Ultimate Guide to Landscape Maintenance

Landscaping maintenance helps turn your overgrown yard into a relaxing paradise. From basic lawn care and lawn maintenance to more intricate landscaping services, different types of landscaping will suit your needs better. You can even count on a landscaper to implement the landscape designs you have in mind.

Landscaping companies can handle all your land maintenance services. This article will guide you in turning your landscaping ideas into reality. This way you will have a basic idea of all the landscaping services you could receive and their cost. 

Types of Services Offered by Landscape Maintenance Services

Spring and Fall Clean Up

With the changing of the seasons comes changes to your lawn care requirements. When fall and spring kick-off, your yard needs extra care. A landscape company will clean your mulch and flower beds, edge your beds and remove debris. Also, they will trim back any perennials for new growth in the coming months. 

You should typically receive spring and fall clean-up twice a year when those seasons get underway.

General Bed Maintenance/Detailing

Every now and then you might want to have your flower and mulch beds cleaned up. This general maintenance includes weeding, trimming and edging. Not as in-depth as spring/fall cleans, your landscaper should perform general maintenance fairly often. This keeps your yard looking nice year-round and keeps it easy to control.

Pruning/Hedging

Just like your lawn needs a cut, so do your flowers, bushes, trees and shrubs. A professional will know exactly when to prune a plant. Pruning at the wrong time could damage certain plants. Additionally, a professional will know just how much to take off without damaging the plant.

Landscape Plant Protect and Feed

Many plants draw in a lot of nutrients from the soil. In order to keep them healthy, your landscaping service can put these nutrients back into the earth. In addition to feeding, they will also perform pest and disease prevention measures to protect your plants.

Lawn Protect and Feed

To get a lush green lawn, you should have your lawn sprayed with a landscaper offering this chemical service. These services give your lawn proper nutrients and ward off pests and diseases including insects and fungi. A professional will know exactly when to spray your lawn and what chemicals work best for your grass.

Mulching

Usually, during the springtime, you will want to add another layer of mulch to your mulch beds. This helps separate your plant beds from your lawn, which simplifies lawn care. It also adds a lot of curb appeal and makes your trees, bushes and flowers stand out.

Leaf Removal

During the fall and with certain species in the spring, deciduous trees shed their leaves. This needs to get cleaned up before they start snuffing out your lawn and plants. Landscapers can clean up the leaves and take them away from your property, leaving you with a clean space.

Lawn Mowing

Finally, lawn mowing is the most frequent form of lawn and yard maintenance. During the summer months, grass can grow fairly quickly, especially in moist environments. Grass must get trimmed once a week or once every other week, depending on climate. A landscaping service can mow your lawn and give a professional finish for maximum appeal.

Lawn Service Costs

Like most services, cost varies based on the specific kind of service, size of the project and location. If you want more work done you should expect to pay a little more as well. The landscaping company you choose may offer different prices, but you can use this as a guide.

Monthly Lawn Care Cost

Home Advisor estimates that the average homeowner will pay between $100 and $200 per month for lawn care. However, this cost depends on specific services and the size of your yard. General services usually include mowing, trimming and basic upkeep. If you want a more intricate project, your costs will rise greatly.

Weekly Lawn Care Cost

Many service providers will charge around $50 per visit. This typically includes mowing and trimming on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. You can usually pay a little less when you sign a contract with a company for returning services.

Annual Lawn Care Cost

Over the course of a year, homeowners will typically pay between $700 and $2,600. Climate plays a huge role since warmer places need year-round maintenance. Colder climates generally do not need lawn care during the late fall and winter months. 

Price also varies depending on the services. Consistent mulching and pruning services along with mowing cost more than just one service. In many cases, you can pay a little less when you sign a landscaping contract to perform multiple services. 

Lawn Mowing and Maintenance Cost

Over the course of a month, expect to pay somewhere around $140 for mowing, trimming and hedging. Landscapers perform this type of basic maintenance most often. Larger yards always cost more to mow and maintain than smaller ones. 

Lawn Aeration Cost

Lawn aeration helps nutrients and water find their way into your soil down to your lawn’s roots. It costs anywhere between $75 and $180, depending on yard size and required services.

Fertilization Cost

Lawn fertilization takes place in stages since it usually requires several applications. Expect to pay between $80 and $380, depending on how many applications you need or want. A single service will cost around $50. 

Installing a Sprinkler System Cost

A sprinkler system will help give your lawn water at the flick of a switch. Depending on material quality and size of your yard, installation can cost $1,750 to $3,400. You may also need to install a drainage system along with your sprinkler to keep from flooding your yard.

Tree Trimming Cost

Considered a more dangerous task, tree trimming costs a lot more than just hedging and pruning. Tree size and shape play a huge role, adjusting the cost anywhere from $400 to $1200. It may cost even more if you have a particularly tricky situation in need of fixing.

