Lawn Care For New Homeowners

If you’ve just moved into your first home, congrats! But, there’s a lot of work to take care of. One place many new homeowners forget about is their yard. Unlike an apartment, it must be maintained and cared for not only so it looks great, but some cities have codes on overgrown lawns.

Every new homeowner makes mistakes, especially when it comes to their yard. But I’m here to help. Here’s what every new homeowner needs to know about caring for their lawn.

For a first-time homeowner, lawn care can seem like a daunting task. Let a pro handle it. Contact a landscaping contractor today for quotes from pros in your area, for free!

Landscaping Tasks

While you may already know that mowing the lawn will be on a weekly to-do list, there are plenty of other tasks that come along with your landscaping routine to keep it looking great. Depending on where you live, the tasks might vary in timing but are certainly what every new homeowner must know. Here are a few landscaping tasks you’ll need to do now that you’re a homeowner:

• Invest In A Lawn Mower
• Mow Your Lawn
• Water Your Lawn
• Get Rid of Weeds
• Add Mulch & Stone
• Trim Bushes & Trees

Invest In A Lawn Mower

You may not have included a lawn mower when budgeting for your new home, but it’s certainly an item you’ll want to make an investment in. The kind of lawn mower you buy can depend greatly on the size of your home. For urban homes with small yards, you can keep it eco-friendly by purchasing a manual push reel lawn mower. Prices tend to be lower but keep in mind, you’ll be doing all the hard work yourself!

For larger lawns, you might consider a larger walk behind lawn mower, powered by gas. However, the hot lawn mower to have right now is cordless or battery powered. For very large yards, consider a riding mower to make the job a little easier!

Mow Your Lawn

Once you’ve found the perfect lawn mower, it’s time to mow your lawn. While it may be as simple as just mowing the lawn, there are a few lawn care tips you’ll want to keep in mind. First, set your lawn care routine. Most lawns need to be mowed every five to seven days depending on how often it’s raining and time of the year. You’ll also want to cut your grass so it’s not too short, around 2” to 4” high. If you cut your grass shorter, this could easily bring more weeds and pests into your yard.

Some new homeowners find this regular maintenance daunting. Or, they forget about it when they plan a long vacation. Not to worry as lawn maintenance professionals can help. You can either schedule routine service or weekly maintenance. The average cost to hire a lawn care service is $226, with most homeowners spending between $127 and $237.

Water Your Lawn

The summer heat can leave your grass brown and brittle, which is not a good look for any home! Be sure to water your lawn in the morning for the best results. How much you should water depends on how much grass you have. An easy way to keep your lawn healthy is with a sprinkler system. It’s a great investment for new homeowners. The average cost to install a sprinkler system is $2,317, with most homeowners spending between $2,014 and $2,682.

Get Rid Of Weeds

If you haven’t discovered it yet, weeds can become your worst nightmare as far as landscaping goes. It seems like every time you pull one, they come right back! However, weeds tend to have deep roots, allowing them to spread quickly and regrow if they're not pulled correctly. If you’re pulling weeds by hand, you’ll want to make sure you have a hand shovel so you’re sure to dig up all of the roots. If your yard has become overgrown by weeds, you’ll want to have the lawn treated. Most home gardening stores offer DIY treatments you can use, but if you find that even that is not working, you’ll want to contact a landscaping contractor.

Add Mulch & Stone

While maintaining your yard is a huge change of routine for new homeowners, you can have a lot of fun making your landscaping look beautiful. One way you can freshen up areas where grass can’t grow or a small garden is with mulch or stone. Not only does this look great, but it prevents weeds from growing.

Mulch is certainly the easiest of the two to lay down, however, it must be replaced at least once a year. The average cost to buy mulch is between $200 at the minimum and $2,000 maximum. These costs depend on the type of mulch and how much you’ll be using to cover your area.

Trim Bushes & Trees

About once a year, you’ll want to trim your hedges, bushes and trees. Investing in a hedge trimmer is another great investment to make and they often are not very costly. You may also decide that taking care of your trees or shrubs is not for you and in that case, you’ll want to remove them. The average cost to trim or remove trees and shrubs is $638, with most homeowners spending between $422 and $707.

Conclusion

As you become a first-time homeowner, there are a lot of new tasks and responsibilities you must take on. The good news is that taking care of your lawn and landscaping does not have to be difficult. Keep up with regular maintenance and invest in quality tools for the most success!

Looking for more landscaping ideas? Read 5 Small Yard Landscaping Ideas.