5 critical points to consider when selecting a lawn service company.

1. Get a Consultation - Take a half hour with each lawn service company bidding on your lawn. Ensure they understand what you expect and what should be completed on a weekly basis. A description of services and fertilizer application should be included in the proposal.
2. Ensure Service Meets Local Regulations - Some scurvy lawn care service providers will try to make you think you're getting more for less. You want to make sure that they are spreading fertilizer and pesticides in accordance with local and IFAS recommendations. If you have any concerns give you local Cooperatic Extension Service agent a call.
3. Professional Personnel - Ask the sales person how much experience the personnel have with maintaining grass. You certainly don't want someone green behind the ears trimming up your pristine lawn. You also want to make sure their personnel can correctly identify what type of grass or weeds in your lawn, as well as insect or disease problems that may occur.
4. Licensed for Pesticide Application - It's absolutely critical all personnel are licensed to apply pesticide. These chemicals can be hazardous to humans, pets, garden plants if they are not properly applied to your lawn.
5. Verify Their Reputation - Ask for references. Call them!

After you've mowed the grass for 20 years and you've moved up in the world you might consider the total lawn care service. These guys will provide you with complete lawn service. Mowing, fertilizer, weed and pest control, and if you're real lucky you may even get them to take care of your irrigation system. The extent of the total lawn care service should always be clearly stated in a written contract.

What's great about the total lawn care service is that if something goes wrong with your grass, they'll take care of it. New sod, planting grass seed, it's their responsibility to make sure you lawn stays looking good all year long. Ensure that your contract spells out that the lawn is their responsibility as well as trimming and edging sidewalk and driveways. Also keeping the trees and shrubs should be included in normal service.

Don't get us wrong. This type of lawn care service is a luxury and comes at a price. Ensure when you're ready to commit to this service that several different companies place bids on taking care of your lawn. Ensure that each one of them know you're shopping around to get the best price. Another great idea is to ask for a list of references of people in the area who are current customers. A quick phone call may make a break several your top choices.

Throughout the year, you may need to pay a little extra to have these guys take care of any mulching, annual flowers, planting any new trees or shrubs. Generally speaking they are more than happy to take care of these items for the loyal customers.

The most widely uses lawn care service used by homeowners is the partial service. Basically the lawn service will stop by on a routine schedule to apply any chemicals your lawn may need. This could include fertilizer, organic fertilizer, preemergent herbicide, or spray for lawn pests that may have infested your lawn. You're still responsible for for mowing grass, watering grass, and any other lawn maintenance that needs to be performed.

Figuring out if the lawn care service you're considering should be judged by how often and how much fertilizer is applied to your grass. A good quality lawn service will apply fertilizer three to four times per year. If you have a low maintenance lawn you should expect at least a spring and fall application.

Since the lawn service is stopping by relatively often they'll keep an eye on your grass to ensure now lawn pests have settled in. They should only apply pesticide to your lawn when a problem become noticeable.

The last, and most important, check of your lawn care service is to talk to neighbors and friends that have used them. Finding out if the lawn service kept their grass in tip top shape speaks volumes. You should also get some kind of guarantee of results and some sort of liability in the event catastrophe strikes. It's critical you do a quick check to ensure any lawn care service you chose has the proper business license and pesticide business license.