Dethatching and Power Raking Cost

Dethatching refers to removing the top layer of thatch from your lawn. Made up of grass, roots and dead grass, thatch can keep your lawn from getting proper water and sunlight. Dethatching costs anywhere from $100 to $700. Power raking is an extreme way to remove thatch and costs $10 to $20 per thousand square feet of lawn.

Lawn Replacement/Restoration Cost

When you need to replace your lawn but do not want to wait for the reseeding process, consider lawn replacement. Instead of just seeds, you get already growing sod, ready for application. Replacing one-fifth of an acre can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $7,000 or more. The price of sod also varies depending on the type of grass, location and market availability.

Seeding a lawn costs significantly less, from $400 to $1500 to reside an entire lawn. However, the process can take up to two years for full restoration.

Important Questions about Landscape Maintenance

What is the Average Cost of Lawn Care Per Acre?

Lawn care costs vary from $50 an acre all the way past $2,000. The more services you require, the more you pay. Mowing costs significantly less than reseeding or fertilizing. However, bundling those services with the same landscaping company could save you some money. 

How Much do Gardeners Make?

Gardeners in the United States average about $50 per hour. This rate varies depending on experience and certifications. 

How Much does Basic Lawn Care Cost?

Basic lawn care, including mowing and trimming will usually cost around $50. However, more intricate clean-ups will cost more, sometimes upwards of $200.

Do I Need to Tip, my Landscaper?

While most landscapers do not expect a tip, you can always express your appreciation with one. How much you decide to tip depends on the service, but they will appreciate any bonus. Anywhere from $15 to $50 is more than enough of a “thank you.”

How Much Should I Charge for Landscaping?

You should charge depending on your service. To get an idea, you should charge between $130 and $400 a month for maintenance and add ons. Your rate will vary depending on the size of the lawn and the nature of the project.

7 Lawn Maintenance and Gardening Tips

Keep an Eye on Soil pH

Soil pH determines how well your grass can grow. Since pH levels can change, you want to keep an eye on it and adjust as needed. Sometimes healthy-looking soil might not have the correct pH levels grass and plants need.

You can test your soil pH yourself or have a professional do it for you. Grass usually likes it somewhere between 6.0 and 7.2. Pro tip: lime raises pH and iron lowers it.

Feed Shady Areas Less

Sunlight alters how much water and nutrients your grass needs. Overfeeding or fertilizing a shady lawn does not help it and just kills it faster. Since grass grows more slowly in the shade, it does not need as much fertilizer. No fertilizer in the world can overcome inadequate sunlight levels.

You also do not need to water shady areas as much, since the shade keeps water from evaporating. Overfeeding your lawn can kill it just as much as underfeeding it.

Plant Trees as if They were Fully Grown

Whenever you plant a new shrub or tree, treat it like it is already fully grown. Visualize how much space it will take up as it grows. This will keep you from overcrowding your beds. It also helps you determine where you can plant your trees. Planting a tree too close to a structure can cause damage to both.

Healthy Grass Prevents Weeds

A thick and rich yard will keep weeds from sprouting up. The fuller your lawn, the less space for weeds to poke out. An unhealthy lawn leaves plenty of gaps and space for weeds to get plenty of sunlight. So if you want a weed-free lawn, take care of your grass.

Use Ground Covers for Landscaping Issues

Ground cover goes a long way towards preventing erosion and keeping rocks in line with your design. 

Mulch Leaves Instead of Raking

You can mulch, or shred your leaves and spread them around your yard. This not only reduces maintenance time but also acts as a natural fertilizer. You can mulch your leaves and grass by going over them with a lawnmower. Instead of collecting the mulch in a bag, blow it around your yard. 

You might still have to do some raking since too much mulch will kill the grass underneath. But so long as you have a manageable amount of leaves, let the mower do the work.

Protect Trees with Mulch

Tree roots love the protection offered by soil and other coverings. You can protect your trees by surrounding them with mulch. Mulch helps a tree’s roots keep their moisture, and also keeps critters away from eating them. Put a two to four-inch layer of mulch around the base of your trees. Surround them with a three to four-foot border of mulch. 

Mulch keeps grass and weeds from fighting your trees for nutrients, allowing them to grow full and healthy.

Finding the Right Landscaper

If you live in the Northeast Ohio Region, Exscape Designs can take care of all of your landscaping needs. In addition to regular lawn maintenance, Exscape offers custom landscaping and yard designs. As your landscape architect and landscape designer, we turn your dreams into a reality.

Whether your lawn needs mowing or you want to create something new, contact Exscape designs today. The perfect backyard landscaping design is closer than you thought.