While fertilizers are a part of a healthy lawn, they are only one piece in the puzzle.
There is no denying it, spring is upon us and soon your spring cleaning will end up outdoors with the yard. Yes, the lawn will beckon for your attention and no matter how long you put off the inevitable, your shrubs and grass will demand attention. Are you one of the many who do not relish the task of raking, mowing, and trying to maintain your own landscape? If so, you are not alone and should not be ashamed to admit this dark secret. In fact, many folks feel compelled to fertilizer their own lawn simply because everyone else is doing it. In our business, we call this “keeping up with the Jones’”, a classic syndrome seen across NH and VT. The pressure builds with each passing weekend to visit a local hardware store and buy flowers, gloves, shovels, rakes, fertilizer, and lime. As each Saturday expires, you see time going through the hour glass; time you simply do not have.
Why would you continue to suffer when the cost of hiring a professional lawn care company can actually yield better results, save you countless hours, and even represent an economic savings in your bank account? Quality is not cheap, but it may very well be less expensive than toiling for hours upon hours only to obtain the same results, be them poor to acceptable. There is an appropriate saying, “doing the same thing over and over will not result in a different outcome”. Sometimes a change is refreshing and the right thing to do, or at least worth considering that there are alternatives to maintaining a healthy lawn and landscape.
In the big world of lawn care, there are daunting choices to be made, promises and coupons are given without hesitation. No wonder you are confused and skeptical about our profession and what it really costs! No doubt your skepticism could be born from a bad past experience, perhaps with a large national chain or a “gentleman” in a pick-up truck with little or no experience? Like revisiting a restaurant after having a bad meal, you simply cannot even consider the option of professional turf care. Who can blame you? I cannot. But what I can say is there are lots of folks with lots of real experience in this business in NH and VT. Professionals in every sense of the word that have the education and real field experience necessary to diagnose, prescribe, and care your lawn.
If the coupon or direct mail piece sounds too good to be true, it most likely is! You are looking to save time, money, and receive the results most would expect from a professional lawn care company. If the trucks look the same, they have similar marketing strategies and programs. I hate to spoil your dinner, but there are no supersonic, ultra coated, magnetic, super powered fertilizers in existence. There is a basic science of soil life and how it supports plant growth. Yes, fertilizers have a roll, but are not the end-all to a healthy lawn. I don’t care how many times or what you coat the fertilizer pellet with, the applicator’s skill level, treatment consistency, and amount of fertilizer applied are the key to quality results – period. This fact applies to compost tea, lime, aeration, sea kelp, and yes- even fertilizer!
If the coupon does not fit, and if the gimmick seems slick and full of ideal promises, you might want a second opinion from a professional in the business, someone like me or a locally owned business in your own home town. A great lawn can be yours without sacrificing your valuable weekends or draining your bank account. You get what you pay for in the end so let it be effective and worth your hard-earned income. Have a great spring!
