If you’re handling your own lawn care, you’re probably spending your weekends mowing the lawn, raking leaves and trimming plants and shrubs. A beautiful green lawn requires a year-round commitment to regular lawn care and maintenance, and that means yard work on most weekends for you. It may be time to hire a professional lawn care company in NJ, so you can spend your weekends on more enjoyable activities.
As a Northern NJ homeowner, you want a lush, green lawn that adds beauty and curb appeal to your home and hiring a professional lawn care company will ensure that. If you have never worked with a professional lawn care company, you probably have questions about available services and costs. Here are some questions and answers that will help you find the right lawn care company in NJ for your landscape needs.
How Much Do Basic Lawn Care Services Cost?
Basic lawn care costs will vary based on your location, property size and services you choose. They will also vary between each different lawn care company in NJ.
Can They Help With Other Landscape Projects?
A licensed, full-service lawn care company in NJ can help you with many landscape needs and landscape projects for your home, beyond basic lawn care and maintenance. With professional knowledge and experienced crews, they can create an entire new landscape, as well as great outdoor features to enhance the beauty of your home. 
Is Organic Lawn Care Available?
Today, many homeowners are interested in organic lawn care to provide a chemical-free outdoor environment for their family and pets. Look for a reputable lawn care company in NJ that offers organic lawn care services for your home. It’s a great way to take care of your lawn and landscape with natural, organic solutions and treatments. Organic lawn care will encourage strong root growth and healthy, green turf without any toxic chemicals. The use of organic compounds will help to establish a natural ecosystem that improves the soil, prevents weed growth and discourages lawn diseases.
Organic care is also available for your trees and shrubs. Organic fertilizers will promote stronger, year-round growth with more protection against insects, pests and fungal diseases that often attack tress and shrubs. Trees will grow faster and withstand the stress of Northern NJ temperature and climate changes much better. Talk to a qualified, Bergen County landscape professional about the many benefits of organic lawn care and maintenance for your home. Applications are typically done in the spring, summer and fall.
Does Organic Lawn Care Cost More?
Organic lawn care may cost a little more because of the natural, chemical-free products that are used, but like traditional lawn care, costs will vary based on your existing lawn and landscape conditions, your landscape requirements and the lawn care company in NJ that you choose for services. If you’re interested in organic lawn care and maintenance for your home, talk to a qualified, professional landscape company that specializes in organic lawn care. Based on your property conditions and your landscape needs, he can give you more accurate information on organic lawn care services and costs for your property.
Do They Provide Fertilization?
A professional lawn care company in NJ can provide regular fertilization treatments for your lawn and landscape. Fertilization is important to keep your lawn and landscape green and healthy. Most soils in Bergen County are deficient in proper nutrients that are essential for healthy plant growth. There are seven primary nutrients that your lawn and landscape plants need. They get the first three, hydrogen, carbon and oxygen, from air and water. They must get the other four, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and iron either from the soil or applied fertilizers. Nitrogen encourages new growth; phosphorous stimulates root growth; potassium improves plant vigor; and iron promotes strength and stability. Regular fertilization is essential for a lush, green, healthy lawn that can withstand environmental stresses like sun and heat, drought, freezing ground temperatures and constant lawn mowing. Typical fertilization schedules include spring and fall, but a professional lawn care company in NJ can determine the best times to fertilize and the right fertilizer to use based on your grass type and existing soil conditions.
Do They Provide Insect and Pest Control?
Professional lawn care and regular maintenance will keep your lawn looking great, but regular pest control is essential to protect it from various outdoor insects and pests. Not all insects and pests cause lawn damage, but those that do can destroy your entire lawn very quickly.
What are the Benefits of Professional Lawn Care?
- Quality Care – A beautiful, green lawn not only requires time and effort, but it also requires knowledge about different plant varieties, growth patterns, types of soil and grass, proper pruning schedules, and using the right lawn care products and equipment. Licensed, full-service landscape contractors often have an education in horticulture or landscape architecture, so they are well-educated in proper lawn care, maintenance and lawn problems.
- Professional Experience – A professional lawn care company in NJ uses skilled and experienced crews to take care of your lawn and landscape. They are equipped with the proper tools to get things done in a timely and efficient manner. If you weigh the cost of DIY lawn care to the cost of professional services, you have to factor in skill, experience and the cost of necessary equipment to maintain your property which could cost you thousands of dollars.
- More Free Time – Regular lawn care and maintenance is a time-consuming job. Just mowing the grass on the weekend can take up hours of your time and disrupt family activities or social events. If you work long hours, yard work every weekend is probably not how you want to spend your time. Hiring a lawn care professional will give you more free time for things you enjoy.
How Do I Find the Right Lawn Care Company?
Before you hire someone, make sure they can handle your landscape needs within your budget. Make sure you hire a reputable, qualified company with adequate staff to provide lawn care and maintenance services. You want a company that’s knowledgeable, experienced and dependable, so you may want to talk to several companies before you make your final decision. Here are some helpful tips:
- Do an online search – Most reputable companies have a website as a marketing and advertising tool for their business. Research the company’s website for company information, available services, referrals, photos and client reviews.
- Get referrals – A good company’s name and reputation gets around quickly, especially in the areas where they do business. Ask friends, relatives or neighbors in your area for referrals, and who they have used for landscape services. You can also ask the company for referrals.
- Visit the company – Some landscape companies have a showroom or nursery that’s open to the public. If so, you can stop by to get an idea of their work and the services they offer. It’s also a great opportunity to meet the owner and some of the landscape staff.
- Check professional affiliations – A good lawn care company in NJ will most likely be affiliated with important professional lawn care organizations in Northern NJ that promote horticulture education and ethical business practices, such as:
- Professional Landscape Network (PLANET)
- New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association
- Builders & Remodelers Association of NJ
- American Society of Landscape Architects
- Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program
Do I Need to Sign a Contract for Services?
After you choose the right lawn care company in NJ and discuss your landscape needs, you will receive a proposal outlining specific services and costs. For basic lawn care and maintenance services, your proposal should be rather simple. If you add additional services, make sure those costs are clearly defined. For special projects or outdoor features, it’s best to get a separate proposal for each project.