How to Hire Lawn Care Services

Professional lawn care can change your outlook on summer.

We all love the look of a lustrous, green lawn, but we don't necessarily want to mow and care for it ourselves. To choose a good lawn service, you need to ask questions that dig deeper than just price and availability.

Instructions

1. Look for companies that offer a flat monthly rate. This will discourage unnecessary mowing. The service should determine how often the mowing is to be done based on the type of grass, season, weather conditions, etc. If the lawn care service mows too often, the grass can be damaged. Ask the candidates how they determine the frequency of mowing and what their monthly rate includes: Trimming the edges of the lawn? Fertilizer? Soil testing and pH adjustment as needed? Insecticides or fungicides as needed?

2. Insist on a mulching mower that chops up the clippings and leaves them in your lawn. This reduces the amount of grass bags send to landfills, and it provides about half of the nutrients lawns need to thrive. Some people think that if you leave the clippings on the lawn, they will cause a buildup, or lawn thatch. This is not true. If the mower used is a good mulching mower, the tiny bits of clippings will break down within a couple of weeks, becoming part of the soil.

3. Make sure the lawn service is willing to mow your grass on the high side. This is so that the grass retains more of its leaf, so it can produce enough food for itself. If the grass is mowed too short, the lawn will become weak, thus giving weeds a better chance to get a foothold.

4. Ask about soil testing, and insist that the lawn service includes a soil test before liming your lawn. Too much is lime is bad for your lawn, and too little lime is bad for your lawn. The lawn service needs to know the pH level of your soil before adding more acid to it.

5. Discuss fertilizer. Your lawn service should not fertilize more than 2 or 3 times a year. Lawns in the northern US should not be fertilized in the summer at all. Fertilizing too much weakens the grass, and it will have to be mowed and watered more often. The fertilizer used should be an organic source, which naturally has a slower release than synthetic man-made fertilizers. Organic fertilizer will strengthen your lawn and help all the little microbes and earthworms in it to do their thing in making your green lawn healthy. Insecticides and fungicides should be used only when absolutely necessary and should be spot-applied to the specific areas that need treatment.

6. Ask about experience and references. Find out how long the lawn care services have been in business, and request a list of references. Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints about the lawn care services you are considering.

Tips & Warnings

• Get the policy of your lawn service in writing, including a description of services, every lawn treatment, and all associated costs.

• Be careful to hire a lawn service that is reputable. Ask around the neighborhood. Ask for references. Ask the questions provided in this article before hiring lawn care services.