a different charge for bagging and disposal of the grass clippings. A mulching lawn mower will cut the grass clippings into tiny pieces so that it disintegrates more quickly.

Compare several quotes. If they each have the same specifications, you should be able to easily compare them.

The only real way to find out how much is lawn care service is to ask a lawn care company to come and prepare a quote for the services that you need. In fact you really should be asking for a minimum of three quotes and comparing them before making a decision. Consumers will also want to request references from other customers. They should be verifiable to ensure that not only the price is good, but the level of service and the quality of service also meets your requirements. You also have to decide what services you will need and which services you will perform yourself.

The real cost of lawn care service depends on the size of your lawn. How often it will need to be cut. Whether you need the edges trimmed and all grass clippings disposed of. You may want to add fertilizer and weed control to the list of services to be considered along with raking of leaves and general care of shrubs and flower beds.

Many consumers are scared of hiring a lawn care service provider because they feel that they think it is going to cost too much or they will not be satisfied with the level of service and will be afraid of having to fire the provider. It is just business and these companies understand that some customers will not be completely satisfied with their service. However they do prefer that their customers will give them an opportunity to correct whatever problem there is before being terminated.

Document and use a Contract

This is the most appropriate method to manage contractors. Also to ensure that you obtain in this case the best lawn care services. Document everything in a contract. Each service should be listed, when the service will be completed. Make sure you include how often it will be provided. The quality level of the service along with any specific items that you feel should be included.

For example the grass will be cut once per week. A mulching lawn mower will be used and any grass clippings will be blown or swept off of driveways and walkways. This approach should be applied to edging, leaf and debris clearance. Any other service that is needed including fertilizer and weed control. If the service is not completed to your satisfaction and it is included in the contract then this can be discussed in the context of the contract.

Get to Know Your Contractor

Getting to know your lawn care service contractor is also a positive step to take. Explain details of what you are looking for, offer a coffee. Provide a reward to the folks that are actually doing the work in terms of a small bonus at the end of the month for work well done. Provide positive feedback to their boss will often go a long way towards being provided with superior service.

This may go against the grain for a lot of people. However we tip lots of people for doing good work, waitresses, bar tenders etc. Why not consider the same thing for people who provide lawn care services as well. Something to think about in terms of getting better lawn care service even if it costs a bit more.

We did a little research about what lawn care services cost and found that the prices are all over the place and it really depends on what services you actually want, the size of your yard and even the time of the year. We will discuss each of these topics in a bot more detail. However, we recommend that you get a couple of quotes. Then obtain some recommendations or references before making a decision. In the end, it is really how satisfied you are with how your lawn looks. Are you proud of your lot and the way it looks on the street.

Lawn care services cost – Size of Your Yard

Size does matter. The cost of lawn care will depend on travel time. How much time they actually have to spend at your home looking after your lawn. A large lawn takes more time to cut and to trim. Lots of gardens and trees will also influence lawn cutting time due to more trimming. It will also impact the fall clean up of leaves and other debris. The first time your lawn is cut in the spring is also a factor. Especially if there is a lot of leaves, twigs and even garbage to remove. These are the sorts of reasons why your lawn may cost more than your neighbor’s lawn to maintain and care for. Take this into account when requesting quotes from various landscape companies.

Lawn care services cost – Services that You Require

Cutting your lawn, edging your lawn, removing debris, removing leaves in the fall, adding fertilizer at appropriate times and weed control are all typical services that may be needed. The size of your yard will also impact the total cost of all of these services. You may want to add shrub trimming, flower bed preparation etc to the overall services that are needed.

Ask for a quote for all of the services you may need and compare. Make sure that the comparisons are for the same services so that a valid comparison is completed. Also if you are considering doing some of your own work, have the quotes break out these costs so that you can make a decision in this area for lawn care services.

Lawn care services cost – Time of year

Even the time of year will make a difference in the cost of lawn care services. For example, the first time the lawn is mowed in the spring may take longer of leaves and twigs must first be removed before the lawn can be cut. If it happens to be a bit longer, mowing the lawn will also take longer as well.

In the fall there may be a lot of leaves that need to be removed and disposed of before the lawn can be cut. There may be a separate price for leaf removal especially if there are a lot of leaves that take several hours to remove.

Compare and select the company that will provide the best services at the best price!

