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| | | Gardening services vary from only mowing, to caring for hedges, shrubs and flower beds. Some lawn companies also provide application of fertilizer and weed control products. | | |
| Typical costs: | - Mowing an average-sized residential lawns costs from $20-$40.
- Mowing a large one-acre lot starts at $40 each visit and goes up according to access and condition.
- The price for weekly mowing, leaf blowing, hedging and shrub trimming (as needed) runs $65-$90.
- For mowing your own lawn, a rotary mower typically runs $100-$700. For large parcels more than a half acre, riding mowers run $1,100-$6,500. Edgers cost $90-$170 at Home Depot.com. Depending on planting material, other tools needed might include an electric hedger $50-$70, and pruners $12-$20.
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| What should be included: | - A mowing service should bring their own equipment and clean and remove lawn debris. Some charge a fee to remove clippings. A flat and open property will cost less than one the same size covered with lawn furniture, trees and flower beds, backyard toys and a narrow access gate, according to The Lawn Advisor.com.
- Landscape maintenance crews should bring the necessary tools that could include hedge trimming, lawn mowing and edging, light pruning and leaf blowing. They should also clean and remove all yard waste.
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| Additional costs: | - When not regularly included in a weekly service, landscape trimming is an as-needed or seasonal service that covers hedges, shrubs and ornamental trees for around $175-$400, depending on the size of the project.
- Weeding beds on a ranch-style house with three-foot beds around three sides, runs $25-$50 per month.
- As lawns age or sustain heavy use, the soil compacts and reduces the pore space within the soilCompaction results in poor top growth and lawn deterioration, according to Virginia State University. Aeration removes small plugs of soil from the lawn and runs $40 for a 3,500-square foot lawn.
- Spring clean-up includes trimming away old growth from perennial plants not topped in the fall, removal of leaves and debris from flower beds and clearing away any branches broken during winter and costs about $200 for a half acre with some trees. Fall cleanup includes weeding, clearing leaves and grasses from flower beds and trimming spent blossoms, according to the University of California Davis and runs $200-$500 for a half acre.
- Chemical lawn services apply fertilizers and weed prevention chemicals every four to six weeks to promote healthy lawns, which averages $40 per application or $280-$700 per year.
- Tip: To spruce up a lawn, aerate the soil so water and nutrients can reach the roots, according to Garden.com.
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| Discounts: | - Using a lawn service in which already serves other homes in the neighborhood can result in a discount.
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| Shopping for garden service: | - To find a local gardening service, ask neighbors, call companies seen in the neighborhood, or visit Yahoo! Local and search under "gardening."
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Article updated April 2007 |
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