Grant Eckert asked:


Lawn care is simply mowing the lawn and raking the leaves, right? Who needs help with that? Lawn care is much more than that and even the mowing alone can keep a person busy during a good growing season. So, the real question becomes: How do I know when I need a lawn care professional?

The first, and easiest, indicator is the condition of your lawn. If your lawn is “getting away from you” and you simply can’t keep up, a lawn care professional may be able to help. Many people work long hours at their job and, by the time they make it home, mowing the lawn is the last thing on their mind. Even with newer riding lawnmowers, a decent sized lawn can still take an hour or more to mow. This is time that could be spent with the family or doing other odd jobs around the house.

Of course, lawn mowing is not the only concern in the lawn care arena. The overall condition of the grass is important too. If your grass is spotty or simply not growing in areas, you may need some lawn care help. If you don’t know, or care to know, the difference between Kentucky Blue Grass and Annual Ryegrass or the differences in cool season grasses and warm season grasses, you may want to get a professional to come help you select the proper grass for your particular lawn. They will have the experience and knowledge to know what type of grass is best suited for your soil content and shade level.

These professionals can also help you determine your lawns water needs. They may be able to help you design and set up a watering system that will improve the lawn. A good sprinkler system can help keep a lawn hydrated, even during those sweltering summer months. Of course, it is important not to drown a lawn, also. This is where a professional can help you, by setting up a good watering schedule.

Although many lawn care professionals do not specialize in landscaping, they may be able to offer valuable insight in the selection, and placement, or various items on the lawn. They may be able to offer guidance on what particular plants will work well with the current structure of the lawn. They will be able to work with you to enhance the overall look and feel of the lawn by the addition of strategically placed plants and structures. They may even be able to tell you which plants will improve, or hurt, the pH of the soil you are working with, thereby preserving the beauty of the lawn.

Lawn care professionals are also very helpful when dealing with weed infestations. They often know, and have available, many solutions to counter the weeds. They can often stop the infestation before it gets out of hand. Bringing the lawn back to its original condition will be the goal. Nothing hurts a lawn quicker than an influx of weeds taking over. A good lawn care company can come in and take the lawn back.

Weeds are not the only dangerous infestations that may occur. Animals and insects can destroy a lawn. Knowing how to prevent this from occurring, or stopping it quickly when it does, can save a lot of stress on you, and the lawn. Many times these critters go unnoticed until it is too late. Once they get a hold on the lawn, they do not want to let go. It takes some serious interventions to drive them out and reclaim the lawn. That is where the experience of a lawn care professional comes in handy. They usually have the knowledge, and equipment, necessary to get the job done.

Finally, there is the convenience factor. Sometimes it is nice to just relax knowing your lawn is being taken care of. If you are going to be gone for an extended period of time, or if you have multiple properties, you don’t have to worry about the lawn. A lawn care professional will be there to take care of it and keep it green and lush. You can enjoy the benefits of a beautiful lawn without the labor.

When deciding if a lawn care professional is needed, it is important to look at your lawn. If you have a lush, green lawn that would rival most professional sports arenas, and you enjoy spending hours mowing, then you probably do not need one. If, like most people, you struggle to find the time to keep the grass cut, let alone lush and green, then you might want to consult with a lawn care company. See what they have to offer and decide if it is right for you. A lawn care professional can make the difference between a mediocre lawn and a “Wow the neighborhood” lawn.



Joyce

zerozerozero asked:


I am creating a flyer for my new lawn care business. I want to say “Order your lawn care service today!“ But is there any grammar error??

April

Michael Gregory asked:


Before you begin your lawn care business, especially if you are looking for financing, you will need a business plan. Your options include writing one from scratch (according to the SBA it takes an average of 80 hours), have someone write one for you (expect $1,000 and up for a quality one) or use business plan software.

Lawn care business plan software has greatly improved over the last few years, making it as easy as putting in your specific information and the software will do a majority of the time-consuming work to take your "great idea" from concept to reality. Good lawn care business plan software will also aid you in ensuring that you’ve "thought through" the "ins and outs" of the business – everything from marketing and sales to the cost of staples and give you a understanding of how much you need to sell to make your idea profitable. By showing the bank you have a thorough understanding of the inner working of your financials, lenders are more willing to loan money for your lawn care.

