How to find a great lawn care company

On the surface, many lawn care companies appear exactly alike as it relates to a phone book or newspaper advertisement.  If a web site is available, you are likely to see images of a thick, green lawn surrounded by bold tag lines such as “Quality service”, “Five step program”, or “Satisfaction Guaranteed” among many others.  Before you start shopping, write down a short list of what you are looking for- even if you don’t know what you want.  Let me explain.
What are some of your priorities?  Less weeds perhaps, maybe a healthier lawn is your general desire?  Do you prefer natural products over traditional ones?  The final consideration should be the budget or price as any reputable company will prioritize treatments according to results and how to get there as it relates to your wishes.
Said another way, you care about your lawn and have at least decided to seek additional professional help; regardless of the underlying reasons.  While pricing is certainly an important component, what you get for that price varies between lawn care companies.  Experience, product choice, and even rates applied can range from “light” to “generous” when it comes to the amount of material used at your home or office.
While you may not have the time or desire to execute a properly designed turf enhancement program, there are plenty of great companies that will not only make your lawn look better, but make you smile when you look out your window.  All lawn programs are not created equally.  All lawn programs have underlying similar themes but the product choices and execution of the program are critically different between certified, licensed lawn companies.
Do you know anyone who uses a lawn care company?  If so, who do they use and why?  Often you might have heard “street talk”, conversations in passing good or bad of experiences with either local or distant lawn companies.  While national lawn companies may boast the cheapest price, the savings in results, service, billing, customer service, and problem solving skills tend to be inconsistent and difficult to control between offices.  Along the same theme, is supporting your local economy important?  If so, look for lawn care companies within a 30 minute drive of your home versus 1, 2 or more hours away.
What program options are you interested in?  Is your preference toward Natural or Organic fertilizers and treatments of compost tea and sea kelp?  Maybe your interest is simply removing all of those juicy weeds that inhabit your front lawn!  Keeping an open mind, there are many roads and options that can lead to a healthier, greener lawn.
Some lawn products take longer to see visible results while others are faster or “better” simply by working on technology.  Who made the lawn program you are considering?  Is the program a corporate “white bread” duplicated office after office, or are the materials handpicked and the program handcrafted by a smaller company?  These are all very good questions to consider while selecting a new or switching to another lawn care program.
Once you have a list of priorities and have considered some of the questions put forth in this blog post, you are ready to act!  Good luck in your quest and may your phone call or e-mail be answered promptly.  Get ready for spring!