If you’re reading this you’ve survived another midwestern winter and “spring.” Congratulations! Now it’s time to “summerize” your snow blower and think about affordable lawn care. Americans collectively spend $43 billion per year and an average of 73 hours toiling over their landscaping [source]. But – having a shipshape landscape doesn’t have to cost you oodles of time and money.  Here are some affordable lawn care tips to help you beautify your lawn without breaking too much of a sweat (or the bank).

Affordable Lawn Care Step One: Tackle The Clean-Up

A day of DIY lawn clean up is both thrifty and therapeutic. You likely have leaves to deal with, edging to do, weeds to eliminate, and trees or shrubs to prune. With proper tools and a little elbow grease, you can save yourself about $1,000 by taking care of these things on your own. If you have pesky weeds, you can save money by using a homemade weed-killer. Homeowners are increasingly turning to natural herbicides to avoid harsh chemicals. Good Housekeeping offers 8 homemade weed killers that work.

Fertilizing

This is also a good time to fertilize your lawn, another do-it-yourself-lawn-improvement-project. To save money on fertilizer, consider making your own. Blend one bottle of beer, one cup of ammonia, and one cup of baby shampoo. You can apply this using a hose-end sprayer. The beer supplies bacteria and nutrients. Ammonia provides nitrogen, and the shampoo helps the ground absorb. It is important to use non-antibacterial shampoo to enable vital bacteria to thrive in the soil. And, be sure to test it on a small patch of grass first!

Mowing

Having a great lawn will require the right equipment. Whether you push or ride your mower, extend its life with regular service and sharpening. This will save you money down the road.

Cutting your grass at the tallest height recommended for your grass type will keep your lawn healthy. Mowing with a low blade height strips leaf blades of nutrients and exposes soil to sunlight (which gives weeds their day in the sun). Taller grass can compete with weeds and provide shade, enabling the soil to better retain water. Consider using the mulch setting on your mower and leave the clippings to provide natural fertilizer to the lawn. The organic clippings are good for the soil.

Watering

Don’t be tempted to over-water your lawn. Not only does excess watering unnecessarily inflate your water bill, it can also hurt your grass. Over-watering can promote weed growth. It also makes grass more susceptible to disease. Healthy grass needs one inch of water per week.

Beautify Your Lawn

Your lawn will have even more curb appeal when you give attention to its surroundings. Planting perennials is a low-maintenance way to add curb appeal and enjoyment to your lawn. Adding trees and shrubs to your landscape can increase your property value with a relatively low investment. Use a quality planting auger to dig holes for you, and this is another project you can do yourself.

Once your lawn is in great shape, it’s time to relax and invite some friends over for some fun yard games! Please contact us for additional affordable lawn care help and all the equipment you need to keep your lawn looking great!