Here are a few items to look at when evaluating various lawn care business plan software programs.

Reputation – Make sure to do online research to get feedback from other people to see how their experience was with the software. If you see a lot of negative comments, no matter how good the price, you may want to look at other software.

If you have been or know people in the lawn care business already, you could contact them for information on whether they used software for their lawn care business.

Support – Look to see what type of support is provided with your business plan software. This is especiall important if you are working on your business plan late at night and need something answered. Many vendors offer 24/7 online and toll-free support.

Ease of Use – This is especially important if you are looking at specialized software from a very small company or individual and you are computer challenged. Many times you can get a trial offer to see if it will work with your comfort level.

Cost – After you have researched the lawn care business plan software and still unsure, it is time to consider costs. Don’t always assume that paying more will give you a better product nor buy a version that has more bells and whistles than you need. Make certain to factor in shipping & handling costs and delivery time of your lawn care business plan software when comparing prices.

Once you’ve chosen and installed your lawn care business plan software, it’s time to get to work. If you have any trouble, be sure to get in touch with the vendor’s support as soon as possible, especially if there is a limit on on long they will offer support .



Katie

Moses Wright asked:


You probably know what it feels like – pushing your conventional push mower our lawn is larger than .25 acres! For those with larger lawns, they should seriously consider purchasing a reactor-type lawnmower. It is relatively easy to operate and can cover medium to large lawns far quicker than the conventional push lawnmowers.

There are electric models for your lawn mower as well as the standard push mowers that everybody has seen. With powerful batteries, such designs can last for half an acre before it runs out of power and needs to be re-energized. These electric models are really quiet, good for the environment and don’t produce any noxious fumes. They lack the horsepower of the gasoline operated models and might run the hassle of being trapped in bushier places.

If you are a professional lawn care specialist, you might want to look into models that have reel blades that cut out in front. The rotary type is good if there isn’t a golf link to mow. The mowing blades are usually found below the deck below the seat and can give you some vibration. A good seat with plenty of cushion, however, won’t bother you.

You can find smaller riding mowers that will work with your lawn as well. The designs are basically the same as the bigger ones. The capacity and the size of the machine will be the main difference. You will always want more horsepower with your mower, but if you have a well-built machine, it won’t need as much horsepower to do a great job.

You do not really need much horsepower if your yard is flat and even. If you have a very hilly area, however, you will need a lot more. If you have a lot of hills, a lawn tractor will be your better choice.

A lawn tractor will have 10-15 horsepower and can work well. Considering that a car has 150 ‘ 300 horsepower, it seems that it’s a lot less energy, but you don’t need that much. You will pay more for more horsepower, just like with a car. Make sure you really need it first.

Prices will go up if you have a mower that can cut a bigger area. Lawn tractor blades usually cut between 38 ‘ 42 inches and can cut the lawn quicker. But you will probably be only able to cut your lawn 10% more quickly and the mower might be a lot more inaccurate.

You can get a garden tractor with 20 horsepower and up to 60″ mowing blades for a powerful, efficient machine. If you need to haul dirt or tree parts with an attached trailer, you can use this more efficiently.

You will want to look at the turning radius of the mower you are about to buy too. If you have a very low or even zero degree turning radius, it will cost a lot more. If you don’t have a lawn that is difficult to negotiate, you probably won’t need it.



Marjorie

Chanaka Dunuwila asked:


Your lawns are natural things, so why should you feel tempted to spray them with some very decidedly unnatural pesticides and herbicides? Many people might feel overwhelmed at the sheer amount of toxic chemicals available on the market today, but the truth is that you can easily use equally effective natural fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to get the job done. Most of these natural materials are totally nontoxic, especially at the levels they are commonly used at. Household products like vinegar are great natural lawn care products, although there are certainly many more to choose from.

An Invisible Helping Hand

Natural lawn care products pose no health risks, and they are very specific in what types of organisms they attack. While other natural lawn care products like vinegar are great for a variety of uses, there are different types of bacteria that you can employ to have more specific targeting of your lawn problems. Milky Spore Disease might have a menacing name, but it works to remove infestations in your yard at the cellular level. Other organisms like Bacillus thuringiensis and beneficial fungus pathogens also destroy invaders at the microscopic level while posing absolutely no health risk to humans, pets, and your favorite plants.

