I know for sure that spring is just around the corner because the lawn care company came and performed my first lawn treatment of 2013. The fact that they showed up and did the job on a dreary, drizzly day in February is number one on my list of reasons why I use a lawn care company. The early fertilizer along with crab grass pre-emergent needs to go on the lawn now, not next week or next month when the weather is pretty.
The young service man trekked around the yard in a slicker and rubber boots pushing a large broadcast spreader which had a slicker / rain bonnet of its own over the dry mixture in the hopper. Me, I would be waiting for a pretty day to do the job.
The treatments happens on time.
In the past I often missed treatments waiting for a pretty or dry day. For maximum effect some treatments require no rain for a number of hours. How many days in the spring are without the risk of some rain? The pros treat the lawn on a regular schedule. If their efforts are washed away they just come back and treat it again. They know that more often than not they will win the weather battle.
There isn't much difference in cost.
When one carefully analyzes the cost of the materials the labor to apply them is almost free. When we go to Lowes or Home Depot they don't ask the size of our lawn and measure out the exact correct amount for our yards. They sell bags that cover a certain size. We buy the bag, take it home and either have too much or too little to properly do the job. That is if the weather allows us to ever apply it.
The pros buy their stuff in bigger bags and more concentrated ratios they we ever can. The watered down weed killer we buy in quarts at the stores is a very weak solution of something they buy in gallons and then use a few ounces per tankful of water to treat many yards. They don’t pay the cost of shipping a watered down product great distances.
Liability and Litigation issues.
This is probably the least of my concerns but it is still a valid consideration. What if you over apply the fertilizer and the run off kills your neighbor's grass. What if you treat your lawn and the dog of the old biddy who allows her dog to make deposits in your yard suddenly becomes ill or dies? These are things to think about.
The lawn care pro has better equipment. The chance of spreading too much fertilizer is greatly reduced. For sure he won't make one more pass to empty the bag. His spay nozzle delivers a consistent application rate at a consistent pressure. He places a warning sign in the yard after every treatment. He maintains a liability insurance policy with a much higher limit than your homeowner's policy provides. His name will be first on any lawsuits. He has training, some certifications and a license to prove that he knows what he is doing. His opinion is worth more than yours in a court of law if the need to testify ever presents itself.
