The Emergence of the Lawn Care Industry

A profitable industry emerged as a result of growing needs on lawn installations and maintenance activities related to it such as fertilization and pest management. This is especially popular among lawn owners and experts in search of lucrative careers.

The Lawn Care Professionals

The term lawn care professionals include experts on landscape designing, building and installation. It also includes those who are involved in the carpentry, marketing and project management of lawns. As a result, the industry as a whole provides more job opportunities for people with excellent creativity, integrity and vivid imagination. Even those who are not highly skilled in the areas mentioned above can train to become lawn care professionals. Since any area with a turf requires lawn care and maintenance, the services of these professionals are needed in residential areas, educational institutions, and in parks and playgrounds. 

Services Offered by the Industry Players

A reputable and active player in the lawn care industry should provide a line of services ranging from fertilization programs, disease control and basic lawn management. Lawn care professionals create detailed plans of beautifying a lawn by assessing a number of factors. Among them are type of soil, space available and the kind of grass or shrub that will be used. In addition, expectations and budget of the clients are also considered. For the most part, programs depend on the intended use of the lawn. Home or residential lawns, for example, have different requirements and functions from those in the park.

Lawn care services extend beyond maintenance and also offer work on repair and damage control. These make up the units of fungus control and pest management. The industry also needs to be socially and ecologically responsible, urging its players to be abreast of changes in trend and new government regulations. In addition, they need to ensure the public that their own lines of lawn equipment are products of thorough research. 

Marketing Strategies of the Players

Lawn care players advertise themselves through different mediums like direct mail, telemarketing, e-advertisements and TV ads. The best technique of all is word-of-mouth. Happy clients pass on to their friends their experience with a good lawn care specialist. Therefore, it is important that quality client-relations are maintained.

In the future, the scope of this industry will surely grow given the increasing demands for beautiful turfs and party lawns.

Start a Lawn Care Business

The great number of lawns that appear along with all types of construction, like new home and companies, is greatly contributing to the growth of the lawn care industry. This also comes with an increase of demand for lawn care services that can be provided by companies. The large number of customers make the lawn care business a thriving one.

The First Steps

Starting up a lawn care business does not require a huge investment. With minor investments, such as mowers, you can get your lawn care business off the ground. As your business expands and your client base grows, you can invest in bigger equipment. However, it is recommended that you start small when you are just starting out, and not spend big money on sophisticated lawn care tools and equipment just yet.

Where You Can Learn About Lawn Care

A good source of information for finding out about lawn care business is the Internet. Many websites offer tips and useful data on how to start a business in the lawn care field. Some may contain advice on how to deal with customers or to sign contracts. Others provide information about job pricing, advertising tips and links to discounts and manufacturers. Other sources are CDss, books and online programs about the lawn care business.

About Online Programs

Online programs can teach you how to start a business in lawn care and how to make a steady database of customers. A separate talk is about the services needed for bigger space like condominiums, apartment complexes, shopping centers or commercial buildings. Online programs can also offer great tips and advice on marketing your lawn care business, finding the best clients and connecting with key people. Their offer is quite complete, so they are an useful source of information.

Services Provided

There are many services that you can offer in your lawn care business. Some of them are: mowing, scarifying and raking, rolling, top dressing, spiking or aeration, fertilizing, detaching, fall leave removal, over seeding and installing low voltage landscape lighting.

Benefits of Starting a Lawn Care Business

The lawn care business is considered to be very lucrative You do not need to have a large capital in order to start one. You can even start your lawn care business on a part time basis. And since you own the business, you can schedule your activities.

Importance of Liming in Lawn Care

In regions where rainfall exceeds 30 inches per year, like in the eastern part of the United States, soil acidity can become a problem. Too much moisture leads to leaching basic or alkaline-forming ions, like calcium and magnesium. When this happens, the soil becomes acid and lawns cannot grow properly on such a soil. The solution for this kind of problem is liming, an operation considered to be very important for lawn care.

