Increase your Property Value with Lawn Care

Have you noticed how your lawn has started growing like crazy? It’s one of the first things that people see when they drive by a house, which is why we talked about it as a “curb appeal” factor at the seminar I gave with Julie Allyne a couple weeks ago at Molbak’s. Even if a home is perfect inside, a poorly maintained lawn can give a bad first impression, and make it the only impression, as the saying goes.

I like the way lawn care is described in a Home Depot blog just published. It said to think about it in the same way as caring for a small child. After waking up from its long winter nap, your lawn is hungry. It needs attention. And if it’s neglected too long, your lawn will get unruly and eventually go to seed.

That’s why spring is the best time to fertilize lawns, especially since our wet winters can alter soil pH, compact the soil, and create conditions friendly to weeds and disease. Lawns need the extra nutrients from fertilizer to assure their healthy growth as they wake up. Experts say it’s a good idea to use a fertilizer mixture that also contains weed killer, to prevent crabgrass and other pesky grass weeds from also benefiting from the fertilizer and taking over.

American homeowners take a great deal of pride in their yards, which is why, the Professional Lawn Care Association reports, we spend about $6.4 billion a year on lawn care. We love the sound of a humming lawn mower, green carpet to play in with bare feet, as well as at least a 5 percent property value increase that results from a great looking lawn, as various realtors report!