5 Tips to Get the Right Landscaper for Your Grass Lawn
It’s not too much to ask that your landscaper refrain from grinding donuts into your front lawn while riding a lawn mower (See the video below. Yes, people do that). Then again, it doesn’t take much bad behavior to ruin new grass turf. Proper installation is critical – and it’s not for the amateur. We have partnered with many landscapers over the years who do the hands-on installation to make sure your lawn looks great right from the day its laid down. Our recommended landscapers are seasoned professionals who know what it takes to keep the grass sod we farm healthy from the day of delivery through many seasons to follow.
How can you tell the difference between a good landscaper and one who only really shows his A-game when he comes by to collect their check? Here are some questions to ask the landscaper to help you find the right company to install and take care of your new grass lawn:
1. “How Are You Going to Prepare the Soil?” If your go-to landscaper is your neighbor’s kid who rides his Dad’s lawnmower, they’re not going to have a clue. Just like your house, a successful grass lawn has to be set on a good foundation. In this case, it’s typically an underlay of sandy soil, possibly infused with an organic mixture (though the grass sod you get from Western Turf Farms can be custom-grown to ensure it thrives in a range of soil conditions seen from Vancouver Island to Alberta’s interior region). Your professional landscaper should be able to test the soil to see that it’s the right match for your grass turf.
Assuming your soil naturally meets these conditions or you’ve got custom grass ordered for your lawn, you will still need to dig, rake and take out weeds and other obstructions to ensure level, healthy soil. This will help ensure that the new lawn “takes” to the soil as soon as possible – sometimes in as little as 2 weeks.
If your prospective landscaper doesn’t know these things, you should probably keep looking.
2. “How are you going to take care of my lawn all year round?” Sprinklers and mowers are not the be-all, end all of grass lawn maintenance. Your landscaper should have a plan for aeration and thatch control to ensure your lawn can “breathe” and has proper drainage. Without this, a few rainy days in a row could turn your prize lawn into a soggy mess that doesn’t exactly bounce back. Ask them about their schedule and how effective it has been for other lawns over the past 2 or 3 seasons.
3. “How will you keep my lawn healthy in an eco-friendly way?” Mold, fungus, lichens and other silent killers can do plenty of damage to your grass sod lawn. Regular maintenance and proper watering will reduce the chance of these threats taking hold, but Mother Nature can be insidious. As well, bugs like chafer beetles that are becoming endemic to cities like Vancouver can help turn your lawn into a spotty mess as birds and raccoons peck away at your lawn to get at the grubs.
Chemicals and pesticides used to be the go-to answer, but these days we’re well aware of the threat to the health of your pets or residents. Natural pesticides like certain pheromones and spores can disrupt the insects that can damage your lawn, without threatening the ecosystem or your own health. Your professional landscaper should at least be able to suggest a few healthy options that have worked for them in the past.
4. “Can you get me references?” It’s not uncommon for a landscaper to casually mention in passing that they’re taking care of a neighbor’s lawn. The homeowner gives the grass a glance, decides it looks “good enough” and hires the landscaper on the spot. It’s common – but it’s wrong.
A professional landscaper is taking care of the part of your property that is the first element of “curb appeal” that neighbors and prospective renters or buyers will see. Take the time to chat with some of the landscaper’s clients and don’t be shy about asking if there’s any room for improvement. Common complaints like “they don’t come around often enough” can be ignored if the results are good, since professional landscapers may have your maintenance down to a science; that said, complaints that the landscaper doesn’t seem to be able to deal with persistent problems shouldn’t be ignored.
5. “Do you belong to a professional association?” This isn’t a make-or-break kind of question, as landscaping is still a relatively unregulated sector. That said, if it comes down to two companies and only one has taken the trouble to get graded with the Better Business Bureau or a professional landscapers’ group, it’s often the better choice to go with the one that’s paid their dues. Some associations may have relatively lax standards or enforcement, but it’s better than nothing.
Need help finding a landscaper for your installed grass turf lawn? We supply natural grass sod to landscapers all over southern BC & Alberta. When you order turf from us, we can help you find a professional landscaper who will treat you right.
