A well-maintained lawn can be an attractive feature. However, keeping a lawn looking good - particularly a large lawn - can come at a cost. Mowing your lawn can cost you money in fuel/energy, while watering your lawn can greatly add to your water bill. To stop you overspending on lawn care, here are a few tips on how to cut maintenance costs.
Choose an electric mower
There are two main fuel sources of lawn mowers: electricity and petrol. Electric lawn mowers are typically much more economical than petrol mowers. While electric lawn mowers are sometimes priced higher than petrol mowers, the cost of charging them up is typically much less than having to buy petrol. In many cases, electric mowers are also more reliable and cost less to fix than petrol mowers.
You can choose a plug-in mower or you can choose a battery powered lawn mower. If you want greater range and don’t want a cable getting in the way, it’s best to choose a battery powered model. Read user reviews of electric mowers online to find a mower that is reliable and easy to use.
Choose the right grass
Some types of grass require more upkeep. It is likely to depend on your local climate as to how well a grass thrives on its own without needing to be watered, fertilised or regularly mown. For example, Bermuda grass grows well in hot climates and is fairly drought-tolerant, while ryegrass is ideal for cold climates and will survive frosts better without requiring heavy fertilizer usage.
When choosing a grass, consider looking into native grasses. These are grasses that naturally grow in your local climate and so may not need any additional watering or fertilizing. You can also search for warm season and cold season grasses online and compare different species of grass. Consider the fact that some grasses may also be better suited to certain types of soil than others (some grasses do not go well in clay soil, while others do).
Optimize watering your lawn
The time at which you water your lawn matters. It’s generally a bad idea to water your lawn at midday during a heatwave - unless you thoroughly soak your lawn, most of the water will evaporate in the heat before it penetrates the soil. To use less water and make sure your lawn is getting hydrated, you should aim to water your lawn early in the morning before 10am or at about 4pm in the afternoon (avoid watering at night as this can promote lawn disease).
You do not need to water a lawn every day. Although it does depend on the grass type and soil type, most lawns do not need to be watered more than three times per week (if there is no rainfall). On each of three occasions, water your garden for about 20 minutes. Using a sprinkler on a timer can prevent you having to manually do this yourself, but this is an extra investment that may not be worthwhile unless you are a true lawn enthusiast.
Harvest rainwater
There is another way to reduce your water bill. Instead of using mains water, collect rainwater in a rain barrel throughout the year. During periods of drought, you can then use this water for gardening purposes. Not only is it free water, but it’s natural rainwater, which may have more nutrients for your plants than tap water.
The cost of rain barrels varies. Larger barrels will cost more, but could be worth investing in if you’ve got a large lawn. Most are attached to guttering via a downspout, collecting water runoff from the roof. Installing this yourself could save you money, but you need to make sure it’s done properly - some people may prefer to hire a gutter expert to install this.
Opt for an artificial lawn
If you really want to save money on maintaining a lawn and you find lawn maintenance to largely be a chore, there is another solution. Investing in artificial grass could greatly reduce the cost of upkeep. These lawns don’t need to be mowed, fertilized or watered - and will stay looking great all year round.
It is worthwhile spending more money upfront on high quality artificial grass as this will look more authentic and is likely to last longer. You can lay artificial grass yourself to save money rather than hiring a professional to do it. Just make sure to properly prepare the ground first and lay down a weed membrane before installing your grass.