Affordable Lawn care service prices really depend on the deal you can negotiate, the services that you require, the size and shape of your property, the number of shrubs and things to cut around, and the current condition of your lawn. Perhaps you and several other neighbors can band together. All of you could hire the same lawn care company. You may also be able to negotiate further discounts. Someone needs to take the leadership to enable savings from further negotiation.

Lawn care service prices depend on many variables.

Services- include cutting your lawn and trimming your lawn. Removing grass clippings, trimming shrubs, adding mulch around the shrubs, Trimming trees and shrubs, and other miscellaneous services that may be required. You may have several individual quotes for services that are required at different times of the year. Cutting your lawn may be part of one quote for weekly activities. Whereas fertilization and weed control might be part of another that is completed on a quarterly basis for example.

Size – smaller lawns take less time to complete whatever services that you require, however, travel and set up time are the same for all sizes of lawns, that is why if several neighbors can go together, you can sometimes negotiate a lower cost.

Materials – usually consist of weed control material, fertilizer, and mulch around shrubs and trees. Larger lawns will require more material than smaller ones. Applying mulch can take many bags depending on how thickly it is spread.

Frequency – healthy lawns, that are fertilized regularly and watered properly will grow faster than lawns that are not given the same treatment. Healthy lawns should be cut more often with no more than 1 inch of grass removed at any one time. This will keep the lawn looking healthy.

Overall time period

Depending on the location where you live, lawn care services can be for 12 months of the year or a very short season from May through to September. Take this into account when you are negotiating a lawn care contract.

Discounts – can be obtained using a number of different methods. For example if you have several neighbors agree to work with the same lawn care company, it reduces their overall cost and they will pass along a discount to you. Signing up early for a lawn care contracts in the season might also garner a discount. Using the same company for lawn care and snow removal might also give you a discount. Use your negotiating skills to negotiate the best deal that you can.

Consumers should comparison shop to find the best price. However, make sure that you’re comparing apples to apples in terms of services and materials. One company may have a much lower price. However if they are not providing the same services, you may not be obtaining what you are looking for in terms of lawn care.

Care must be taken to compare the same services etc. For example one company
may not be cut your lawn as often as another company that you’re comparing. They might only fertilize three times a year instead of four times. If you want your lawn trimmed at the edges, this is something to make sure that is included in the contract. A sign of an excellent lawn care company is one that clears the sidewalks and driveway of any lawn cutting debris after they are finished. You might pay more for this service but you will appreciate that everything looks great when they are finished.

Consumers are looking for a good price for lawn care so it can be affordable and not hurt their pocketbook too much. By far the most inexpensive way to look after a lawn is the do it yourself method. This may not be an option for many people who are busy with careers. Or physically are unable to look after the lawn. Many people would just like to have someone look after the lawn for them and keep them looking fantastic all year around.

Evaluate The Lawn Care Services you Need

Decide which options for lawn care you wish to have. The basics are cutting your lawn, trimming your lawn, adding fertilizer, and adding weed control. Watering your lawn at regular intervals is also considered a basic requirement. However most lawn care companies would prefer the homeowner looks after lawn watering. This can be automated with an automatic water sprinkling system installed under your lawn. Remember the more you do yourself, the  lower the cost of lawn care maintenance will be. Also, frankly if you just stick to cutting the lawn once a week without trimming etc, you can lower your overall cost a great deal.

Prices will vary sometimes, depending on how busy the contractor is. The size of your lawn and how much work there actually is to maintaining your lawn is also a factor. If it is currently in good condition and you want to keep it that way, some companies will offer you a better price. Discounts can be negotiated if you sign a year-round contract, sign up early in the season, and / or refer neighbors to the lawn care company.

Decide which of the services you need versus what you can do yourself, if you are concerned about the overall price or are trying to save some money. As we said earlier the best way to reduce the cost of lawn care is to do it yourself. The more you do yourself the more you will save.

Sometimes a neighbor will be willing to take on the job of mowing your lawn once a week whenever he cuts his own lawn. Most will be happy with a minimal amount in terms of payment and your lawn is well looked after.

Compare all of the Costs

When comparing do-it-yourself versus affordable lawn care, take into account equipment purchase and maintenance. In addition you may have to store chemicals for weed control and grub control, as well as gasoline. This may be something you’re uncomfortable with doing or unable to do because you do not have the facilities. The lawn care service may be the best approach.

