When it comes to lawn care companies, there are two different kinds – lawn service companies and lawn application companies. The distinction between the two lies in how they approach lawn care. Most people aren’t aware there is a difference and can’t differentiate between the two until it is pointed out to them. The vast majority of lawn care companies are lawn application companies. They pull up in a truck, spray fertilizer and/or weed killer on your lawn and send you a bill. Then there are the few lawn care companies who take the time to walk the lawn, test the soil, and determine what it is missing or has too much of and get it to a healthy state. They are concerned about the overall health of the lawn. Lawn service companies don’t treat every lawn the same because they know every lawn is different. Heritage is a lawn service company, not a lawn application company. So already, we are in a smaller community of lawn care providers. But there are other things that set us apart from the rest of the industry. It’s all part of our Eco-Pride difference.
How to Tell the Difference between a Lawn Service Company and a Lawn Application Company
Now, no business is going to come right out and say “we only do applications,” but there are ways to spot these companies right off the bat. Some clues to look for include:
- A lower price point – they position themselves as a lawn care company, but simply provide a cookie-cutter spray service so they can appear to be offering the same service at a lower price.
- A separate sales staff that doesn’t service lawns or work in the field – these people are trained to sell lawn applications and that’s it. They know nothing about lawn care, irrigation, trees and shrubs or anything else related to getting you a green healthy lawn.
- High pressure sales techniques – because they are trained to sell, you’ll most likely hear about “today only” specials and feel pressured to make a decision quickly.
These are all dead giveaways that you’re dealing with a lawn application company. These types of companies are more production oriented and are a better choice if you are looking to subcontract your lawn care. But remember, you are getting a chemical application and nothing else. If, on the other hand, you are looking for someone to partner with, who will have answers to questions and help coach you along, then you want a lawn service company.
A Lawn Service Company Is Based on a Partnership
A lawn service company will be more focused on a partnership with you. They will be more about giving advice and making recommendations in addition to treating the lawn. Most of all, they will be available to answer questions. One great way to identify a lawn service company is by reading reviews. Look closely at the reviews, are they about help and responsiveness as much as about how great my lawn looks. If so, you know you have a lawn service company. Size and age of the company doesn’t always tell you what kind of company it is. Make sure you know what kind of service and communication you can expect before choosing.
The Only Lawn Service Company with the Eco-Pride System
So now that you know there’s a difference between types of lawn care companies, know that there is also a difference between lawn service companies. Heritage Lawns and Irrigation isn’t the only lawn service company in town. So what sets us apart from the other lawn service companies? That’s easy…our Eco-Pride system! Heritage is the only lawn service company who uses this exclusive system. That’s because we invented it. It is a totally revolutionary approach to lawn care.
The Eco-Pride Difference
At Heritage Lawns and Irrigation, with our exclusive Eco-Pride system, we take a different approach to lawn care. We focus on the health of your soil. While most lawn care companies start with the grass and work their way down, we start with the soil and work our way up. It’s a fundamental difference that creates a healthier, thicker, greener lawn.
While weed control is important, we believe the main focus of a lawn care program should be to improve the overall health of your lawn. Thick, healthy turf is your best defense against weeds and healthy soil will help yield a thick, dark green, weed-free lawn. Our system is based on long-term results.
There are three things that set our Eco-Pride System apart from all other lawn service companies:
- We are earth-friendly
- We provide personal lawn coaches
- We back our services with our Green Back Guarantee
Let’s break these benefits down so you can understand what you get with our Eco-Pride system.
Eco-Pride Means Earth Friendly
Most lawn application companies use a “see the weed – spray the weed – repeat” strategy. This approach can backfire in the long run. Spraying chemicals to kill your weeds can have harmful side effects. It kills microorganisms that are good for your soil, throwing your soil out of balance and making it harder for your grass to thrive. Our eco-friendly products take care of the weeds, but not at the expense of the soil. Healthy soil will help yield a thick, dark green, weed-free lawn. No one wants weeds, but simply spraying weeds with herbicides isn’t always the best thing for your lawn. We look at the big picture – lawn health.
