Home and Garden Care: The Professional Touch That Counts

Every homeowner dreams of keeping their outdoor oasis. The grass will always be lush and green, the garden beds will look like they’re taken from a magazine, and those trees will never be an issue. But then weeds grow quickly, branches become an issue against the roof, and what started as manageable becomes a bit too much to handle.

Initially, the rationale for DIY seems economically feasible. Why pay someone to come do it for you when you can do it yourself? Yet the reality is that plant maintenance becomes complicated, tree work becomes dangerous, and DIY efforts often cost more in corrections than what an appropriately hired service would have charged in the first place.

Knowing which services to take on yourself versus which ones demand a certified professional saves money and headache down the line. Some services are perfect for weekend warriors, while others require specialized training and safety assessments. When you know what’s appropriate before the problems start, you’ll be better off.

Tree Care That’s Not as Easy as It Seems

Tree work seems innocuous enough to take on as a DIY project—but that’s before something goes wrong. Pruning looks like it’s just a cut here and there. However, not knowing how trees grow can set them back for years (decisions are permanent), make them top-heavy at worst—or hazards.

Taking out a large tree seems easy enough to do until pieces fall on houses or tangled limbs caught in power lines become an issue. Certified arborists understand tree anatomy and biology better than a weekend warrior could ever attempt. They understand which branches are supposed to go and which need to stay for healthy growth; they know when to prune and with which types; they have specific pruning shears that angle-cut so regrowth occurs instead of exposure to illness.

For homeowners who have mature trees, tree roots often challenge house foundations and as such need more powerful means to encourage healthy growth than simply tackling what’s above ground. Mature trees represent investments and important features of the property; knowing how to work with them before they become problems is key.

More about tree care

In addition, it’s dangerous work in every part of tree care. Chainsaws, ladders, large branches—professionals trained in safety know how to mitigate injuries better than inexperienced homeowners looking to save a buck. Professional services for tree care come equipped with insurance protection and access to professional rented equipment that allows for heavy stump removal when it shouldn’t be tackled without proper protective gear.

For homeowners who have large amounts of tree growth or destruction, professional companies often provide best work quality. Established companies like GTS Trees will be privy to local ordinances that a homeowner may not realize—such as needing a permit for cut-downs or assessments and proper removal. DIY is always going against the wisdom of the land when attempting to cut trees down without a permit; bringing professionals on board who know how to navigate will provide proper assessment without added headaches.

Homeowners who believe they can DIY their trees always find themselves shocked at the end regarding cleanup. Debris removal is part of the package with professionals; unless you plan for your brush to go out with regular garbage collection (it won’t), you’ll need professionals to do it for you.

Landscaping Design and Installation That’s Too Complicated

Gardening is simple enough of a task for DIY obstacles; however, landscaping design and installation are far too complicated for amateur decisions. Homeowners fail to realize that in due time plants grow—and spread—and take over spots that are weedy or distracted by trees that take away their aesthetic value instead of supporting it if planted correctly.

Landscapers understand drainage and sun exposure. They understand the condition of soil where an untrained eye may note nothing at all. They pay attention to future maintenance needs beyond what might be aesthetic concerns for a quick shrub here or there at present. Homeowners will only consider current needs instead of future growth over time.

In addition, special installations require tools that a homeowner may not have access to or skill in using/borrowing. Irrigation systems need skilled installation; retaining walls shouldn’t be made from rocks a person dusted off at the bottom of the lake if they’re going to be retaining walls. Professionals have these abilities as required by municipality regulations; amateurs do not, which can go from one issue to another.

Landscaping also requires timing and placement that professionals know like the back of their hands. For example, planting requirements are time sensitive for healthy regrowth; various maintenance efforts—mulching versus pruning—are appropriate during certain times of the year. Professionals know what seasons mean; homeowners attempting DIY might make decisions that lead to plant death unintentionally during the waiting period.

Lawns That Go Beyond Mowing Ability

All homeowners should be able to maintain their garden—or at least mow their lawn; however, when lawns become problematic—with brown patches cropping up, bugs infest, reseeding is necessary—they often need professionals who can assess lawn health symptoms.

Lawn care professionals understand the chemistry/biology of grass growth versus degradation. They can determine if certain diseases took over or if pesky bugs require sprays exclusive to their elimination (with no detriment to the grass). They know if certain types of grass need specialized care; this is an art that most amateurs don’t realistically have time or ability access enough to actually matter.

Assessing soil pH levels is also chemical knowledge-based work provided by professionals; understanding venting options versus power raking versus reseeding requirements can help through experience maximize grass potential and truly turn things around when everyone else fails.

Digging efforts are from professionals as well where homeowners realize where issues with grass stem from; when lawns need aeration early summer vs overseeding late summer (but always AFTER growing season), it’s better left to those with appropriate tools because once again, those tools cost more than hiring out professional services.

Garden Upkeep Without Specialized Knowledge

Garden upkeep runs on a spectrum of how necessary certain plants are in seasonal maintenance versus aesthetic appreciation. For example, getting weeds out between the plants requires DIY effort determination; however, assessing plant disease versus intervention needs expert knowledge.

Certain plants die based on where they grow—for example, desert plants grow in hot weather but require specialized cutting down south through September before winter (or autumn interest). Professionals understand these plants on multiple levels through chemicals (when applicable) that amateurs would otherwise kill without help (to no avail) through negligence.

Seasonal efforts are critical because an average homeowner will drastically cut back rose bushes in May when this should be done in June; professionals know why it matters and they can explain it to interested homeowners in time so repeated errors aren’t done in future.

Professionals are also called upon for caretaking assessments—when certain plants take over gardens gradually but require substantial intervention—or when pots outside are out of hand (although there’s always a limit because of cold weather extremes).

Cost vs Value Considerations

Professionally granted outdoor services offer an investment so it’s essential that all homeowners assess whether they can get it done themselves based on educated assessment OR if it makes sense just to pay someone else.

Some costs are minimal enough for consideration while some services take people a considerable amount more time than it would take anyone else just to do it themselves. Conversely, some projects have professionals getting paid dramatically for something complicated but ultimately something any DIY savvy homeowner could’ve tackled without effort.

Equipment costs often weigh in favor of professionals when tools aren’t readily purchased; tree trimming services have electric saws; major landscaping installs rely on trucks filled with leveling shoveling abilities that most civilians can’t access unless they’re very gifted and honest about what they can borrow from friends.

If it’s something that requires hoisting equipment that’s important; hiring an expert with wheels and chains gets the job done best so a homeowner doesn’t try to save themselves $100 putting themselves at risk from the get go.

Time value presents tension in favor of professional services vs DIY as well. Homeowners who don’t have time inevitably feel foolish paying $150 for something they could technically do themselves—until they realize that professionals get half done in half the time (that’s 3 hours less than what they could’ve had) making avoiding effort down the line worth it in hindsight.

Making Smart Professional Care Choices

Whether safety is paramount or personal capabilities prevent honest assessments about what’s worthwhile doing on one’s own vs what’s better left for someone else—homeowners should avoid getting in over their heads when it’s finally not worth it.

Build relationships with companies that get loyal work done—the investment pays off beyond initial consideration for homeowners willing to do what’s best for their homes for ongoing upgrades down the line.

Assess whether you’re able to maintain your own outdoor features through DIY efforts or if you’re better off hiring professionals—some work is routine maintenance while other projects require specialized service work best suited only for self-savvy determined individuals—make sure you’re one of them so your lawn doesn’t go to pot!