5 Easy Ways to Save on Lawn Care

According to the Lawn Institute, Americans spend more or less $6.4 billion every year on lawn care. This is such a big sum of money which every household could have spent on more important things like food. If you like to reduce this huge amount, you can in your own yard.

There are 5 easy ways to save on lawn care:

1. Water wisely.

Many households use automatic sprinkler systems to water their yards. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, an in-ground sprinkler system consumes 50 percent more water than a soaker hose. This in turn causes overwatering in your yard. To save on your water bill, it is best to just use a soaker hose or only attach a sprinkler to your hose every time your plants need watering. Additionally, the best time to water your lawn is early in the morning to allow water to soak into the roots of the plants. Watering your yard during the heat of the day causes water wastage as water just evaporates in the atmosphere and not be absorbed by the plants.

2. Mow your grass to the right length.

There is a certain length wherein grasses are able to shade their own roots and retain moisture, thus reducing the need for watering. In most grasses, they should be at least 2 inches tall to do this. It would be good to mow your lawn to this length or follow the rule of thumb to never cut more than one-third the length of the grass at one time to allow healthier growth without the need to water more. Aside from saving on water, you will save on gas too if your lawn mower has a sharp blade and lets you do the job in a single pass.

3. Use a natural fertilizer.

Many home owners over-fertilize their lawn to make it really green. However, this practice will just cost you more on unnecessary fertilizers aside from the fact that it can be a pollutant to the environment. Instead on using just any fertilizer, take advantage of natural fertilizers. When mowing, leave the grass clippings in your lawn to have it decompose naturally and be used by your plants as a natural fertilizer.

4. Don’t hire lawn contractors if you can do the job.

Millions of American households hire lawn care service providers without really knowing what kind of lawn care they provide. If you are planning to hire a lawn care company, be sure to get a written quote about the work they will do and for how much. If they charge differently for each job, then eliminate those jobs that you can easily do on your own. If you can’t do the job yourself, be sure to hire a company that is licensed and qualified to do the work especially if it requires the application of fertilizers or pesticides. It would be good also to hire a company that uses organic fertilizers or pesticides.

5. Save by planting low-maintenance plants.

If you have a big lawn and would like to reduce your cost of maintenance, you could cultivate low-maintenance plants as an alternative or mulch some portions of your yard. As an alternative, you could also convert a portion of your yard into a vegetable garden.

If you are one who spends much on lawn care and you would like to cut-down on some of that expense, the five options mentioned above can surely help.