Can you maintain your own lawn mower, cut your own lawn and fertilize your own lawn. It is always going to cost less than hiring someone to do all of this work yourself. But once you are unable to do this work or not willing to do this work, lawn care services is certainly an option. Compare to the cost of having some lawn care services provided for you. The cost of the equipment if you are going to do the work yourself and the time it takes.

Spending time with the family, spending time at work or just having time to do other things may also be more important than starting up the lawn mower, etc.

For some consumers, it seems second nature to take care of their lawn and have a great looking lawn with few or no weeds at all. These lawns while not spectacular, are more than sufficient to fit into just about any suburban area and gain the approval of your spouse as well as neighbors. The writer once overheard a couple of guys, just newly married, talking about how important it was to have a nice lawn. The one thing they needed to do to keep their wives happy was to have a nice lawn. Surprising, but nice to hear.

Other homeowners have a difficult time and just cannot seem to have a healthy looking lawn. The lawn does not get enough water, there are too many weeds and perhaps grubs or some other insect infestation gets into the lawn which weakens it and causes the lawn to not look very nice.  Regular maintenance which includes fertilizer, weed care, watering, and mowing will go a long way to having a very nice looking lawn. The weeds will be kept at bay and insect treatment will avoid a grub problem that can kill your lawn overnight during a hot spell with no rain.

Care for Your Lawn

Some people just do not care about their lawns. They never water it, they never add fertilizer and you are lucky if they cut the lawn let alone deal with all of the weeds that are on the lawn. Of course, all of the neighbors are upset since all of these weeds will eventually spread to their lawns as well adding more work for them to keep their lawns looking nice.

It really does not take that much time to have a great looking lawn. A few hours every week doing the basics will ensure that your lawn always looks great.

Basics of Lawn Care and Why it Can be Second Nature

Basic lawn care involves water, fertilizer, weed control, and regular mowing of the lawn. Watering should be once a week and a good soaker is best if it has not rained. In desert conditions, you may have to water every day. Fertilizer should be added four times a year and use the correct fertilizer that matches the time of the year and the life cycle of your grass. Use a good weed control to keep the weeds away and even hand pull weeds if needed.

A quick walk around your lawn once a week pulling any weeds you see will go a long way to reducing the weeds that appear in your lawn. It only takes five minutes a week to do this. Your grass should be mowed at least once per week or more often if it is growing quickly. If your grass has grown an inch then it needs to be cut.

Thicken with grass seed once or twice a year

A thick lawn is another great way to keep the lawn healthy. Thick lawns also help it to fight off drought and weeds. A thick lawn decreases the amount of moisture evaporation leaving more water for the roots. Thick lawns also fight off weeds as well. Spread grass seed twice a year followed by some top dressing of rich black soil. These steps will help your lawn stay thick and healthy.

Once you get your lawn into great shape the amount of effort to keep it that way be minimal. It will be second nature lawn care for you to keep it looking great all year-long. And of course, your spouse will be happy and your neighbors will be envious as well.

There are many different categories of lawns and all need lawn care. Some lawns are already in perfect condition and just need to be kept that way. They are in maintenance mode. As long as they are watered properly, fertilized, reseeded and treated for weeds they will remain in perfect condition. Grass Roots Lawn Care

Types of Lawns

Some with lots of weeds are almost beyond repair. They can be so bad that all you see is weeds. It will take much more work to get a lawn like this one back into shape. All weeds must be killed and then serious reseeding or even new sod may be in order. With all of the weeds, it will take many months before your lawn begins to look great. If you do decide to resod your lawn make sure that all of the existing grass and weeds are removed first. New topsoil should be added and then the new sod on top. Make sure that you water and begin taking care of your lawn properly. Make sure that the weeds are kept under control and do not reappear.

Grass Roots Lawn Care – Deal with the Weeds

Some that are green with a few weeds need attention to make sure that the weeds do not take over the lawn. It can occur in less than a month if the weeds are not dealt with. Dandelions can be the worst spreading easily without regard for your lawn. You may need to spot spray to get rid of them if there are not too many or you can pull them out by the roots. A regular weekly review of your lawn and pulling or spot weeding is probably the best. There are tools that you can purchase at many of the home hardware’s stores which make it much easier to remove dandelion roots that are deep in your lawn.

Rich thick healthy lawns have the best chance of fighting off the weeds and also retaining water during dry periods. With lots of grass, that is thick and luxurious, the lawn limits water evaporation and also prevents weeds from getting started. Weekly attention will keep it this way by making sure that weeds are eliminated quickly and the lawn has adequate water.