With no health risks, you might be tempted to say that the best lawn care products are completely natural. Certainly, beneficial nematodes might make the average person slightly queasy, but they get the job done. These tiny worms burrow in the soil and attack the larvae of various insects like ants, termites, and Japanese beetles. After injecting the larvae with toxic (to the larvae) chemicals, they wait for the larvae to die before eating them. In this way, natural lawn care products often take care of problems before they can grow up, and once they have consumed all of the insect larvae in your lawn, the beneficial nematodes die off.

Fortunately, all of your lawn problems can be taken care of with natural lawn care products. Take care of weeds, fungal infestations, insects, and grass of poor quality without using synthetic substances that can be toxic to you and your pets. That’s not to say that the health risks posed by synthetic materials are overly large. In fact, most unnatural products are dispersed over such a large area that they don’t pose a health risk, although the chance is always there, however small. If you want to take care of your lawn without the fear of developing an illness, then natural lawn care products are the perfect fit.



Lucille

Paul Zayer asked:


Home lawn care could be as complex or simple as you make it. Before you decide to put in different colors and varieties of exotic plants it is important to figure out just how much weekend time you have to spend taking care of these unusual plants, or in lieu of your own loving care, if you can afford to hire a professional landscape team come around to take regular care of your plants.

Lawn Tip 1

Some of the most valuable nutrients can be added to your lawn by letting it reclaim these same nutrients from the clipped grass pieces. While many people worry that adding grass clippings or mulched leaves and branches will add or promote thatch to the lawn, but this is not true. The more nutrients the better; for the most part, and lawn clippings are best suited to nourish the living lawn.

Lawn Tip 2

When mowing your grass, try not to mow the entire yard, but rather 1/3 of the overall yard. Also, each time you mow, cover a different 1/3 of the yard. For example, if you begin at a 3 o’clock position in your yard and go to a 7 o’clock position one time, start at 5 or 6 and go to 11. Keep the mowing pattern varied and you’ll have a healthier lawn.

Lawn Tip 3

It’s much easier to get a handle on new weeds than when they’re older, more established and just plain harder to remove.

Lawn Tip 4

Most lawns need about 1-2 inches of water each week. By watering the lawn early in the morning (4-9AM) it doesn’t have a chance to encourage mold or fungus like like it does when you water it at nightfall. This also keeps the sun from burning up all the dampness, thus robbing your lawn and your pocketbook.

Lawn Tip 5

While more natural nutrients like those from compost or grass clippings really can’t be overdone, the use of commercial fertilizer certainly can be overdone. You run the risk of poisoning your lawn in the long term if you overdo the recommended doses of fertilizer for your lawn.

Lawn Tip 6

Not only do powerful and efficient lawn mowers cut grass better and more consistently, but they have lower emissions which is better for the environment. Of course a manual or electric mower is even better for the environment, but there are other performance issues that come along with these other mower types that you must consider yourself before making those decisions.

An herbal lawn is only what it sounds like, a lawn that is composed of an herb instead of a sort of grass. You can produce an herbal lawn out of many different kinds of herbs. The challenge really is to find an herb that tolerates heavy foot traffic at the same time that it is still comfortable if you like to play or sit on the lawn. There are many varieties of chamomile and creeping thyme that fall into this perfect middles ground.



Jacob

Z4 S asked:


Well, not just lawn care, but landscaping too.(only residential work of course) I live in a rural area, so work would be easy. but i am 15 coming on 16 and have a truck, tools, and everything needed, am I old enough to start yet?

Veronica

Warren Wong asked:


Having a beautiful lawn during the spring summer and fall shouldn’t have to cost you money. By taking advantage of the lawn care tips you find in books and magazines, online and by asking questions of experts at your local lawn and garden store, you can easily take care of many of these jobs on your own. Once you are aware of some basic factors associated with lawn care, you can become a professional in your own right and your neighbors will start asking you for advice. The only requirement is that you spend some time researching how to take care of your lawn during every season of the year and devote some time to the tasks.

