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Lower the Cost of Lawn Care

By The Savings Experiment Posted 10:00AM 03/12/13 Savings Experiment |
Savings Experiment: Lawn Care

How often do you water your lawn?

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From lawn mowers to fertilizer, maintaining your lawn can be expensive. There are many factors to consider, but here are a few easy ways to help keep costs down and your grass green.

Mow High
Many people think that cutting your grass short leaves more time between cuts, but short grass actually wastes energy trying to grow and get sunlight. According to About.com, maintaining your lawn at a minimum height of 3 inches will keep it healthy, and healthy grass is the key to saving money on unnecessary care. Keeping your grass long also helps water retention. "When your grass is longer, it can save you up to 50 percent of the water consumed by a shorter 1 to-2 inch lawn," reports Squawkfox.com.

Water Less
Overwatering promotes excessive growth and feeds weeds, which means more maintenance and a higher water bill. Instead, water less. This will force roots to grow down where they can enjoy deeper moisture sources. When you see your blades start to curl, that's when you should water.

Natural Nutrients
As for those lawn clippings, don't bag them! Grass clippings contain about 90 percent water, so they decompose quickly and help to return moisture and nutrients to the soil. This results in a healthier lawn that needs to be watered less. So, during growing season, it's best to leave clippings on the ground instead of disposing them. This logic does not apply to leaves, though. In the fall, make sure to rake leaves away as they will smother your grass over the winter.

Grass healthy careLawn Mower Options
Finally, the easiest way to save money on lawn care is to cut with a manual push mower instead of a gas-powered mower. Manual push lawn mowers like this Scotts model cost around $100, and need little maintenance. Of course, you'll be saving a ton on gas since the mower is powered by you. If you have a small to medium-sized lawn, split the cost of the mower with a few neighbors, and you'll be saving even more green.
Tagged: for the home, how long should i keep my grass, how often should i mow the lawn, how often should you water the lawn, lawn care, overwatering lawns, savings experiment, savingsexperiment, watering the

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Jensen Karen

THIS IS SURE A DIFFERENT PREMISE FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN TAUGHT! DURING THE VERY HOT SUMMER MONTHS, THE GRASS NEEDS TO BE WATERED! I'VE SEEN PLENTY OF BROWN LAWNS WHO HAVE FOLLOWED YOUR ADVICE.

April 13 2013 at 11:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
brittwedel

Most of these tips just aren't practical for me. I have 5 acres of land and just keeping all of that mowed and cared for with the fastest lawn mowers is a big job. Usually we care for and landscape the 2 acres of land closest to our house very well and bring in help with the rest of the 3 acres to just keep it as healthy as possible.

April 11 2013 at 2:53 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jimoakman@gmail.com

this is the opposite of what was taught years ago -- which was , water deep grass roots will grow deeper weed root are shallow thus be starved for water !

April 04 2013 at 10:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Freddy James

One time cost of installing carpet grass. No mowing or water. When snow melts it is still green.

April 04 2013 at 7:42 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
pfjw

Electric corded mower. Cuts as fast as a small gas mower (mind the cord, however), no smell and low(er) noise. It also mulches - so no clippings to fuss over. We have about 6,000 s.f. of grass front and back. All-in-all and including edging and using an electric trimmer under the hedges and along the sidewalk, it takes a bit over an hour with one break.

I have seen some very nice push-mowers out there - but not for a lawn with lots of sloped areas and two long hedges.

April 04 2013 at 3:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tjdnorco

I use a battey powered mower it cuts both the front and back yard ok. I have a pretty big back yard 40x40.

April 02 2013 at 8:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mindteaser22

Push mowers what a joke! Three of my neighbors boasted on "going green" and purchased push mowers. That lasted about a month. Two chucked the push mower for gas models and the other hired a lawn service. If you are not a die hard environmentalist, do yourself a favor and don't travel back to the Stone Age.

April 02 2013 at 1:26 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to mindteaser22's comment
mclkarim

I know. I tried using a push mower, but it didn't work at all. I had to return it and bought a new gas mower.

April 02 2013 at 4:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Roy M

Just try push mowing a 1 acre lot. Good luck! The people do not live in the real world. They live in towns with yards the size of most people's living room carpets.

March 28 2013 at 7:47 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
jerdugal

Don't rake leaves, mulch them with mower.. Enhances soil.. Prevents weeds.. If lawn is so small that it can be cut with manual mower how much can be saved? Use 1/2 as much fertilizer and only apply in September.. Choose the right grass seed for your lawn.. Pull weeds by hand, or dig up by roots.. easy to do when weeds are young in early spring. Boiling water kills weeds faster than any chemical.. Great for cracks in sidewalk or larger weeds that can't be dug up. Areate the soil.. Compacted soil will not absorb water and nutrients.

March 18 2013 at 10:40 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply

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