Often times where a customer is seeking a ”better" lawn fertilization service company there are similar complaints that I hear and the grass is often literally greener on the other side. I think the #1 complaint is “they are feeding my weeds”. Another one is the more general statement that “there have been no improvements in my grass”. The question then is why can’t the more commonly known treatment services in Columbia, S.C. address these issues with every customer? This question boils down to suitability where one service might be fine for one customer but not for another. In addition, I believe the answer is that the more commercial treatment services in many cases:
· Are not the correct fit for every customer’s lawn or every customer’s personality or style of communication. Some accounts call for a more personalized, unique approach.
· Have become “Price” driven in the minds of the customer and not quality driven. The current market cost of service is roughly half of what it should cost for an effective long term program.
· They have a better marketing program than the actual physical service. If they were to effectively go over the laundry list of items below it would result in less sales.
· Are employing low paid, unskilled workers who do not take stock in the outcome.
· Have caused the customer base in general to lower their expectations as to the definition of high quality service and outcome.
· Taken true personalization of service to you and your lawn out of the equation. Timely, constructive, thoughtful consultations are needed (and that costs more money, which is a tough sale).
· Fallen short in advising of the necessary, comprehensive regimen that is needed for any plant to grow. It takes more than just a sprinkle of chemicals.
An effective lawn fertilization schedule and weed control treatment program should include the treatments that these companies provide, but equally as important, should advise of the need for proper lawn mowing service, a regular fall cleanup schedule, serious consideration to the type of grass that you are trying to maintain, core aeration, and a routine lawn sprinkler system watering regimen.
Fit, suitability and communication are other important fine points – Some yards are so personalized and unique that some treatments will work in some places, but not in others. Take the slopey yard that is shady in some areas but sunny in others where the dog is allowed in the back yard but not the front for instance…here is an example of how anything short of the resident taking care of the yard on a highly personalized level would almost always be ineffective. It is nearly impossible to delegate this out to any service other than a grounds keeper. Suitability where one company’s cookie cutter approach works on the standard lawn but not on the more garden-like grounds is a consideration…does the service suit your unique needs? Sometimes, retaining a service that will communicate with you on the level that you and your yard require should cost you more. Sometimes, the company should refer you to another company that would fit your specific need better instead of accepting your business, knowing logically it will probably end up in failure…but hey, they’re not worried about it because you just signed a contract with them and you’re on the hook to pay them for the duration.
Maintaining a lawn properly requires attention to the plant as a living breathing organism. Treatments do matter, but of equal importance are the intricacies of how the lawn is being mowed, how often, with what type of equipment and at what height. Does your landscape maintenance service mulch mow or do they bag? Often times, bagging the clippings is literally the same as taking a little of your lawn’s health away every time they mow. It robs the ground of micronutrients and will eventually lead to the declination of the turf. Bagging is necessary sometimes, especially when you are planning an event where it needs to “look” its best, but definitely not on every mowing. Of equal importance is the height of mow, which should not be any more than 1/3 of the height of the grass. This is a price driven item...most people here in South Carolina opt for bi-weekly service which often times causes that 1/3rd cut rule to be broken. To achieve the goal of optimal turf grass, you must consider whether to have your service done weekly or bi-weekly. Refraining from cutting at all is also a consideration. Here in South Carolina, we tend to have droughts for 5-7 week periods of time. It is during those dry/hot times that your service should refrain from cutting in some cases. This is another money driven item – if your service is being paid a flat monthly fee, then they are going to try to mow no matter what on a set schedule to “make their showing” and earn their keep. This is often the case where the person doing the work is the owner of the company who’s income is directly affected. Alternately, some companies employ hourly paid workers who are trained to “pass” on the mowing. The company then does not charge for that particular day’s service. The company owner’s income is affected by this non-mowing, but the worker’s pay is not as affected. In the end, the goal is to look out for the grass as a living organism, not a commodity.
At about the time that everyone is putting their lawn mower away around October 15th, it is actually time to switch gears and think about the fall cleanup schedule. This applies to your yard if you have deciduous trees or pine trees, gumball trees, or any other tree that will lose its leaves or sticks in the fall. All this debris coming down on the ground can wreak havoc on the root systems of the turf. Instead of waiting until all the debris has fallen, it is best to have this fall cleanup on a regimen just like the mowing schedule.
Some plants grow well in some places, but not so well in others. The biggest problem I see is where people expect the chemicals to remedy situations where there is very little sunlight or too much shade. This would call for a different type of grass altogether, not a different treatment service. This is a tough pill to swallow for most people because its one of those situations where the building contractor threw down a general type of grass, often centipede or Bermuda, in an area that called for Zoysia. Or in the case where initially, the type of grass they used was great because the trees were new and small, but over time the trees grew large and shaded out the ground below. The hard and fast truth of the matter is that you would then need to either cut down the trees or rip up the sod and start with a new type of lawn. No treatment in the world will do this.
Core aeration is another costly item that is needed to complete the circle. This applies mostly to areas that have high traffic or the underlying topsoil area is thin. It also applies if you use heavy riding mowers as opposed to push mowers which are light and don’t affect the compaction of the soil. If your yard needs core aeration badly enough, you would be completely wasting your money if you were to treat it and expect a positive outcome. Aeration is another extremely labor intensive item that has fallen victim to recessionary lowballing trends. For the labor and equipment involved, an effective aeration service should be in the hundreds of dollars for the average yard.
Do you have a sprinkler system? If not, there’s a fly in the ointment. Modern grasses require controlled irrigation on a set schedule unless it is raining for us. If you want a positive outcome from your lawn fertilization service, it is absolutely necessary that you water your lawn regularly. Not only regularly but effectively – is that water reaching the necessary root system depth? If not, you need to saturate it more. If you have sandy soil, you may need to water more often. All of these things should be addressed on a professional level. The end result of your watering in most cases should be that the dirt, to the touch, is ever so slightly moist and seldom let to dry out completely. Its an art though! At times, especially when fungus is a threat, you should let it dry out a bit more than usual.
So, in defense of the more widely known treatment services out there, don’t hold it all against them if your yard doesn’t look any better. Do consider, though, that they should be advising you on all levels (and charging you) and that you get what you pay for. Comprehensive lawn care overall (unless you have some really intricate chemical balance issues) is done by companies that not only treat the yard but also do the physical maintenance on the yard.
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