If you’re someone who is committed to having an amazing lawn, you might be wondering what’s involved in achieving those high-level results. Unfortunately, a lot of people simplify lawn care to being a matter of using lawn weed and feed and, as you can likely tell by the title of this article, it’s just not that simple.
The lawn care products industry has not done much to help dispel this notion. In fact, they love oversimplifying lawn care to make it seem like you can get an amazing lawn with a simple four-step program that focuses mostly on lawn weed and feed. But even if you use the very best weed and feed products on the market, there’s so much more involved in producing healthy grass.
In this article, we’ll talk more about what’s involved in getting amazing lawn care results and how you can set your property up for success.
Weed and Feed Spray Falls Short When It Comes to the Complexity of Lawn Care
While we’re not claiming that lawn care is rocket science, it is a lot more complicated than most people realize. Weed and feed programs try to simplify lawn care down to two main tasks: getting rid of weeds and feeding the lawn with vital nutrients (fertilization).
Both of these are definitely important but they don’t address the fact that there are often lawn problems that also need to be accounted for when it comes to the lawn’s overall health.
Failing to address lawn problems (and adjust the applications as needed) can mean that you don’t get the lawn care results you desire even though you feel like you’re giving your lawn everything that it needs.
Just to name some of the potential problems that lawns could be dealing with, here are some of the more common issues (but still not a comprehensive list).
- Surface-feeding insects (like chinch bugs and sod webworms)
- Lawn grubs
- Weather conditions (drought, excessive rain, extreme heat)
- Lawn disease
- Mowing mistakes (like mowing the lawn too short)
- Soil health problems
- Compacted soil
The truth is that these types of issues need a proper diagnosis and a proper solution (which typically stems far beyond anything that weed and feed can do). In fact, certain applications or products can actually aggravate a problem (such a fertilizer aggravating a lawn disease problem).
When homeowners see that their lawn is browning they sometimes assume it must either need more water or more “food” (fertilizer). But if the issue is actually a disease, the problem will only be made worse.
This is why the proper diagnosis of anything going on with the lawn should be made by a pro. They’ll be able to implement services that not only include weed control and fertilization but other necessary tasks to ensure your lawn’s optimal health depending upon what issues it might be dealing with. Additional services like pest or disease control, limestone application, soil testing, and aeration and overseeding are all important to the overall health of your lawn.
Store-Bought Lawn Weed and Feed Can’t Stand Up to a Commercial-Grade Product
The other main problem with assuming that some bags of weed and feed will be able to produce amazing results is the fact that store-bought products are inferior to what a professional should be using.
When it comes to weed control, tackling some of the highly aggressive weeds often found in our region often requires commercial-grade and specialized controls. A simple weed and feed program is not going to be able to control the wide variety of weeds that a homeowner could have on their property.
On top of that, store-bought weed control products are going to be granular, which is far less effective than the liquid weed control products used by a professional. With a granular product, the lawn must be wet during application in order for it to “stick” to the weed.
These are some of the reasons why store-bought weed control products tend to fall short.
The same is true for store-bought lawn fertilizer products. It just can’t stand up to what a professional is offering both in the product quality but also the application. At Joshua Tree, highly skilled and experienced lawn care technicians use calibrated ride-on equipment that applies an even amount of product on your lawn. You’re just not going to get the same result by dumping a few bags around your property.
Working with a Professional for the Best Products, Services, and Results
We understand why people assume that a solid lawn weed and feed program will be all they need to have a healthy and thriving lawn. As we mentioned, the lawn care products industry has really touted these two services as everything a lawn needs.
But there’s just so much more to it than that.
We hate to see homeowners dissatisfied after investing time, money, and energy into products that just don’t achieve what they desire. Plus, the fact is, you have better things to do with your time than try to figure out why your lawn isn’t looking its best.
When homeowners choose to work with Joshua Tree they find peace of mind in the fact that their professional lawn care program covers everything their lawn needs. That even includes having a professional on their property keeping an eye on things and spotting problems early on, before they get serious.
For our clients, that ends up being so much more value than they could ever get from a bag of lawn weed and feed.
If you’d like to know more about how Joshua Tree can help meet your lawn needs at your home in the Allentown or Lansdale, PA area, or you have more questions, we’re here to help! Get in touch with us to get some free expert advice and learn more about our lawn care program options.