Maintenance Mode

Once you get your lawn into what is called maintenance mode, and you perform the regular maintenance activities, such as water, fertilizer, regular grass cutting, and weeding your lawn will be easy to maintain and look great all of the time.

How do lawns get that way? It usually means that the lawn has been neglected by the homeowner. The weeds have not been pulled, the lawn has not been watered, the lawn may not even be cut very often. Lack of overseeding and lack of mulching or top dressing with rich black earth also can lead to lawns getting into bad shape.

What to do To Keep Your Lawn Healthy

The following steps are considered to be foremost in terms of recovering a lawn from being in bad shape. This also applies as well to maintaining a lawn that has been healthy.

• Regular seasonal fertilizer at least four times a year
• Sufficient water at least once a week
• Top up with topsoil once per year
• Weed control applied at regular intervals, pulling weeds as needed on a weekly basis
• Insect control for grubs and other insects as needed
• Healthy grass roots by applying the proper fertilizer

You may have comments about maintaining the green lawn. Feel free to leave comments that are constructive and contribute to our readership’s information.

Our web site covers a lot of topics from lawn mower reviews to lawn care companies to the basics of looking after your lawn. The objective is to help people have great lawns without spending a lot of money and also to purchase the best equipment for their money and their situation or needs. With this in mind, we would invite readers to offer their Lawn Care Service Reviews and comments about local lawn care companies in their area and cover the following topics.

Lawn Care Service Reviews

Services provided – what services did you hire the lawn care company to provide
Price for services – did you receive good value for the price you are paying
Satisfaction level – how satisfied are you with the services that you are receiving
Lawn health – is your lawn as healthy as you expected, the best in the neighborhood
Your personal involvement – how much work are you doing vs. the lawn care company

The result and the overall satisfaction with the way your lawn looks really comes to a combination of your time you personally spend on looking after your lawn and how much money you paid for the services you received. Let us know your thoughts and comments about lawn care companies in your area. We will be adding them to our blog as they come in. please make sure that everything that is written is factual and in good taste.

Your comments

• Services provided
• Price for services
• Satisfaction level
• Overall lawn health
• Summary  comments

Consumers hire lawn care service companies for a variety of reasons. For some people, they simply do not want to do the work and still want a great looking lawn. Many people physically cannot look after their lawns. They need help from someone to cut the lawn for them, keep the weeds down, and fertilize their lawn.  Then there are those people who will cut their own grass but do not want to be bothered buying fertilizer and applying it themselves. Applying weed killer has many of the same issues for consumers. They do not want to take the chance of storing it in their garage or handling it in case they accidentally get some on their hands or arms. They would prefer to use experts to help them have a great looking lawn.

We have focused on lawns and lawn care companies. What about companies that trip flower gardens and trim shrubs? These services require different skills and providers really have to know something about looking after shrubbery in addition to maintaining a lawn. Flower gardens take even more skill and we strongly recommend that the homeowner who is arranging for this work be involved and provide direction to the lawn care service provider to ensure that they end up with a flower garden that they actually like. Otherwise, you end up with a garden that might look great on one person’s eyes and not yours.

As will, all contracts make sure it documents everything you expect to receive, dates and times, amounts, etc. If it is not on the contract, chances are you will not receive the services that you thought you should be getting.

The quick answer to the question of how much lawn care cost is that it depends! The size of the lawn, the services that you need, and what treatments are needed to deal with insects and grubs, etc will determine how much it will cost for your lawn care. If you have grubs on your lawn, the crows, the skunks, and the raccoons are going to start digging in the lawn and if the grubs don’t kill the lawn, the animals are going to dig up the lawn to get at the grubs. They can do a lot of damage and totally ruin your lawn if you are not careful and take precautions.

Lawn care treatment can consist of the following types of services:

• Cutting
• Lawn edging
• Weed control
• Insect control
• Grub control
• Lawn Repair

The price that you will pay for these services will depend on which ones you sign up for as well as the size of the lawn and if you have an infestation of insects or grubs, how bad is the infestation. If you are dealing with grubs, get on this quickly so that the grubs are killed prior to the raccoons and skunks digging up the lawn.

