DIY vs Professional Lawn Care - Which is Better?
Sometimes, you might feel comfortable handling lawn care on your own. For times when you want professional assistance, you can use the services of a subscription company, or pay one of Laplace's full-service lawn care companies. While handling everything on your own may seem like the most budget-friendly option, it leaves the possibility of expensive mistakes open. You also will have to take care of your lawn without the expert guidance of a lawn care professional.
Some companies, such as Sunday Lawn Care, can help you with your DIY lawn care. This is in the form of subscription packages that provide all the chemicals and equipment you need for your lawn, depending on your location in Louisiana and the time of year. These companies provide a lot of guidance with lawn care, but you will still be the one outside pulling weeds.
If your goal is to be completely hands-off, a full-service company like TruGreen will be the best decision. This option may be the most expensive, but not without reason: they provide both custom solutions to all your lawn care woes and the people-power to take care of the manual labor.
Types of Lawn Care Services in Laplace, LA
There are a number of different services that local Laplace lawn care companies can provide, including:
- Weed Control: Weed control helps get rid of and keep away weeds and other troublesome plants. These types of services involve both manually pulling unwanted foliage and spraying chemicals that kill weeds and prevent more of them. Both full-service and subscription lawn care companies essentially always offer weed control services.
- Fertilization: Essentially all full-service and subscription lawn care companies offer fertilization services. These services use specific chemicals to promote the growth of grass and other plants in your yard.
- Aeration: The process of aeration involves making small punctures in your lawn's soil. This allows nutrients, air, and water to penetrate the soil more easily. This, in turn, helps roots grow deeper, strengthening your lawn. These services are provided by most full-service lawn care companies.
- Soil Care: Soil care is the process of balancing the pH and chemistry of your lawn to promote lawn growth by increasing the availability of nutrients. The majority of full-service and subscription lawn companies offer soil care services.
- Seeding/Overseeding: Seeding involves putting down grass where your lawn is bare, while overseeding involves laying down new seed over existing grass. Both seeding and overseeding help fill in bare or patchy spots and improve the appearance and color of your lawn. Both services are offered by the majority of full-service lawn companies and many subscription companies.
- Tree and Shrub Care: Many full-service lawn care companies offer services for trees and shrubs that are overgrowing, wilting, or simply need a little extra care. These services will go a long way towards helping your property look its best.
- Pest Control: Do you have bugs or other pests damaging your lawn? Pest control involves the use of pesticides and other techniques to get rid of animals and insects that may damage your lawn. Many full-service lawn care companies offer pest control services. Always make sure to use a pest control professional who is properly licensed to apply pesticides through the Louisiana Department of Agriculture.
- Mowing/Edging: Mowing and edging are two ways to quickly improve the look of your lawn. Certain full-service lawn care companies can provide these services, or you can find a company specializing in them.
- Leaf/Snow Removal: Are you concerned about leaves or snow sitting on your lawn and killing the grass? You can find a lawn care company that will come out and clear everything away. You may rarely need snow removal services and infrequently require leaf removal services in Laplace. If and when you do need these services, be sure to get in touch with a company to verify that it is something that they can do.
No matter what type of services you require, there is a Laplace lawn care company for the job. We recommend looking into one or two of the companies on our list above to find which one is best for you.
Laplace Quick Facts
- The average high in Laplace is around 76° F.
- Laplace is in the Hot-Humid climate zone.
- Laplace sees about 0.0 inches of snow every year.
- The average lot size in Louisiana is approximately 21,000 square feet.
- Love the rain? Laplace gets more rain than approximately 98.4% of places in the United States.
Choosing a Laplace Lawn Care Company
During Treatments: If you end up choosing a subscription company, you will handle all treatments yourself based on the provided instructions. If you're using a full-service company like TruGreen, they will come to your home to do any requested lawn care. Your company may ask that you be home the first time they come to your house. However, you generally do not need to be at home for lawn care treatment to take place. The company will inform you (either in writing or electronically) what treatments were done and when. "NALP members have access to industry-leading tools and training to keep you on the cutting edge."
Next, you need to figure out if a particular company offers all of the services you need. When selecting a Laplace lawn care services company, you might opt for one of their fixed plans or one of their "a la carte'' options that lets you pick and choose services.
After narrowing down your list even further, you can reach out to companies and ask about free inspections and getting a service quote. An inspection can happen quickly — some companies can even get a quick estimate of the size of your yard via GPS before they come out to your home. They can then provide an estimate based on the size of your lawn and the specific services you need.
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Homeowner Responsibilities
There are certain things a Laplace homeowner should keep in mind before, during, and after lawn care treatments. Some of these are:
- Before Treatments: If you are going with a full-service company, you should make sure that, on the day they visit, they have access to your property (for example, by opening gates). You will want to also make sure that pets remain inside. You will not have to water or otherwise treat your lawn beforehand unless the company asks you to do so. If you've opted for a subscription company, you will want to provide all your information and place your order in advance.
- During Treatments: If you are using a subscription company, then you will perform treatments yourself, following the company-provided instructions. If you've elected to hire a full-service company like TruGreen, a lawn care professional will come to your home to perform treatments. Generally, you won't have to be present for lawn care treatment. However, your technician might request your presence at home for their first visit. They will communicate with you (in writing or electronically) to let you know what services they finished and when.
- After and Between Treatments: It is important to remember that some time may pass before you see the effects of treatments such as weed control and overseeding. In the meantime, your lawn care professionals might recommend watering your lawn 24 hours after certain services. They will also let you know when it is safe for pets and family to be on your lawn. In the rare instance that there is an unexpected problem with your lawn care, many subscription and full-service companies have products and services that are backed by guarantees. In most cases, any type of lawn care service will continue regularly unless you cancel.
Choosing a reliable lawn care company in Laplace goes a long way towards helping you feel more confident and comfortable with the process. All of the providers from our list of the best lawn care companies in Laplace can explain all steps of the process and help you know exactly what to expect.