Mowing is one of the basic essentials of having a great looking lawn. However, there is a trick to this. In the spring, when you mow for the first time, mow the grass at the lowest level on the mower. This will remove all the dead grass and allow the roots to start producing new shoots. Make sure you rake up the lawn even if there are not many clippings because raking helps to revitalize the grass and the soil. Then when you mow the grass again, you should move the blades up a level. The lawn needs to be mowed on a regular basis. During how weather in summer, you can even have the blades higher so that you don’t mow too close to the ground and cause the grass to burn and turn brown. When you mow the lawn for the final time in the fall, place the blades at the lowest level again.

Watering plays a major part in lawn care. Without water the grass will not grow and will die causing brown patches to appear in the lawn. You have to know the type of grass you have and the type of soil so that you give it the appropriate amounts of water. You should never water the lawn after a rainfall because this could saturate the soil and cause the grass to die. When there is very little rainfall, the best time to water the lawn is in the early morning or just at sunset. This is because there is less chance of the water evaporating before it gets a chance to soak into the soil.

Fertilizing the soil is also important. For this you do need to know what type of soil you have. If you are not sure, you can bring in some of the soil to a garden center and the experts there will be able to provide you with the right fertilizer for your needs. You can also decide whether you want to use organic or chemical fertilizers, but whichever one you choose, you do have to follow the directions on the packaging. Using too much fertilizer can be harmful to the grass.

One thing that people do not realize is that the soil and the roots of the grass need air in order to grow, especially if the soil is compacted. To check to see if this is so, pour a small amount of water on the soil and wait a few minutes to see if it starts to soak down through. If it doesn’t this means you will have to aerate the lawn. What this means is to perform a simple procedure or poking small holes in the lawn a t regular intervals so that the oxygen can reach the roots and the water can get to them. The holes are small and will not be noticeable in the lawn.



Don

Catalina D asked:


i need to furnish all materials, labor and equipment necessary for the proper maintenance of lawn care and landscape work
Cutting and trimming shall include all areas, including courtyards on approximate 13.867
fine turf will be mowed at a height of 2-3 inches. Mowing shall occur on a regular schedule not to exceed a frequency of once a week with the first cut occurring on or around April 5th and the last cut on or around November 1

Tracy

David Faulkner asked:


Be it a residential area or a commercial district, a striking lawn can spell the difference in terms of aesthetic value. It’s a great thing that you can now avail of lawn care advice from professionals or gardening enthusiasts to help you with setting up your lawn and maintaining it.

Establishments that market gardening products, supplies, and accessories now also offer lawn care advice to their customers. Seedling or garden centers supply plant seeds and guarantee the outcome of your dream lawn. However, once you embark on your lawn project, you may encounter some rough sailing in the course of its maintenance. This is where lawn care advice can be of great help in offering great solutions to your worries.

Gardening specialists provide lawn care advice to existing and prospective clients at no extra cost. A common lawn care advice solicited would be what grass species will thrive in a particular locality. Having had previous experience with other customers, these experts in lawn care advice can very well take care of your needs to create that fine-looking garden and preserve its lush greenery.

Amateur and Professional Gardeners Benefit A Lot from Lawn Care Advice

An attractive lawn does not happen overnight. It takes utmost care coupled with particular skills to maintain one.

Your familiarity with the environment is another aspect to consider. For instance, you come across a very eye-catching lawn. Naturally, you would conclude that the owner is a gardening wizard and therefore a reliable source of lawn care advice. Given a particular type of soil and weather situation in the locality, this person would be able to specifically point out the plus factors needed to achieve the perfect lawn and those that do not.

He would also be equipped with the latest technology and expertise in lawn care that you can adopt in cultivating your very own dream lawn. This is a realistic example of lawn care advice put to action.

You can also refer to newspapers and other publications for lawn care advice. Your town or city might even have local subscriptions on the same subject matter with writers who are local expert gardeners themselves and hence authorities in giving sound lawn care advice. For more info see http://www.lawncare-help.com/ on Lawn Care.

Their articles would include insights and highlights of their own experiences with their beautiful gardens. A lawn care advice segment may be provided by them. Such publications would also have a directory of the best garden centers in town that offer all the lawn products and supplies you can imagine.

Hence, it is highly recommended that you subscribe to these newspapers or magazines which regularly come out. Definitely, lawn care advice and information that you will find here are fresh and up-to-date.



Joanne