DIY vs Professional Lawn Care - Which is Better?
Sometimes, you might want to handle lawn care yourself. For the times when you want the help of a professional, you can use the services of a subscription company, or pay one of San Jose's full-service lawn care companies. If you opt to do everything yourself, you will initially save some money. However, what you'll be missing is the expert advice and guidance that can help you avoid expensive mistakes.
A company like Sunday Lawn Care can help remove some of the guesswork from the process. Companies like this will mail you a regular subscription package of lawn care chemicals and equipment. They do the work of figuring out what your lawn needs and when, depending on your location in California and the time of year. However, you will still be the one doing the manual labor.
If your goal is to be completely hands-off, a full-service company like TruGreen will be your best bet. This option may be the most pricy, but there is a good reason for this: they provide both custom solutions to all your lawn care woes and the people-power to take care of all the work.
Types of Lawn Care Services in San Jose, CA
The lawn care companies in San Jose offer a variety of services, including:
- Weed Control: Your lawn care professional can both get rid of and prevent weeds and other unwanted plants. They may use chemicals to kill and keep away weeds or might manually pull up the unwanted plants. The vast majority of full-service and subscription companies — if not all of them — offer weed control services.
- Fertilization: The fertilization process involves the use of various chemicals and compounds to help encourage the growth of grass and other plants. As with weed control, fertilization services are offered by most if not all full-service and subscription lawn care companies.
- Aeration: Aeration helps to loosen over-compacted soil, which allows roots to grow deeper, strengthening your lawn. This process involves creating small holes in the soil to allow water, air, and nutrients in more easily. Most full-service lawn companies offer aeration services.
- Soil Care: Soil care helps improve your lawn growth by balancing the pH and chemistry of the soil to improve nutrient availability. Normally, most full-service and subscription lawn care companies can provide this service.
- Seeding/Overseeding: Seeding and overseeding improve the color and appearance of your lawn and fill in bare spots. Seeding is the process of planting grass in areas where there is none, while overseeding involves putting down more seed over existing grass, without digging up any of your lawn. Seeding and overseeding are offered by most full-service lawn companies and many subscription companies.
- Pest Control: When you employ someone for pest control, always ensure they are properly licensed to apply pesticides through the California Department of Agriculture. The technician will apply pesticides or use traps or other methods to eliminate pests. Eliminating pesky animals and insects ensures that your lawn looks its best.
- Leaf/Snow Removal: Concerned about snow or leaves sitting on your lawn and killing your grass? Certain lawn care companies will come out and clear everything away. You might rarely need snow removal services and infrequently require leaf removal services in San Jose. If and when you do require these services, be sure to contact a company to make sure it is something that they can do.
- Mowing/Edging: Mowing and edging do a lot to improve the look of your lawn, and also help prevent overgrowth. Many full-service lawn care companies provide these services, and there are companies that specialize in mowing and edging.
- Tree and Shrub Care: Does your lawn have trees and shrubs that are wilting, overgrowing, or simply need some extra care? Many full-service lawn care companies offer tree and shrub care services to help keep your lawn looking its best.
Regardless of what your needs are, there is a lawn care company in San Jose that can meet them. It is in your best interest to get in touch with one or two of the companies from the above list to find just the right one for you.
San Jose Quick Facts
- San Jose is part of the Marine climate zone.
- San Jose gets about 4.5 inches of snow in a typical year.
- San Jose is in the 13.1% percentile in terms of average precipitation — in case you're looking to avoid the rain.
- San Jose is in the 24% percentile in the U.S. in terms of tree coverage.
- San Jose is one of the sunnier places in the country. It is in the 96.4% percentile when it comes to average daily sunlight.
Choosing a San Jose Lawn Care Company
When you need to choose a company, you should first make sure that you're choosing a reputable one. If a technician will be applying chemicals like pesticides to your lawn, they will need to be licensed through the California Department of Agriculture. If you're hiring a technician for landscaping services, such as tree care or mowing, you can confirm that they meet all of the landscaper licensing requirements for California. After you've verified a company's licensure, you can see if they are a member of an organization like the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). NALP is an optional association that allows members to collaborate and provides education about best practices in the industry. You can also search for online reviews and browse the company's website to learn about the guarantees that they offer. "For more than two decades, the NALP Foundation...has supported education, research, and scholarships to strengthen the future of the landscape and lawn care industry."
Once you've discovered the best companies in your area, you'll need to figure out which ones offer the specific combination of services you think you're going to want. Many San Jose lawn care companies offer both fixed plans and "a la carte" options where you can make your own lawn care package.
Next, you'll want to get an inspection and quote. Even without visiting your property, some companies can give you an estimate with GPS technology. This estimate will be based largely on the size of your lawn and the specific services you need.
Ready for a Quick & Easy Lawn Service Quote?
Homeowner Responsibilities
If you haven't hired a San Jose lawn care company before — or even if you have — you may have some questions about what you ought to expect. The following are some things to keep in mind:
- Before Treatments: Any full-service company will ask you to ensure that pets stay in the house on the day of treatment. They will also need you to make sure that they'll be able to access your entire lawn, for example by making sure gates remain open. You will not need to prepare your lawn — for example, by watering it — in advance unless your technician asks for it. If you're using a subscription company, you will want to make sure you provide your information and order in advance.
- During Treatments: If you are using a subscription company, you'll do the treatments yourself using the company-provided instructions. If you've decided to pay a full-service company like TruGreen, a lawn care professional will come to your home to take care of everything. Normally, you won't be asked to be home for lawn care treatment. However, your technician might request your presence at home for their first visit. Your technicians will communicate with you (in writing or electronically) about what services were performed and when.
- After and Between Treatments: Your lawn care company may recommend that you water your lawn 24 hours after some treatments. Someone should also tell you when it is going to be safe for pets and family to be on the lawn again. Remember that the effects of some treatments, such as fertilization and overseeding, may not be visible for some time. If you have issues with your lawn care treatment, the majority of full-service and subscription companies have guarantees to back their products and services. No matter what type of company you go with, services will likely continue on a regular basis until you cancel.
By choosing a provider from our list of the best lawn care companies in San Jose, you know that you're in good hands. Your San Jose lawn care provider will make sure all expectations are clear and keep you in the loop throughout the process.