Lawn Health Starts with the Soil
Soil is the determining factor in your lawn’s appearance. If your soil is lacking, so is your grass. If you want to get rid of weeds, pests, and diseases, it starts with your soil. When lawn care companies focus on treating weeds, brown spots, and problem areas, they are simply treating a symptom of poor soil. With our Eco-Pride system, we use biological fertilizer that is beneficial to the natural microorganisms in the soil. We focus on your lawn’s total health – above ground and below. Rich, balanced soil creates a thick, healthy lawn.
We Sample the Soil
When we come across a lawn that isn’t thriving, the first thing we do is soil sampling. Soil sampling tells us what your lawn needs and then we can use the type and amount of fertilizer needed to get it back to being healthy and balanced. We use our exclusive Eco-Pride lawn care system designed specifically to keep your soil healthy and balanced. Balanced soil is the most important factor in creating a thick and healthy lawn. And a thick lawn is the best defense against weeds. The results of a soil test will answer four critical questions:
- What nutrients does your soil need?
- What type of fertilizer should we use?
- How much fertilizer should we use?
- How often should we fertilize?
How Does a Lawn Get Out of Balance?
Your lawn is a living, changing ecosystem all its own. There are many factors that affect its chemistry:
- Fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) which are essential to a healthy lawn but can be harmful when improperly applied
- Herbicides for killing weeds
- Tree debris from large oak trees can affect the pH level in your lawn
- Salts from de-icing agents used in the wintertime
- If you have pets, the nitrogen in their urine and feces can cause hot spots of different colors or kill the grass entirely
The pH level in your lawn can change over the years as the soils mature and the organic matter levels change. In Kansas City, your lawn’s acidity level should be between 6.1 and 6.9 for a Fescue lawn. Once we find out what your soil needs, we can adjust your fertilization program for optimal growth. You can take a soil sample to Johnson County K- State Research and Extension to have it tested for pH, phosphorus, and potassium levels or we can perform a soil test for you.
Personal Lawn Coaches
So who is it that will be making these critical decisions about your lawn care? Every lawn care program comes with a personal lawn coach. That means the same certified lawn technician will come to your home every time – all season long. And these aren’t high school kids looking for a summer job. At Heritage, all of our employees are permanent – no subcontractors. Our team consists of horticulturists, state-certified route managers, and nationally certified landscape technicians. These lawn coaches have the training, education, and experience to solve your lawn problems. They work year round and are experienced in both lawn care and customer care. Your lawn coach will get to know you and your lawn. He’ll know where you have problem areas and will help you fix them. We find that having the same lawn coach all season not only helps us grow healthy lawns, but it helps us grow healthy relationships too.
Greenback Guarantee
Not only do we promise to make your lawn weed-free and healthy, we guarantee it! If you are ever dissatisfied with the results of one of our treatments, we will work with you and your lawn to make things right. If you are still not satisfied, we will refund your last regular service charge. Do not skip treatments as this may void our guarantee. The Greenback Guarantee expires 45 days after your most recent treatment. With Heritage, we make sure you get your green one way or the other!
Other Benefits of Working with Heritage Lawns
We get a lot of our customers from other lawn service and lawn application companies. We listen to them and why they left to learn what matters to them. You’d better believe we’ve made changes to our services over the three decades we’ve been in business to better meet our customers’ needs.
Convenience & Communication
Many times customers tell us they left their old company because doing business was inconvenient. Our online portal – Lawn Gateway – lets you access your personal account information to view invoices, make payments, request services, and communicate with your Lawn Coach whenever it’s convenient for you. Our Lawn Gateway will also allow you to explore the services that Heritage provides and to request information from us directly. We even offer the option to pre-pay your bill – you can save 5% off your entire year if you pre-pay by January 31st. We try to make doing business with us as easy as possible.