If you are planning to consider having professionals treat your lawn, ask for several quotes and compare prices for the services that you are interested in. Compare the quotes and make sure that you are comparing the same services, the same treatment, and the same chemicals. If they are not the same someone might be giving you less than you might with another customer.

How Much Does Lawn Care Cost – Lawn Repair

If you have had damage from grubs or raccoons, and have been successful at getting rid of the grubs, you will still need to repair the lawn. In case you are wondering the grubs will eat the roots of the lawn and the lawn will die during hot dry weather making it easy for the raccoons to dig up the lawn and ruin the entire thing.

Lawn repair can be accomplished in several ways. For example, some people can get away with laying grass seeds and then covering the area with new soil. They then water the lawn on a regular basis. If there is a lot of damage, you may also want to remove all of the dead grass. Then lay new sod in the areas that need to be repaired. In some cases, entire lawns may need to be totally repaired. Remove the old grass and lay new sod.

But and this is a big but, even if you replace the sod, the grubs are still there. They will just snack on the roots of the new lawn. You have to treat the lawn with something that will kill grubs. Nematodes and also pesticides will do the trick, however, kids must be protected from the pesticides along with pets. Neomtods on the other hand are 60% successful and are not harmful to pets and children.

The best time to treat grubs is in August, Sept, and Oct to kill the grubs. Any other time is either too early or too cold. The grubs are not large enough or have already hatched. Get your lawn ready for the attack of grubs and keep your lawn as healthy as possible.

Almost anyone can set up lawn treatment companies these days. All you really need is a small truck, a lawnmower, an edger, a sprayer, and you are ready to go. In fact, one company that we know of provides excellent service from the trunk of his car using exactly these tools. He also happens to carry with him a rake as well and extra paper bags in case any trimming is needed. While it did not take much for him to get set up, he provides excellent service. His customers are very happy with what he provides.

He purposely keeps the number of customers to a small number, less than 10 so that he has time for other activities. It just so happens that this contractor is retired. He was looking for something that would give him some exercise, get him outdoors, and make a little money at the same time. His small lawn care treatment company meets those objectives!

However, not everyone has a pension to rely on and needs a lot more than just 10 customers. They need to turn it into a business that is thriving and makes sufficient income to provide a comfortable living. Once you make the decision to expand, more equipment is needed. Adding staff is another issue that must be taken into account. Not for my friend, but then he is in a unique situation.

Large Lawn Treatment Companies

Not everyone wants to set up a company like this. Not everyone wants to deal with a small company. There are many companies that have become quite successful and provide excellent lawn care services. They will have many crews working every day. These companies will provide lawn cutting service, edging service, weed control, reseeding, and lawn repair if needed. They may also provide insect and grub control as well to help the customer’s lawn stay healthy and green.

The consumer needs to decide which services they plan to use and more important which ones they need. Not everyone wants their lawn edged every time the lawn is cut. Not everyone needs weed control or insect control. Fortunately, these companies have tailored plans for every customer’s needs. They will also provide quotes to the customer for specific services if needed. The company is in the business of lawn care treatment. They want to make sure they have a healthy lawn and a satisfied customer.

What Lawn Care Services

When you interview a lawn treatment company, be specific about the services you need. Be specific about the price along with the timing of when the services will be offered. Get all this written down on a quote so that there is no confusion. Make sure that everyone is clear on the services that are being paid for. It will save confusion and disagreement for everyone in the long run.

For example, your lawn may not be cut every week if it does not grow enough. Although the lawn may look untidy and not that manicured look that we all like to have, if the grass has not grown enough, lawn car companies may not cut your lawn for two weeks. This can actually be a good thing. If your lawn is not growing it probably is not getting enough water. A longer lawn will protect the lawn and keep the little moisture that is left in the ground where the roots can get at it.

Finding the best Lawn Care Company is a compromise for many people. Between what services will be provided, what those services will cost, and what they are willing to pay for! There is also a question of how well they do their work. Do they keep their schedule and how well do they clean up? Some consumers are just not that fussy. While other consumers want every blade of grass removed from the patio after the lawn has been cut. Those people who are not that picky,  just want someone to look after their lawns. They want to make sure that it is cut and trimmed once a week whether it is needed or not. We will discuss each of these in more detail.

Price and Services for the Best Lawn Care Company

Part of finding the best lawn care companies is comparing the price they are charging for a specific set of services with other lawn care companies. When you ask for quotes try to ask for exactly the same services from each. It makes it much easier to compare bids this way. If a lawn care company offers extras these can be considered bonus items as part of your comparison. Stick to the core services that you are interested in. Only compare these core services to ensure that you can make an apples-to-apples comparison.

