Spring Lawn Care "Services" You Should Avoid and Why

As I visit clients' homes to check on their lawns as they spring back to life after winter, I watch in disbelief as other "lawn care" companies pull up to neighboring properties and begin aerating, throwing down seed, spreading fertilizer, and then making another pass around the property with pre-emergent.

Here are several important points all homeowners should understand before spending hundreds on these questionable spring services. Let's start with aeration:

Many lawn care companies promote spring and fall aeration as a method to remove or "punch through" thatch. Let me be clear: 98.5% of homes in the Chicago area do NOT have a thatch problem.

Furthermore, many companies claim that aeration will help with soil compaction. Again, 99% of lawns do NOT have a compaction problem. You only have compaction issues if you are parking your car on your lawn or if there’s an area that consistently holds water.

Some companies suggest that aeration creates space for air and nutrients to reach the grass's roots. However, since there are typically no compaction issues, there are also no issues with air and nutrients reaching the roots.

Now, let’s talk about spring seeding:

Seeding in the spring can lead to difficulties in establishing grass before summer kicks in fully. The best time to seed is in the fall (late August and onward). Play the odds in your favor: get through summer FIRST, and then seed.

Additionally, when you seed, you cannot effectively apply a pre-emergent. This increases the risk of weeds in an attempt to grow grass, which is usually a bad trade-off.

It's also important to note that the seed these lawn care companies often use is usually of contractor grade, meaning it is low-quality seed that contains a lot of weed seeds. Seeds should be sourced from reputable producers with a guaranteed analysis; anything less should raise red flags.

Seed purchased at big box stores often contains only 10% actual seed and 90% "inert matter." This is a rip-off.

Now, regarding fertilizer:

Is there really a need for a "wake-up" for the lawn? Lawns wake up biologically on their own every spring. The last thing we want to do is push for heavy growth early on, as this depletes the lawn's reserved carbohydrate reserves. No fertilizer is necessary until after the first 2-3 mowings, and then only a small amount should be applied.

Finally, let’s discuss the issue of pre-emergent (and this one REALLY frustrates me):

Applying pre-emergent along with grass seed does what? It stops the seed from germinating! Congratulations, you’ve thrown down the seed, which needs to germinate, along with a product designed to prevent germination. This is a HUGE waste of money—nothing is accomplished and it's harmful to the environment.

Lawn care companies promote these services solely for one reason: EASY PROFIT! Unless you genuinely have a thatch problem— which the vast majority do not— and unless you have large bare spots that need immediate attention (such as when putting a home on the market), don't engage in any of these services in the spring!

Have your lawn professionally analyzed, get your soil tested, and create a scientifically driven plan tailored to your needs. Only do what your lawn requires, when it requires it. This is the right approach. Anything else is simply money wasted and environmentally wasteful.

So there you have it. These are the spring lawn care services you should avoid! Thank you for reading!

Paul

www.LawnLogIQ.com

847-220-4680