Maintaining a lawn can be quite expensive. To keep your lawn lush and healthy, you have to spend money on water, fertilizer, equipment, tools, and lawn care services, and these can all add up to a significant amount. Nevertheless, there are lots of ways you can save money and still take good care of your lawn; you have to get a little bit creative and maybe use some more elbow grease.
Shop around for lawn care services
Not all of us have time to take care of our lawns ourselves. If you’re in the same boat, then you might be getting professional lawn care services to keep your lawn looking healthy. However, professional lawn care can be expensive if you don’t pick the right company for you.
If you’re paying a little too much than you’re comfortable with for lawn services, it’s high time to shop around for a new company that better fits your budget. There are lots of professionals that offer affordable lawn care services and other services such as commercial landscaping. Ask around and scour websites online to find the right one for your lawn and your budget; you should be able to find a company that will provide the services you need at the right price.
Be smart about watering
The best times to water your lawn is during the early morning or late afternoon. During these times of day, the sun is not at its hottest, which allows the water to be absorbed deeply into the soil instead of evaporating because of the heat. Water your lawn and plants between 5 and 8 in the morning or after 4 to 5 in the afternoon. However, to avoid fungal growth, it’s best to water your lawn before the sun rises instead of after it sets.
By doing this, your soil will absorb water more efficiently than when you water while the sun is at its peak. As a result, you use less water, translating to significant savings on your utility bill, plus less time spent watering your lawn.
Xeriscape
Xeriscaping is the process of planting things that are native to your area, particularly plants that require minimal care and are relatively resistant to drought. By xeriscaping your lawn, you will use less water to hydrate your plants and spend less on sowing, mowing, fertilizing, and other lawn care essentials, which will lead to quite a significant amount of savings every year.
Build a compost
Building a compost not only helps the environment, but it also helps you save money on fertilizer. Start a compost pile in your backyard, then fill it with compostable materials such as grass clippings, fruit and vegetable scraps, brush trimmings, dry pet food, among many others. After some time, you can use the compost to augment soil, fertilizer your lawn, and mulch around trees, meaning you don’t have to spend that much on fertilizer or mulch.
Just make sure to put in only compostable materials. Here’s a list of what you can and cannot compost.
Plant perennials
Unlike annuals that need to be replanted every year, perennials bloom every year like clockwork. Thus, planting perennials instead of annuals saves you time, money, and effort while still keeping your lawn looking beautiful. After they grow big enough, perennials can also be replanted in other parts of your lawn, which means, essentially, you are getting new plants free of charge.
Mow correctly
Most types of grass need to be mowed to a height of at most 2 to 3 inches. This blade height is enough for the grass to provide shade for their own roots and the soil underneath, which will help your lawn retain moisture and promote stronger roots. When your lawn can better retain water, you spend less on your water bill. On the other hand, with a strong root system, your lawn is less susceptible to weeds and will help avoid spending on weed killer.
However, if you have Bermuda grass, it might be suitable to mow your lawn shorter or “scalp” it to promote growth at the start of a season. Contact your lawn care company to find out whether this is a good idea for your lawn.
Make your lawn smaller
The less lawn you have, the less money you have to spend on it. Consider making your lawn smaller by increasing the amount of pavement, planting low-maintenance ground cover over some parts, or getting synthetic grass.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on your lawn to keep it healthy all-year-round. With these tips, you can reel in the savings and still keep your lawn the envy of the neighborhood.
