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| DIY culture isn't going away anytime soon. After all, there's something very satisfying about fixing a problem yourself. When you take a look at your lawn, it can seem like something achievable – mow it once a week, water and fertilize it a few times, and you'll have a beautiful, healthy lawn … right? |
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Actually, there's much more to it than that. Caring for a lawn is not something to be taken lightly. From the mowing process to all the treatments in between, a lot can go wrong. That's why it's important to understand exactly what it takes to maintain a healthy and appealing lawn and decide if professional help is worth the extra cost.
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| To Mow or Not To Mow? |
| Mowing might be the simplest chore of all, but many homeowners mistakenly believe that cutting the grass as short as possible and skipping mows will make their lawn look better. Wrong! All this does is weaken the grass, leaving it more vulnerable to diseases and bugs. |
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Pros know better: They never shorten the grass blades more than a third when cutting, which encourages deeper root growth and ensures your lawn looks fuller in between mows. Plus, pros keep their blades sharp at all times to ensure they make a nice clean cut.
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| What About Fertilizing? |
| Heading into the fertilizing aisle of your local store can feel like entering a minefield because sometimes, doing it yourself means doing it wrong. Putting on too much fertilizer or using the wrong kind can be disastrous for your grass. |
| Too much nitrogen is particularly dangerous because it can burn your lawn. Over-fertilizing also has an environmental impact, as the excess fertilizer can run off and contaminate groundwater. Professional lawn care companies know exactly how much should be applied and when to get the best results without putting your lawn in danger.
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| Equipment Maintenance |
| Many homeowners don't realize the cost of maintaining their tools and equipment. Professionals, on the other hand, have a fleet of professional-grade tools and machinery that are routinely serviced to always perform at their best. Plus, you don’t have to worry about finding space in your garage for all the storage.
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| Lawn Care Products |
| Amateur gardeners will find it difficult to buy special products that a professional company has access to. For instance, when it comes to weed control and pest control, only experts will know which product is better for your lawn and how to apply it safely.
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| Beautify Your Backyard |
| Let nature take its course, and you’re sure to run into things you never expected. Creating a beautiful and healthy landscape requires more than just mowing and watering. Polishing off the perfect yard means providing that extra oomph to the design. |
| Installing the right backyard fence can provide definition and give it an upgrade, while carefully chosen plants can add softness to the hard lines. Some lawn care services offer both fence and landscaping services, so you don’t have to hire someone else. It's a great way to guarantee that it all comes together perfectly. |
| Environmental Aspects |
| If something isn’t done right, an amateur could cause all sorts of environmental damage to the lawn and surroundings.
Unfortunately, pesticides aren’t something that just anyone can be trusted with; pros have a full understanding of when and how they should use these products so they won't harm the environment.
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| Time Is Money |
| As they say, time is money, and most of us have precious little of it to spare. Doing lawn care yourself might be enjoyable once in a while but doing it regularly can take up your entire weekend. And don’t forget all the trips to and from the store for products, endless hours of application, and inevitably, costly mistakes. |
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Hiring a professional lawn care service, on the other hand, will take away this pressure, as pros know exactly what needs to be done and can just come to your home at pre-arranged times.
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| What About the Pros of DIY Lawn Care? |
| So far, we've mostly been looking at DIY in a bad light – but the truth is, there are still some good reasons why you might look to taking care of your yard yourself. Here are a few: |
| Save Money (initially): Tackling your own lawn care might indeed seem to make financial sense at first. Just bear in mind, though, as time passes, you may realize it has cost you more than what you had originally bargained for. |
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It's a Solid Workout: Spending time in your garden can be a great way to give your body an effective workout. It's also a chance to be one with nature and enjoy the beauty of your garden from a different perspective. |
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DIY Pride: There is something exciting about being able to do things yourself, and there's a nice feeling of pride that follows when you see the results of your work unfold before your eyes. But this is also something that can be short-lived, especially if the results don't turn out as expected. |
| Professional Lawn Care vs. DIY – Is It Worth Paying Professionals? |
| Ultimately, it's up to you –– but if you're wondering which option is the better choice out of professional lawn care and DIY, most of us will point to the former. Professional teams know exactly what they are doing when it comes to caring for turf, from mowing to fertilizing and everything in between. |
If you don’t have the time and would appreciate the peace of mind of knowing that your lawn is being taken care of properly –– without any hidden costs or last-minute surprises –– then you might find investing in professional services could be worth the extra cost in the end.
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Photo Credit:Pexels
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