As so many of our clients learn, there are many facets to lawn care and maintenance. We have spent much time extolling the virtues of lawn treatments like weed control, fertilizers, and pest control. We have undertaken the task of educating everyone on how magnificent mulch is. And irrigation? Don’t even get us started!
But what we don’t do enough of sometimes is getting down to the nitty-gritty—the basics. Mowing your lawn is often the first thing thought of when it comes to lawn care – and there is good reason for that. Lawn mowing is an activity that is crucial to the health and well-being of your lawn, the quality of your property value, and the overall aesthetic of a beautiful outdoor living area.
Plus, we love taking the opportunity to share with you cool facts about lawnmowing that you may not have known!
So Much To Do, So Much Time Spent
When you think about the days that you likely spent in your childhood taking care of your yard – maybe even starting your own small business in caring for your neighbor’s yard – pushing that mower while baking in the hot sun, your remembrance maybe a little less than fond. Those days, however, also likely feel like they passed by in a flash.
The passing of those days was likely slower than you realize. The amount of time that Americans spend online lawn care would astound you. When you take your next vacation, I’m sure the last location you are thinking about spending it is mowing your yards. That is the equivalent, though, of how much time homeowners spend on taking care of their property. Here in sunny Florida, the time spent on lawn care equates to over eight days of the year!
One Direction – NOT!
As humans, we are creatures of habit. When we set ourselves to a routine task, we find ourselves doing that task the same way in repetition. Take, for example, parting your hair. Typically if you part your hair on one side versus the other, it stays that way for a very long time.
The same tends to go for mowing our yards; we tend to mow in the same direction every time we get that engine going. This is a rookie mistake. Your lawn needs a slight shaking up now and then, and changing the direction you mow from week to week helps keep your grass growing thicker and healthier.
Our Yards Are Bigger Than We Realized
Our lawns take up how much space, in terms of acreage, of land in the country? Most folks would reckon no more than 20% of grasslands in the United States are owned as private yard space – however, that number is way off; if you answered 40%, that is much closer to the actual truth!
This figure is astounding – 21 million acres of grass in this country belongs in the hands of homeowners like you. That’s out of 50 million acres of grassland total. It sure does put into perspective a job that seems simple enough and the sheer magnitude of what that job entails.
Watch That Value Shoot For The Moon!
We hope that we have instilled in your brain space the importance of a well-maintained landscape. If we haven’t made our point poignant enough, consider this: a landscape that is cared for, and cared for well, can raise your property value. We aren’t talking a few dollars either: try upwards of 20%.
The return on your investment into your outdoor living area is huge. Creating a space with proper irrigation, sustainable mulch, free of pests, and mowed with the best of them will not only provide an excellent extension of your home but offer a fiscally responsible raise in the future.
Calm, Cool, and Collected – Don’t Get Stressed
Let’s talk stress. While we are sorry to hear you didn’t get that promotion or decisions for what to have for dinner are taking their toll on your psyche, we aren’t talking about your stress. We are talking about your grass, friends.
Your grass stresses when it rains. It also stresses when it’s hot. When it’s watered too little or too much, your grass lives in a pretty perpetual state of stress, and mowing during higher times of stress will make it eventually break down completely. Keep the mowing to when it’s cool (mornings are great) and not too wet for happy, relaxed grass.
OUCH! Mower-Related Injuries Abound
We understand that by singing the praises of mowing your yard regularly and the right way, we may be inadvertently creating a monster. While we get it – mowing is incredible– we implore you to reconsider buying the most expensive mower and going hog wild. Not necessarily only because mistakes from unskilled hands can be far costlier than using a pro, but because it’s truly dangerous.
Even with lawn mowing, accidents happen to the tune of almost 70,000 American injuries related to mowing per year. This stat is on par with teens getting hurt on the job a year – another example of the dangers of trying to accomplish something that takes a particular skill set when you are unskilled.
Most Folks Know a Good Partner When They See One
Probably one of our favorite cool mowing facts is that you, our clients, likely already recognize the value of mowing as a team effort. Whether you realize the dangers of injury present; the time and money that you may be wasting if not done the right time or the right way; or the value you are investing back into your property by having the pros take care of it for you, you’re brilliant!
You’ve accepted what many need to see that Premier Lawn Care is the premium service provider for Gainesville, Alachua, and High Springs – and that we KNOW mowing. Our service is only the best because our clients are only the best. Go YOU!