Studies made by Virginia Tech Laboratory in 1987 and carried on samples taken from 24,000 lawns concluded that more than half of the samples presented a level of pH of 6.0 when the optimum pH for grass lawn is 6.2 to 6.5. Liming must be carried out only when the soil conditions impose it, as too much lime (as well as too little of it) can cause damage.

The material used for liming is called limestone and it is easy to use. Limestone is spread on the lawn using a drop spreader or a spinner spreader. A full and uniform coverage is a must as limestone does not dissolve. Areas that are not applied with limestone will remain acidic, while areas where the concentration of limestone is too high will result to a higher pH level, damaging the soil. The best solution to acquire a good coverage is to use a crisscross pattern when spreading the limestone –  applying one half of the substance in one direction and the remaining perpendicularly.

It is not very hard to find out if the lime has been spread uniformly, as its white color is visible. It is recommended that 50 lbs of limestone be applied for every 1000 sq. ft. of surface. One or two rainfalls will wash away any limestone surplus from the surface. Sometimes, larger amounts of limestone are needed. If this is the case,  it is recommended to split the lime application. It can be used three to six months from the initial application, when aesthetic reasons come up. The problem is that large amounts of the lime can remain visible for a long period of time and, therefore, the effect is not very aesthetic.

Tips for a Green Lawn

Lawns are green areas covered with grass or clover, which are kept low. A beautiful, healthy lawn is characterized by a lush green color. Here are some tips for making your lawn greener and more beautiful.

Taking care of a lawn means following some rules to maintain it in a great condition. Proper lawn maintenance includes mowing, watering and fertilizing. The equipment used to mow the lawn must have a sharp blade, otherwise, the effects will be far from the desired ones.

Proper watering is a must, as excess water can lead to flooding and too little can cause the lawn to dry out. For fertilizing, appropriate guidelines must be followed. Organic fertilizers are best because they do not hurt the environment. With good fertilizers, the soil will become fertile and rich in nutrients that are good for the grass roots. However, if the soil is already in good condition, fertilizing must be kept at a minimum.

A close attention must be paid to fungus, like mushrooms, and thatch that can ruin a lawn. These problems can be avoided by early precaution and eradication. Pesticides for eliminating pests are to be used with extra care, as they are chemical compounds and their effect on the environment can be very damaging.

Not every hue of green is considered healthy for the lawn. If your lawn is too green, this means that it has been subject to heavy fertilization and other chemicals. A lawn with a slightly lighter shade of green is preferred, as it is more resistant against pest and diseases.

For a perfect looking lawn, all the unnecessary leaves and debris must be eliminated. Over seeding and aeration also contribute to a healthy lawn. Weed control and pesticides application must take place at certain regular times and nematodes must be eliminated as they are the primary enemies for a lawn, making it look marked with brown areas.

If you don’t think you can devote the time to taking care of a lawn, hire professional lawn care workers. Just because you can’t do it yourself does not mean you can’t have a lush green lawn!

Free Lawn Care Services

Lawn care services are not cheap, so when signing a contract with a lawn care company, you need to ask what free lawn care services you are entitled to. Lawn care operations like lawn mowing, weeding, fertilizing, applying of pesticides, and seeding of flowers and vegetable beds, trees and shrubs, are best carried out by professionals. If you decide to hire a lawn care company, have a contract with the company in order to receive all the necessary lawn care services you are paying for. When the expenses are high, there are a few freebies you can inquire about. Find out what free services you will get before signing any contract with a lawn care company.

Even it is not a common practice, there are a few services that every lawn care company will provide for free. For instance, a lawn care company will give a free evaluation of the lawn to find out if it is in a healthy condition and then suggest what operations must be undertaken. Some lawn care companies also offer free liability insurance for accidents when fertilizing and applying pesticides. All lawn care companies offer as a freebie the service of reseeding the lawn, the vegetable and the flower beds.

