Best Lawn Care Tip EVER!

#1 Tip to the best possible lawn: Do something at least every week

Who isn't busy nowadays? Your time is valuable and Property Maintenance is a year-round chore that can take big chunks out of what little time You have to spare!
If you're a home owner or renter, your lawn & landscape elements are important. The appearance influences the value of the entire neighborhood as well as your own property, and indicates your level of pride in your home! Lawns are practically a place-mat for your home! At one point the lawn was a sign of prestige and privilege in North America! This tradition carries on more subtly as setting for presenting your home to visitors and passers-by. And yet, while it is a regular chore, many of us put off the inevitable in lieu of more pressing matters, and that is where we go wrong.
Therefore we've determined that #1 one trick to your best possible lawn is to cut often and cut high most of the summer.

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There are probably hundreds of reasons we leave the lawn unchecked. From injury and illness to busy schedules and extended absences, we all do our best in our daily lives. However, putting off lawn care can be costly, have deep effects on your lawn, and frankly looks terrible!
Peter, owner of ALC, says his most common problem encountered with new clients is lack of follow-through, "Many customers call us for one-time rescues and we are happy to help but it's clear that many of us simply don't get around to this chore and it starts to cost big-time! It's harder on the equipment and the homeowner, with equipment repair or replacement, hours of lost time, and an unkempt or derelict appearance to the property - not to mention the additional cost of hiring someone like myself in the meantime."
He continues to advise that, "Weekly mows on a medium-high setting allow the grass to grow thick and lush. It also makes the work quicker and with a cleaner appearance to the cut, AND helps protect and fight against mosses and weeds."
Since most residential lawn equipment are a lower-powered version of ALC's commercial option longer grass takes a toll on the engine, consumes more fuel, takes longer to do & dulls mower blades drastically faster. The increase in grass clippings prevents mulching since the heavy thatch will cover and kill the newly cut grass quickly. Thus it requires bagging and even more time to finish the job! The following scenario is based on a small to mid-sized lawn that could take as little as 30 minutes to maintain weekly but only gets done once per month:

Scenario:
small/mid-sized lawn once per month

Peter relates that he once arrived to a new client's home and noticed on the way to the door that there was a partial swath cut in the middle of the tiny lawn that stopped abruptly. The grass was quite tall, perhaps 6" in most areas except the mowed area which was a very bright green and perhaps 2" tall at best. He discovered through the client that her mower of less than 4 months had broken down and started smoking on just this 5th use! Below are the costs involved for her to get working equipment and fix her lawn:

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1. Equipment Purchase/Repair:
   Decent residential mowers start at around $400 to replace and sometimes nearly as much to repair. Most repair men charge $50 just to diagnose, with most repairs averaging $150 - $200. That's half the value of a brand new one just to repair it!
2. Personal spare time:
   What can take 20 minutes may turn into an hour just for mowing! At just a moderate personal time rate of $20/hr, A lawn cut once per month requires several passes, requires extra bagging and clean-up. That same 20-minute lawn now becomes a full 2-3 hour project! Instead of a $10 cost in personal time it now costs at least 4x as much!
3. Replace or Sharpen mower blades:
   Greater wear and tear will mean a dull blade every 2-3 months. Replacement blades vary from $30 - $50, or pay someone to sharpen it (4-7 day wait times while the grass keeps growing) for $15 - $20. High and low costs on this translate into $30 - $150
4. Repairing Dead Patches:
   Grass leavings left in clumps on the lawn can kill the grass below - Grass Seed or Sod for dead patches starts at $30, requires new soil that can be purchased for $10 per bag, and frequent inspection to grow full and healthy. Total of $40 - $50 plus more spare time.
5. Landscaper Rate:
   Even if it's just a one-time call, many landscaper rates average $65 - $75 per hour. At roughly 4-6 hours plus materials, it could cost $250 - $450 in labour to "rescue" the lawn.
6. Weed & Overgrowth Control:
   Weeds dominate when roots and soil are showing, and creep into soil beds, rock beds, and other areas if kept unchekced. Purchasing a herbicide ($30+) and a weed spray ($30+), plus a sprayer tool of some sort ($20 - $85) can really add up! Not to mention more time spent!​

Details below are based on cost to repair or purchase new, and DIY a dying lawn that has not been maintained. With personal time moderately estimated at 5 hours of labor.

Consider:	High & Low Cost
Equipment Purchase/Repair	$150 - $400
Spare Time & Opportunity Cost	$60 - $300
Mower Blade Sharpen/Buy	$20 - $40
Dead Patch ​Repair	$40 - $50
Landscaper ​Rates	$250 - $450
Weed & Overgrowth Control	$100 - $165
POTENTIAL COSTS	$400 - $1000!!

As Low as $120/mo with ALC

Imagine kicking your feet up on the weekend knowing your lawn is looking great without even having to look!  

40 minutes a week or 4 hours of work and upkeep once per month... seems like easy math right?

Cutting medium/high & often stops grass from seeding, protects from root exposure, & makes the work much easier!

There's also no mention of any travel time or cost, any interest accrued on loans or credit cards, the opportunity cost of not being available for more important, profitable or interesting things or money invested in the original equipment!
​Weekly service reduces workload on the engine, keeps the blade sharp for a whole season, reduces total time spent on the chore per month, fertilizes lawns, keeps weeds and overgrowth under control, and saves you from hiring a third party to maintain your lawn while your mower is in the shop! Plus no fussing with fuel or cords, 
Right about now it is surely starting to make more sense to you why people would rather pay $120 or more per month to companies like Alberto Lawn Care - it takes all of these costs out of the way, keeps your lawn pristine, and literally saves you a huge amount of time, money, effort and most importantly saves you from the aggravation!

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