For many people all over Canada, the lawn is their pride and joy. After all, who doesn’t love the look of a well-maintained lawn? It certainly takes a lot of work, much more than simply mowing and watering it from time to time. While they are very important to keeping your grass nice and green, there are many other factors that add up to an impeccable yard.
At times, it might seem like too much work for even the most dedicated self-landscapist. In this day and age, it seems like our free time is growing scarcer by the second. Getting it done right is definitely worth it in the long run though. The following are a few downsides that can happen if you neglect your lawn too long.
Endless Weeds
A couple of weeds doesn’t necessarily spoil your lawn, at least not from a visual standpoint. The thing is, it’s a problem that could be too late once you actually notice it. Each passing moment you allow weeds to sit around equates to thousands of seeds being sown. Some of those could even blow to other yards in the neighborhood. Once the hooks are in, it’ll be much harder to deal with the problem. You might as well save time and nip the issue in the bud as soon as you see them.
Unwanted Pests
While some might see bugs as slight annoyance, they can do a lot of damage to your lawn. Some species devour grass from the roots, and can cause unsightly patches to crop up. Not only that, but things like mosquitos love to hide in tall grass. Keeping your lawn manageable will let you spot these critters before they become a huge problem. You will also want to keep up with scheduled pest control. If not, you could end up dealing with potential health hazards. If you aren’t sure of the species of bugs nesting on your property, you may want to call in a professional. They’ll be able to identify noteworthy pests and also root out the problem.
Big Benefits
Of course, not everything is just doom and gloom. There are some very positive things that a well-maintained lawn provides. Like with other plants, grass filters carbon dioxide into clean oxygen, drastically improving the air quality. In addition, they can also cut down on noise pollution by absorbing it. Studies have shown that grass can reduce noise levels by around 25 percent when compared to concrete.
Perhaps the biggest boon is that a lawn can protect your property by preventing erosion. A healthy root system will keep rain from washing away your soil, and even purifies the ground water. If you live in an area that can experience flooding, that means grass can serve as a last line of flood control.
Lower your Electricity Costs
Although it might seem counterintuitive, watering and maintaining your lawn will help your energy costs. Research shows that grass is excellent at cooling the surrounding air. While water usage in these tests did go up, the electricity savings were more than enough to offset that cost. A reduction in ambient temperature meant less time running the air conditioning. Who doesn’t love being cooler?
Property Value
At some point, you might end up putting your home on the market. Even if you don’t, property is a huge investment. You wouldn’t want to do anything to sabotage that. Proper lawncare has been shown to increase overall property value by over 10%. Also think about it from a homebuyer’s point of view. If you were looking at a potential house, would you rather have one with a well-kept lawn or one without?
Hiring Professionals
It’s understandable that not everyone has the time to put in the work to maintain their lawn. In those cases, there’s nothing wrong with hiring someone to do it for you. On top of that, there are several big benefits to having a professional over a DIY approach.
• Experience
If you hire someone who has been landscaping for years, there will be things that they will know that you can’t just read off an internet article. Even if you are thorough with your research, how many hours will that take? A professional might have the answers you need in an instant, saving you valuable time. They’ll also be aware of nuances that you won’t even know to look for, such as signs of certain diseases.
• Avoid Big Mistakes
As ironic as it sounds, you can’t trust everything you read on the internet. That being said, improper advice can lead people to damaging their own lawns. You could end up using not enough water or applying too much fertilizer, which could mean bigger problems down the road. A trained professional will know how to avoid those kinds of things.
• Save Money
Unless you plan on starting your own landscaping business, buying all the equipment yourself may not be cost-effective. Professionals have access to things like aerators and special fertilizers, not to mention high quality mowers and equipment. By hiring a landscaper, you won’t have to purchase any of that stuff for yourself. Besides, you might end up buying the wrong things.
• Scheduled Care
How many times have you decided to put off chores for the next weekend? Things come up sometimes, and a week lapse can quickly grow into something much longer. Part of proper lawn care is performing it consistently, which can be difficult. When you hire someone to do it for you, that ensures that it will get done no matter how you feel. That will allow you to reap the benefits of an excellent yard no matter how busy you get.
Final Thoughts
On average, maintaining your lawn will cost anywhere from $48 to $211 depending on how often you require the services. Just mowing can cost $25 to $100 a week, depending on how big of an area is needed and if you choose other services like pruning, trimming hedges, etc, the costs could be more. Whether you do it yourself or hire someone, having a maintained lawn is a huge benefit to you and the people around you. If you don’t have time to do it yourself, going with a professional is an excellent choice. Not only will you gain all the above-mentioned benefits, but you’ll be able to relax and let someone else handle it for you.
