If you recently became a lawn care subscription service customer, you’re in for a convenient, easy way to ensure your lawn remains healthy and flourishing. However, while these subscriptions are handy and might be the secret to effortless lawn care, they only contribute to a small piece of the picture. After all, nutrition, weed control, pest control, and similar products are only part of the puzzle.
So, we compiled a few tips to help you maximize the benefits of your new lawn care subscription services.
What Is A Lawn Care Subscription Service?
Lawn care subscription services are a relatively new option available to homeowners. These services offer a convenient and straightforward way to ensure your lawn is on schedule with what it needs to thrive, from pest and weed control to fertilization.
Most lawn care subscription companies ship the products as you need them, sending you a customized box of lawn care products to promote a healthy lawn. The specifics, like pricing, schedules, and setups, vary based on the provider, but many subscription services have similar offerings.
7 Tips To Maximize The Benefits Of Your Lawn Care Subscription Service
Once you purchase your lawn care subscription package, you’ll start receiving products as you need them. While the process is usually pretty simple, applying the product is only one part of the picture. Here are seven tips to help you maximize the benefits of your lawn care subscription service and ensure your lawn flourishes:
1. Gather Soil From Around Your Yard
Most lawn care subscription services ask for a soil sample to create a baseline. The results of the test offer insight into the soil and what it might need to promote healthy grass. When you receive the kit, you’ll need to collect a soil sample from your yard.
Most kits ask for a collection of soil from various parts of your yard, as this gives a complete picture of the soil conditions. While you might be tempted to scoop the dirt from one place in your yard, take small scoops from several areas throughout the space, as this will paint a more accurate picture of what you’re working with.
This way, the subscription service can supply products designed to help the entire lawn instead of the soil in that one small section. Of course, the soil quality and content may not vary much, especially if you have a small lawn. That said, it doesn’t hurt to provide a compilation of the dirt from your yard, especially if you have a larger yard.
2. Stay On Schedule
For the most part, your lawn subscription company will send you products as you need them. Some companies get more precise, monitoring the weather in your area to pinpoint the best application time frames.
The products usually arrive when it’s time to apply them, so be sure to stay on schedule. Life might get in the way every now and again, preventing you from using the product within a few days, but try to avoid waiting for more than a week or so before applying.
If your lawn care company doesn’t send the products as you need them, which is most common, they’ll usually send instructions for application throughout the growth period. Pay attention to the instructions and stick as close as possible to the suggested application schedule.
3. Don’t Skimp On Prep And Maintenance
Whether you’re starting from scratch or working with an existing lawn, preparation and maintenance are essential. If you’re starting with a fresh plot, you’ll need to prepare the soil for the sod installation or grass planting. This entails aerating the soil, leveling the plot, and clearing out weeds, among other things.
Your lawn needs aerated soil to ensure the grassroots get the nutrients, sunlight, and water they need to thrive. If you’re starting with a clean slate, you can easily complete the necessary prep without disturbing or killing an existing lawn.
Proper preparation is critical, even if you’re working with an existing lawn. For example, if the soil is compact and uneven, your lawn care subscription service’s liquid or granular products won’t magically fix that. So, ensure the soil is even, aerated, and prepared to support healthy, robust grass.
Ensure you stay on top of soil maintenance, like aeration, to guarantee the grassroots actually receive the nutrition you’re giving them. Otherwise, your efforts may not prove as fruitful as they could be.
4. Don’t Forget To Water
While a lawn care subscription service can practically work miracles on a nutrient-deficient lawn, it can’t compensate for a lack of water. After two or three weeks without water, most grasses naturally begin to go dormant. Once four to six weeks pass without water, most lanes will turn brown, creating a dead, dilapidated appearance across the expanses of your yard.
This one seems like a no-brainer – after all, if you’re buying a lawn subscription service, you’re probably pretty dedicated to maintaining a healthy lawn, right? Well, yes, but forgetting to water is easier than you might think. The days might get busy, morphing into the next, and before you know it, the week is almost over.
Of course, watering might not be an issue, especially if you have an automated sprinkler system. But for those who don’t have the convenience of automated assistance, it’s essential to remember to water.
You might find it helpful to mark the days you water on the calendar or set reminders on your phone. Marking the calendar is particularly helpful when multiple people are responsible for watering the yard. This way, the lawn won’t get overwatered – just enough to keep it happy and healthy!
5. Remember To Mow Routinely
Mowing your lawn on a regular schedule is essential, especially when using a lawn care subscription service. After a long period without mowing, the grass will begin to go wild, growing tall enough to shade its own roots.
At this point, the height of the grass can essentially suffocate it, as the shade from the blades prevents sunlight and other essential nutrients from reaching the roots. The grass often is less healthy when it becomes too tall, as its suffocating nature may allow weeds and bare patches to overtake your lawn. On top of that, tall grass is the perfect hiding place for unwanted pests.
And while nutrients, weed killers, and similar products from your lawn care subscription service can help by feeding the grass and killing unwanted weeds, they can only do so much. So, mowing regularly is essential to keep your grass healthy and thick.
Pay attention to the amount of thatch on the lawn when you mow. Thick thatch layers can have similar effects to overly tall grass, blocking sunlight and nutrients from reaching the roots. Dethatch your lawn as necessary to ensure the nutrients you give it are actually reaching the grassroots.
6. Pick Up After Your Dog
If you have a dog or two, remember to pick up after them. Dog feces can wreak havoc on your lawn, creating more issues for your lawn care subscription service to address. While the effects of dog feces on your lawn are fixable, it’s an extra, avoidable step.
When left on your lawn, dog feces does the opposite of fertilization. It can burn and discolor the beautiful green blades, leaving behind brownish-yellow patches in its wake. On top of that, it can open the door to lawn fungus, so it’s best to pick up the feces regularly to keep your lawn healthy.
7. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions
When you begin using a lawn care subscription service, the advice, rules, and schedules can be overwhelming, even if the application process is simple. You might wonder when the best time to apply the product is or if you should apply multiple products simultaneously.
We encourage you to contact your subscription service provider when you encounter these questions. Many providers have a frequently asked questions (FAQs) page for convenient answers to common questions, but if you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, you can always reach out.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions!
Some companies even offer professional advice via a live chat or phone call, so take advantage of the services available to you. It’s better to ask first than wish you would’ve later!