Focus on the core services you are looking for first. Then add in any extra services they might provide as part of their standard service offering. Always obtain these offers in writing so that there is no misunderstanding later on. There is more than services and price when it comes to comparing lawn care companies. Read on for more information. Ask for references and call or visit some of these references to get some input from these referrals.

Quality of the Lawn Care Services

Do they trim the edges of your lawn? Is the grass cut evenly? Do they trim carefully around shrubs and other items on your lawn? Do they sweep or blow the grass cuttings off your step, patio, and sidewalk? Some customers prefer the lawn clippings to be bagged and disposed of, which takes additional work compared to mulching the grass with a mulching lawn mower.

However, if you choose to mulch you may have to have the grass cut more often, particularly if it is fast-growing. Mulching the lawn is a great approach since you do not need to bag the grass clippings, however, mulching works best when the grass has only grown approximately one inch. It is easier on the lawn mower, it is easier on the lawn itself and the blades of grass are cut up into smaller pieces as well. If they do all of these things and more then you are probably receiving really good quality lawn care service!

Satisfaction for What You Pay

Regardless of how much you are paying for lawn care, if you are ultimately satisfied with the services, the quality, and the price then you probably have the best lawn care company for your property! For many people, satisfaction means a healthy really great-looking green lawn and no work! They want to be the envy of the neighborhood and not just have someone come and cut the lawn for them. The writer looks after his own lawn and recently we had several people ask us who we got to look after the lawn. They were quite disappointed to find out that we look after it ourselves. It meant that they would have to look after their own lawn if they wanted grass as nice looking as ours.

Tee Time Lawn Care! What do you think the title tee time lawn care, really means? When I saw this title I decided to write about a friend of mine who makes sure that he always has time for tee time. He also maintains lawns around the neighborhood. He has about seven or eight contracts that he looks after. This includes cutting lawns, trimming hedges and shrubs, raking leaves, adding fertilizer, and generally maintaining the lawns in premium shape. Some couples go to the cottage for the summer and need someone to look after their lawns for them.

Others cannot do the work themselves any longer. They appreciate having a reasonable contractor to do the work for them. However, my friend has his priorities and one of these is playing golf.

Stick to a Schedule

He maintains a schedule each week, where from Monday until Wednesday he cuts and trim lawns rain or shine. Thursday he does all his appointments with his wife, going to the doctor, getting his haircut, or having maintenance completed in his car. On Fridays Saturdays and Sundays he’s at the golf course for tee time at as early as six in the morning to enjoy a beautiful day at the golf course and the 19th hole of course.

My friend of course is retired. He can afford to schedule his week in such a way that he manages his daily activities and meet the kind of schedule that he would like to have when he’s retired. If the weather is really bad, he will reschedule some of the lawn cutting and trimming.

Weather Does Not Stop Him

Quite often if the weather is bad, showers, for example, he will still cut lawn and trim grass regardless. It makes for a not so fun job during those days. He would rather do this kind of thing for exercise and being outside, instead of going to a gym and exercising on a boring treadmill machine or some other piece of equipment. Even with the bad weather, this is still better than going to the gym.

His philosophy in life is to do things that he enjoys and build and exercise at the same time. He loves to be outdoors, he knows that he needs exercise. There is also pride in creating a beautiful lawn landscape. He is more interested in having a great looking lawn for his customers than making a lot of money. He gets paid for his time, but it is not a huge amount which is still just fine for him. Financially he is way ahead of the game when you consider that he is getting exercise, he is outside, he is getting paid for what he does and he does not have to pay for a gym membership.  Memberships at a gym can cost anywhere from $50 to $100 a month whether you go or not. He does not need to pay that at all during the spring, summer, and fall. In the wintertime he heads south and golfs almost every day. This is a pretty good life if you ask me.

Cutting and Trimming

Cutting and trimming lawns provides and meets all these requirements and he plans to do this for as long as he possibly can. All of this exercise and outdoor activity serve to help him stay fit and he does not need to go to the gym, which he hates with a passion. I must admit that I would much rather work at something outside compared to working out at the gym. One of our neighbor’s kids will not even help his father with things around the home, but he spends time at the gym getting exercise. I think he needs an attitude adjustment.