Lawn care subscription services are becoming a popular alternative to the tedious research associated with selecting lawn care products and a cheaper alternative to full-service lawn care providers.
They eliminate the guesswork, ensuring you get the products you need when you need them.
Key Points:
- Lawn care subscription services provide a convenient and customized solution for homeowners seeking an easier route to lawn care.
- The process typically starts with a questionnaire and can include soil samples depending on the provider.
- Customers can choose from various payment plans, including annual, seasonal, or per-shipment.
If you’re considering becoming a lawn care subscription customer, there are a few things you can expect. From the convenience of it all to the customizable nature of the service, lawn care subscription boxes can be the perfect solution for homeowners seeking an easier route to lawn care.
So, if you’re considering these services or recently signed up, here’s what you can expect from the service.
What Is A Lawn Care Subscription Service?
If the prospect of researching and hand-selecting products specific to your lawn’s needs sounds overwhelming and time-consuming, a lawn care subscription service might be the solution for you.
These services eliminate the research and selection process on your part, as they utilize the information you provide to expertly select products for your lawn.
Every provider is slightly different, so the specifics vary from one to the next. However, most subscriptions start with a soil test kit and continue with personalized boxes throughout the growing season. Boxes ship on a regular schedule to ensure you have the perfect lawn care products when you need them.
What Should You Expect From Your Lawn Care Subscription Service Provider?
The offerings of your lawn care subscription service provider vary based on which one you choose, but generally, they’re relatively similar from one to the next.
Once you decide to sign up for a lawn care subscription service, here’s what you can expect from the process:
1. Information Form
To initiate the subscription, you’ll need to fill out an information form. The questionnaire’s contents vary from provider to provider, so you may need to provide additional information.
Generally, you’ll need to supply the basics, including the size of your lawn, the quality of your lawn, the grass type, and your location.
If you’re unsure of the correct answers, some providers offer tools to aid you. The information you submit in the questionnaire will help your subscription provider get the complete picture (in addition to the soil sample).
2. Multiple Payment Plans
Like any other subscription service, lawn care subscription boxes come at a cost. So, once you complete the questionnaire, you’ll need to choose a payment plan that best reflects your needs.
Generally, you’ll have three options: annual, seasonal, and per-shipment. If you choose the annual package, you’ll pay for the entire year’s worth of products at once.
Seasonal payment plans encompass the products shipped to you during the growing season, and per-shipment payment plans restrict the payments to a per-shipment basis.
Try the per-shipment or seasonal option if you prefer to test the subscription before fully committing to it. However, once you decide to commit to the service, the annual payment plan is likely your best bet.
This option is usually the most cost-effective, so it’s the most sensible choice for those who plan on keeping their subscription long-term.
3. Soil Test Kit
For most lawn care subscription providers, the process starts with a questionnaire and a soil test kit. Once you submit the necessary information in the questionnaire, the provider will send over a soil test kit to evaluate the soil quality.
This part of the process enables your service provider to determine the best products based on an actual soil sample and its contents, ensuring you receive personalized products.
The first box in the subscription usually contains the soil test kit. Once you receive the kit, you’ll need to collect soil samples from around your yard and secure them in the provided container. Package the kit and send it back to the provider for testing.
However, while most subscriptions start with a soil test kit, this isn’t true of all providers. Some providers base their product picks on a database, which eliminates the need to test a soil sample altogether.
That said, many of the best providers require a soil sample, as this ensures you receive curated products specific to your lawn’s needs.
4. Curated Products
The personalized aspect of a lawn care subscription service is one of the best parts (aside from the convenience, of course).
Once you complete the questionnaire, choose a payment option, and send in a soil sample, the subscription boxes will begin shipping to your door.
Your box will contain various products selected based on your lawn’s needs. For example, if your yard is overrun by weeds, your subscription box will include a weed control product to kill the existing weeds and keep future weeds at bay.
Or, if your lawn is in dire need of fertilizer, your subscription box will include a specific fertilizer selected based on your grass type, lawn size, and other factors specific to you. Some providers offer additional products, like grass seeds designed for overseeding to promote a thick, lush lawn.
In addition, some providers offer unique products, like pet repair kits or spot treatment kits. These kits are designed to restore the section of your lawn damaged by your pet’s urine or feces, as there are usually yellowish-brown or dead patches left behind from this.
The contents of your box will vary based on factors specific to your lawn. If your lawn’s needs change, you can adjust the box to accommodate those changes, ensuring the grass remains as healthy as possible.
5. Specified Shipment Schedules
Once you commit to a lawn care subscription service, you’ll receive boxes on a schedule based on your lawn’s needs. Some lawn care subscription boxes ship out every eight weeks, while others ship every six weeks. It all depends on the needs of your lawn and various factors specific to your scenario.
This is one of the most notable perks of a lawn care subscription service, as you don’t need to worry about ordering products for the next time you need them or picking the right ones from your local home improvement store.
Instead, they’ll appear in a curated box on your doorstep throughout the growing season, ensuring you have them when you need them!
Some providers ship all of the products for the growing season at once, so you’ll need to follow the provided instructions to ensure you apply them at the correct frequency.
However, most providers ship their products throughout the season on a routine basis, so you don’t have to worry about storing the products (or figuring out where you put them when you need to apply them).