Tips for Lawn Care on a Budget

Lawn care is an expensive endeavor. But if you’re looking to save money on lawn care, there are several things you can do to make sure your lawn stays healthy and green without breaking the bank.

Set up a watering schedule

Setting up a watering schedule is one of the best ways to make sure you’re saving as much water as possible. To do this, you’ll need to do some research on the type of grass that’s in your lawn and its preferred watering needs.

However, even if you know how much water each type of grass needs, there’s still no way for anyone but Mother Nature herself to tell exactly when those areas need more water—so that brings us back around to setting up a proper schedule based around rainfall amounts and soil moisture levels instead!

Regular mowing is key

Mowing regularly is one of the most important steps in keeping your lawn healthy and green. When you mow often enough, it helps remove thatch from the lawn’s surface (this layer of dead plant matter can suffocate healthy growth), making it easier for water, sunlight, and fertilizer to reach roots where they’re needed most. The best way to know how often to mow is by measuring how long your grass grows between cuts; when it reaches 3 inches or longer (depending on whether you’re using a reel mower or a motorized one), it’s time for another trimming session!

Trust your senses

In this section, we’ll talk about the importance of trusting your senses when it comes to lawn care. While you may not be able to see or smell a problem, if you listen and feel careful, you can tell whether your lawn needs water, fertilizer or aeration.

To check for wilting (which is a sign of under-watering), take note of areas that have gone from green to brown over time. If there are visible signs of stress on individual plants as well as patches throughout your yard, chances are good that these areas need water more than others do.

If there’s a musty smell coming from anywhere in your yard—especially near the base of plantings—this could indicate excessive moisture levels causing root rot issues due to overwatering or poor drainage in certain spots on your property. A healthy lawn should have rich earthy smells; anything else might be cause for concern!

Finally: listen! Sure we know our ears serve many purposes outside just hearing things like music (although let’s face it—we do love listening to music). But did you know they can also help us identify insect problems? The sound made by insects eating grass blades is distinctive enough that once you recognize it for what it is (and maybe even learn how often insects make this noise), then finding out what kind of bug might be responsible becomes easier too!

Choose a quality hose

The first and most important thing you need to do is choose a quality retractable garden hose. The last thing you want is to go through all that work only to have the hose kink or burst. It should also be made of strong plastic so it won’t crack easily. You may also want to consider buying an expandable garden hose if you have a large yard or garden area. These hoses are great because they don’t kink easily and can reach areas where your regular hose won’t fit.

Get the right tools

You don’t need a full set of expensive tools to take care of your lawn — but you do need some basic equipment. For example: A good pair of pruners or clippers is essential for cutting back any dead or dying foliage; a good trowel is important for digging holes for new plants; and a hose with a spray nozzle will help you water evenly across your entire yard.

Know when to fertilize and when to hold off

You can help your lawn grow by fertilizing in the spring and fall. In the spring, fertilizer helps grass get off to a good start; in the fall, it helps plants survive winter’s cold temperatures.

The best time to fertilize is when you’re seeding or sodding new grass. Fertilizing at this point will give you long-lasting results because it feeds into root systems as they develop.

If you’re re-seeding, do so with a brand of seed that has been pre-fertilized for fast germination and growth (fertilizer is often mixed into seed before packaging). This product should be labeled “seed and fertilizer” or something similar on its packaging.

Keep an eye on the forecast, and act accordingly

With the help of a little research, you can determine which season is best for each type of lawn care. For example, if you have a drought-tolerant lawn that needs less water and fertilizer but still produces beautiful grass, it would be wise to wait until fall or winter to fertilize your lawn.

If you want a lush green lawn that needs consistent nutrients throughout the year but doesn’t need aerating or seeding yet, then now’s the time to fertilize and aerate. If your yard has bare patches or weeds in it and needs some serious attention now before planting shrubs or trees in spring/summer/fall respectively, then hire a professional service to come out and do what needs doing so you’re not stuck with an unmanageable mess on your hands later on down the road (and potentially damaging your new plants).

Overall, to have a lush, green lawn on a budget, all it really takes is time and dedication. The key is to plan ahead and get your soil ready in the spring so that you can easily reduce or eliminate expensive applications of fertilizer and seed during the warmer months of the year. Now go forth and make your lawn a showpiece!