Which Lawn Care company is right for me?
Which Lawn Care company is right for me?
Many people are unsure which lawn care company is right for them. Maybe you are a new homeowner or a do-it-yourselfer that is just tired of storing all the materials in your garage. You might not have the time or ability to maintain your yard, or maybe you’re not quite satisfied with the service you currently have, which has not really improved your lawn as much as you had hoped.
It can be a daunting task to search for a lawn care company that is right for you. Most people are not aware of how phosphorus or potassium can help a lawn, let alone how much is needed. This article will help as you search for the lawn care company that is right for you.
Price. Since price is a factor for almost everyone and there are lawn care companies in Cincinnati with a wide range of prices; how do I know what is a good price? This can be complicated. As in most things, you typically get the quality of service that you pay for.
There are companies that will lure customers in with a low initial price, then raise the price on those customers the next year or a subsequent year. Some companies will overprice their service, then drop the price when a prospect says it is too high to obtain their business. This usually leaves customers wondering why they did not just give that price initially? Another tactic that company’s use is to price the basic lawn applications low, but over charge greatly for other needed services such as grub control or aeration and seeding.
So, while there is no set answer, as prices also vary with the size of the lawn, most people favor the company that is honest and up-front about pricing and do not use “low pricing tactics” just to get you to sign up.
Products. While lawn care companies should have the same goal, feed the lawn & eliminate the weeds, they can go about their service many ways. Granular fertilizer? Liquid fertilizer? A combination of both? Which is best for my lawn? The truth is that both granular and liquid can be effective; what matters is what goes into the fertilizer and how much of each they provide over the course of the season.
A good fertilizer in the Cincinnati area should not only deliver the correct amount of (N)itrogen, (P)hosphorus and Potassium(K) (macro-nutrients) your lawn needs each year, it should also include the micro-nutrients your lawn needs, such as Iron(Fe), Zinc(Zn), Manganese(Mn), Copper(Cu), (B)oron, (Ni)ckel, etc. Also, in Cincinnati, we have a heavy clay-based soil profile which means the best fertilizers should also include soil conditioners that will dramatically improve the health of your lawn.
Weed control products also vary greatly; some key questions to ask: Does the company do a pre-emergent to prevent Crabgrass? If Crabgrass still breaks through, will they come and treat it for free? Does the company get rid of tough weeds with no extra charge? The toughest weeds in Cincinnati are Wild/African Violets, Ground Ivy, Nut-sedge, Crabgrass, Lesser Celandine. Does the company have a way of getting rid of invasive/weedy grasses such as Dallisgrass? Typically, the company will not share what is not included and this information would require specific questions from the customer to learn the answer.
Service. Service is more than just applying the products to your lawn correctly. It also includes consistency, communication, responsiveness, and quality.
Consistency is a huge factor when properly treating a lawn. Feeding the lawn at regular intervals is very important. While your lawn needs fed regularly, it also requires different nutrients at different times of the year. Different weeds also germinate at different times of the year. All of this means your lawn care company should have regularly scheduled applications appropriate for the time of year. We’ve heard of a company doing three applications on the same day to get “caught up”, this does not help your lawn.
Another thing to look for is the consistency of your technician. Is it usually the same technician? The answer should be yes. A technician that regularly treats your lawn becomes aware of the special needs your yard has. Every yard is different and should be treated that way. Your lawn has different shade issues, moisture issues, soil issues, and weed issues than your neighbor’s lawn next door. Your lawn care company should care enough to treat it individually.
Communication is not only important, but also crucial, in lawn care. A lawn care program is a partnership between you and your lawn care company. The better the communication, the better the results. Your lawn care company should let you know what your yard needs to improve while you should also be letting your company know when weeds pop up or when something new is happening in the yard. Most companies will treat your lawn every four to eight weeks. A lot can happen during the time between treatments. In our experience, the more communication between the homeowner and the service company, the better the results.
Responsiveness is another important factor. How long does it take for your company to respond to an issue? If they left the gate open during the last treatment, have they taken steps to correct the issue in the future? Does it take weeks for them to respond when you let them know some weeds have popped up? Can they accommodate a change to your property such as a new construction project or if you’ll be using the yard during the entire week? Good lawn care companies will be able to accommodate their customers’ needs and requests. Is someone available to answer the phone when you call? If so, are they in a local Cincinnati area office? Or are they in a call center somewhere?
Quality is a much easier factor to determine. Are the technicians that treat my lawn professional, courteous, and thorough? At the end of the year is my lawn greener, healthier, and weed free? If the answer is yes, you’re using a quality service company.
So, these are some things to consider when searching for a lawn care company. The answer to the question: “Which lawn care company is right for me?”, is usually the company that does the things we have covered here today.
If you’re looking for quality lawn care services in the Cincinnati area, American Landscapes, LLC can help you achieve the green lush lawn that you’ve always wanted. Contact us today for a quote!