Related Services
Our bread and butter is lawn service, but we also offer many other related services. Maybe you need sprinkler repair or maintenance or perhaps your trees and shrubs have insects or disease. Heritage offers a plethora of services that encompass all of your lawn and landscaping maintenance needs. We even offer pest control, flea and tick treatments, and mosquito control applications for your lawn. See a list of our lawn care services on our home page. We strive to be your one-stop shop for all of your lawn and landscape needs.
How Much Should Lawn Care Cost?
If you’re considering hiring a lawn care company, you may be trying to decide what lawn care should cost. Your home is an investment and your lawn is an extension of your home. Sure, you want it to look good, but how much is the right amount to keep it looking sharp? The team at Heritage Lawns and Irrigation has looked into it and hopefully, this information will help you decide on that amount. When deciding what kind of lawn care you need, you must know what you need and how to compare apples to apples. Here are some things to look for:
Service Vs. Applicator Companies
There are two kinds of lawn care companies – service companies and applicator companies. Applicator companies simply fertilize in the spring and the fall and spray for weeds. They have a set program that is usually based on a particular set of applications per season. They don’t really treat your lawn much differently than the next. They simply see the weed, spray the weed, and repeat. They don’t see your lawn as an individual case. They treat all lawns the same way. If you’re just looking for someone to apply fertilizer and spray for weeds, an application company will do. And they are usually the cheapest too. A lot of the bigger, national companies are applicator companies.
In comparison, a service company will look at your lawn and its unique problems and come up with a plan to improve it. It may include some scheduled applications, but they will also be able to diagnose and treat lawn funguses, grub problems, and diseases as they appear. The very best service companies focus on more than just weeds. They focus on your lawn’s overall health. A healthy lawn can withstand rainy periods, summer drought, and infestations. But healthy lawns don’t just happen. They are planned.
Compare Annual Costs Not Application Costs
Make sure when you’re comparing costs to consider the annual expense, not just the per-treatment cost. Ten treatments at $40 doesn’t beat 5 at $70. Be smart and compare the costs of the program for the entire year. That’s what you’ll really be paying.
Materials Make a Difference
What is sprayed on your lawn makes a difference too. Too many chemicals kill off the good microbes in the soil leaving your grass plants lacking. Weed killers are not great for your grass. An ugly cycle begins – weeds…spray chemicals to kill weeds…microbes in soil die…more weeds take the place of grass…and the cycle continues. Getting the soil healthy is the secret to a lush lawn.
Organic-based, earth-friendly lawn care is best. It may take slightly longer, but it focuses on healthy soil which yields healthy grass, which keeps weeds at bay…for good. The best defense against weeds is a thick, healthy lawn.
Look for a Guarantee
What if you aren’t happy with your lawn care? Do they offer a guarantee? If they say they’ll come back and spray again, don’t confuse that with a guarantee. Look for a money-back guarantee if you’re not happy with the treatment.
Reputation Matters
Finally, ask around. Check with neighbors, friends, and family. Read reviews online and ask for customer testimonials. You can’t return this to the store. This is your home, so make sure you know what you’re buying.
Lawn care is not just a luxury, it is maintenance on a major investment – your home. Keep in mind that we didn’t even touch on the physical and mental benefits of green spaces (that’s for another post), just the cold hard numbers.
Eco-Pride Is a Long-Term Solution
So hopefully, by now, you realize that not all lawn care companies are the same. At Heritage Lawns and Irrigation, we have been making Kansas City lawns beautiful since 1995. But the way we do it is a little different from the rest of the pack. We use our exclusive Eco-Pride system which takes a different approach to lawn care. Eco-Pride is exclusive to Heritage Lawns & Irrigation and our customers because we’re in lawn care for the long term. With this program, your lawn gets healthier every year, and a thick, healthy lawn will choke out most weeds naturally.
So if you’re sick of your current lawn care company’s “See the weed, spray the weed, repeat” remedy, give Heritage Lawns and Irrigation a try. We think you’ll love our Eco-Pride lawn care system. Call us at (913) 396-6858 or contact us online to learn more or request an estimate or sign up for a lawn care program. At Heritage Lawns and Irrigation, we turn embarrassing lawns into a lawn that’ll make you proud.
