There’s no question that we live in a DIY world. With the internet at our fingertips, many homeowners simply look up information and videos to tackle various tasks on their own, instead of hiring a pro.
After all, why pay for something that you could easily do on your own?
But one major reason is that you could end up making costly mistakes. When it comes to DIY lawn care, you might be wondering if it’s easily doable. What are some common lawn care mistakes that people make when tackling DIY lawn care?
In this article, we’ll cover some of the DIY lawn care problems so that you can consider whether it’s something that makes sense for you or whether it’s not worth the risk.
Most people don’t quite understand how much science is involved in lawn care. They assume that tossing down some store-bought weed and feed products is all it will take to achieve a great-looking lawn. But the truth is, lawn care is actually quite complex.
Let’s talk about some of the most common lawn care mistakes.
Putting down the right amount of a lawn care product sounds relatively easy but this is a really common mistake. It’s actually not always that simple to figure out the application amount and how it might need to be changed based on your lawn or the weather conditions.
A common error is over-applying fertilizer, which can cause the lawn to brown or even be “burned.”
Unfortunately, we have heard stories from homeowners who have made mistakes when it comes to calibrating their spreader and put the wrong amount of product down. Too little product won’t cause damage, it will just mean subpar results. But overapplication can be a big deal. Lawns that have experienced fertilizer burn might not recover and will need to be re-seeded or sodded.
While a lot of homeowners start the process of DIY lawn care assuming that they can get the same results as a professional lawn care service, there are a number of reasons why this doesn’t end up happening.
For one, we mentioned that lawn care is a complex science and everything from the application rates to the timing can really impact your results.
But another really big reason is the fact that DIY lawn care products are subpar. Store-bought products simply cannot stand up to the professional, commercial-grade products that a professional has access to and will utilize on your lawn.
Of course, a pro is not just going to use one product for everything. A professional lawn care provider is going to use a rotation of great products for your lawn’s various needs. Different products will be rotated throughout the year. This customized approach with high-quality products is going to get you the best possible results.
Of the various DIY lawn care problems, wasting money is a big one. After all, chances are that you tackled your lawn care on your own to try and save money. But as a homeowner, you likely don’t know exactly what products to buy for your lawn.
Sure, you know that your lawn needs fertilizer and weed control, but people are often surprised to see just how much variety exists in terms of what’s available. Plus, it’s important that a weed control program is varied with different products for different weeds. Some weeds even require specialty controls.
Whether you’ve bought the wrong lawn care products or maybe you’ve bought subpar products (as discussed above) that are not yielding great results, it can feel really frustrating to throw money away and not get the results that you desire.
The truth is, DIY lawn care isn’t all that inexpensive, to begin with. You will need to buy a variety of products to have a complete lawn care arsenal that meets all of your lawn’s needs.
And, as you might have guessed, lawn care mistakes can be costly. If you burn your lawn, you might spend a lot more money trying to fix it than you would have on professional lawn care (and avoiding mistakes).
One thing that people don’t always consider is that lawn care can be dangerous. For one, it’s grueling and tiresome work! But it’s also exposing you to the risk of heat stroke, which is a scary risk of any intense outdoor work.
You might also encounter bees, wasps, or even snakes, all of which are prevalent in our region. On top of all that, working on your lawn can take a toll on your back (or your body in general). It’s undeniable that lawn care is labor-intensive work—probably not the way that you want to spend your weekend.
You should also recognize that lawn care products are perfectly safe when handled and applied properly, which professional lawn care technicians are trained to do. But as a homeowner, you are rightfully worried about the dangers of a spill.
If you’re performing DIY lawn care, you’ll also need to worry about storing products yourself. This can be a hassle that you don’t want to deal with.
At the end of the day, it simply might not be worth the lawn care mistakes that can be made with DIY lawn care. When you hire a pro, you can avoid these mistakes talked about above and ultimately get better results.
Along with that, you should also consider the fact that lawn care can be time-consuming if weighing DIY lawn care vs. a professional.
You might feel like you have plenty of free time, but lawn care can chew up more time than you might think. There are often multiple trips to the store, finding the right day and right weather conditions, and then clean-up and material storage to consider. All of this can take up your precious free time.
Most of the time, DIY lawn care ends up being a lot more work than people realize, too. They think they’ll knock it out in a free hour, but it might be a lot more time and energy than that. That means instead of enjoying free time with friends or family, you’ll also be spending it in your yard, doing work.
In the end, is it really worth it?
We’ve talked to customers who have gone down the DIY path only to regret it later.
Of course, we get many homeowners who tell us they enjoy working on their properties. What we always tell them is: Do the work that you truly enjoy, have the capability and skill to do, and have the tools to do. Leave the rest to us.
For most people, the best DIY lawn tasks are ones such as planting and caring for flowers in the landscape. We recognize that a lot of people enjoy doing that. But most people don’t actually enjoy DIY lawn care—nor do they have the right tools or know-how to perform the work properly.
Leave that work to us and you’ll not only have to take on the stress and headaches, but you’ll also ensure you’ll get the best results. In the end, it’s a win for everyone.
Ready to get serious about lawn care results at your Flower Mound, Highland Village, Lewisville, or Frisco, TX home? Get a free quote and get ready to enjoy the best lawn on the block with no hassles!