Also inquire about the number of visits annually that must be performed by the lawn care company you hire. Insist on extra visits, free of charge, when something unexpected happens, such as an issue that requires solving on the spot. Also ask for extensive guarantees for the results, especially if you are paying a high amount for lawn care. Needless to say, it is best if you hire a lawn care company that has a flawless reputation.

You can also insist on a few lawn care freebies if you are renewing a contract with the same lawn care company. You can ask for an extra application of pesticides or fertilizers, or you can ask for other services, depending on your needs. It is not enough to receive a verbal confirmation for free lawn care services; make sure they are put in the new contract.

How to Fertilize Your Lawn

Contrary to what many people think, fertilizing the lawn does not mean solely buying fertilizer and then spreading it on the grass. For the best results, fertilizing requires much more attention, like a scientific and systematic approach. Below are a few options for obtaining a high quality lawn with proper fertilization.


The Fertilizing Process

Fertilizing is essential for lawn care as it is the main process undertaken in order to keep the lawn healthy and pest free. Fertilizers consist of nutrients whose main role is to slowly enter the soil, to be absorbed and to protect the grass from its roots. Fertilizers promote healthy grass roots, filling empty spaces and thus, preventing weed from taking root.

Choosing the Right Fertilizer

There are several things you need to consider when choosing the fertilizer to use for your lawn. You need to look at the contents, like nitrogen (for making the grass greener), phosphorus (for roots and seedling) and potassium (for resistance against disease and drought). You also need to look at the fertilizer’s nitrogen release rate, which must be fast in order to achieve a green lawn, but must be kept under control. The best fertilizer is a mix of granules with a good content of nutrients.

The grass type is also important for choosing the right fertilizer. There are different fertilizers for different types of grass. Organic fertilizers and processed fertilizers are also handled differently

The Best Time to Fertilize

The right time for fertilizing the lawn depends on different factors. The type of grass, whether it is a cold season or a warm season type of grass, is one factor. Fertilizers must not be used until the grass has not grown and the process must be avoided during droughts. When spreading the fertilizer, proper watering must be carried out immediately after that. It is recommended to fertilize the lawn twice a year.

For the best results, the fertilizer must be spread with the help of a good equipment. This way, the nutrients will be proportionately spread out on the whole surface. For better absorption, watering is advised after fertilizing.

Fertilizing is an important process for lawn care. In order to have a good looking, green and healthy lawn, you must use fertilizers and apply them properly.

The Various Lawn Care Equipment

Proper maintenance for lawn care cannot be undertaken without the proper equipment. Lawn care equipment used must be environment friendly and durable.

Basic lawn care equipment are mowers, house pipes, pesticides sprays and other products. If you have a little more money to spend on lawn care equipment, other more sophisticated options, like sprinklers, are available.

The first necessary lawn care equipment is the mower, which can be a rotary mower or, for those wanting a high quality lawn, the Reel mower, a more and more widespread tool used for lawns. When purchasing a mower, keep in mind that the equipment must have a sharp blade, otherwise the grass will have an ugly look, like being dead and brown after being mowed with a mower that has a dull blade.

Other necessary lawn care equipment are those for fertilizing the lawn. In this category, there are hand cans, which portable and easy to carry around, handguns for large coverage and low-pressure broom sprayers for larger lawns.

To trim the lawn and the bushes, other lawn care equipment must be bought, like hand trimmers and power string trimmers. The most efficient type is the trimmer that rotates ninety degrees because it can be easily used and the effects are astonishing.

In order to keep the lawn wet, watering devices, like hoses, sprinklers and timers, are needed. For keeping the lawn in good condition, you need a rake for removing debris and thatches from the surface. 

For a better looking and high quality lawn, the lawn care equipment are a must. With lawn care equipment, the time you spend on maintaining the lawn is considerably shorter. If you use lawn care equipment and products made by reputable companies, you can expect durability and small maintenance costs.

The biggest drawback to lawn care equipments is their price. Some lawn care equipment can also be damaging to the environment, as defective mowers and shredders can lead to pollution. Many also require large storage spaces. Some lawn care equipment also tend to break down when you least expect it.