Pros and Cons of DIY Lawn Care in Los Angeles

The sunshine and pleasant weather in the greater Los Angeles area creates the perfect conditions for your plants. It can be hard to balance family and work life and maintain your lawn during the height of the growing season. Deciding whether to mow your own grass and trim your shrubs or hire a local lawn care company can be tough. Check out these pros and cons of DIY lawn care in Los Angeles before you start the mower.

Pros

Stay Active

Doing your own lawn care can be a great workout. You’ll get more steps in on your fitness tracker and work up a sweat. Add in some digging or transplanting, and you’ll also get a weight resistance workout. Maintaining your own lawn is an excellent way to stay healthy and active. Lawn growth is a continuous cycle, so you know you’ll burn the calories week and after week by doing your own lawn care.

Enjoy the Outdoors

DIY lawn care is another way you can enjoy L.A.’s sunshine as well as tidy up the landscaping around your home. People living in Southern California spend a lot more time outdoors compared to other parts of the country. Doing your own yard work will help draw you outside and soak in some much needed Vitamin D.

Get the Kids Involved

Having the kids get outdoors to pull weeds, transplant vegetables, or trim the lawn is a great teaching opportunity. Kids will unplug from their devices and work up a sweat and get their hands dirty. Teaching these lessons to the younger generation is an excellent way to learn the essential aspects of home ownership. They’ll also learn to appreciate the local environment. It’s also a great bonding opportunity for parents and kids.

Cons

Time Commitment

Taking care of your own lawn takes significant time that not all families have to spare. Weeknights are busy with activities while weekends should be a time to relax from a busy work week. DIY lawn care will require a set schedule. The grass doesn’t stop growing just because you’re busy. Dealing with an overgrown lawn can be even more of a hassle if you have to skip a week during the peak of the season.

Convenience

It is hard to beat the sheer convenience that a lawn care company can offer. Many lawn care companies arrive during the week while you’re at work making lawn care a forgotten chore that magically gets done. When you add up the time spent to care for your lawn, plus the cost of equipment and supplies, it can be cheaper to hire a professional. Time is money, and some homeowners enjoy having that extra time each week to spend doing other things rather than DIY lawn care.

Compliance with Regulations

Many LA homeowners live in neighborhoods that have strict rules about landscaping. Trimming the lawn to an optimal height, edging, and keeping weed growth down is a big issue. Being out of compliance with your homeowner’s association can be stressful, cost you a fine and make you the black sheep of the neighborhood.

Being aware of these pros and cons can help homeowners make the decision about lawn care. Consider these pros and cons of DIY lawn care in Los Angeles when deciding how to handle your lawn this year.

Brenda Ryan

Brenda Ryan is a former content director for LawnStarter. She is a former radio newscaster and journalist. In her free time she enjoys traveling, gardening, visiting wineries, reading, and playing trivia games in her home state of Colorado.

Posts by Brenda Ryan