by aggieteacher

Created on: May 20, 2010   Last Updated: May 22, 2010

The area of yard maintenance is a wonderful place for a family to work together in order to cut the budget. There are many ways to reduce the cost of maintaining a lawn.

1. Xeriscape-If you do not have an established landscape, start off by researching plants, grasses, and trees that are native to the area where you live. Your local extension agent will provide free advice! Native flora requires less water and less work to keep alive!

2. Compost- Instead of buying expensive mulch for your flower beds, start a compost pile and make your own! Inexpensive enclosures are available at your local home improvement store, or you can make your own.

Save your grass clippings, vegetable and fruit wastes, and even your shredded computer paper to add to your heap.

Within a few weeks to a month during the warm months, you will have enough to put into your flower beds. This cuts down on watering by holding moisture in, and it provides natural fertilizer for the plants.

3. Water wisely-The key to effective watering, both for the health of your grass and the health of your wallet, is quality not quantity. In other words, water less often but for longer. This encourages healthy root growth since it allows the water to settle further into the ground.

Also do your watering in the early morning hours. If you water in the heat of the day, it evaporates and burns your grass. If you water in the evening, fungus is more likely to develop in and on your grass.

If you have a sprinkler system, be sure to do a health check once per month to note if any heads are leaking or need to be reset. You may be watering a street or sidewalk and not even know it!

Drip irrigation systems are more cost effective for flower beds. You can purchase ones that connect to a regular garden hose and even get special ones that can hook to your existing sprinkler systems. These save water and are healthier for your plants.

4. DIY-Don't pay a lawn service to mow and weedeat your lawn for you. Do it yourself and get much needed exercise, or make it a family project and get the kids involved with age appropriate chores like weeding, mowing, etc...

If you are unable to do your own lawn work, find a teenager or college student who needs the money! They will often work for less than a professional service and give you better care!

5. Maintain Equipment-Lawn care equipment such as mowers, edgers, rakes, shovels, hoes, etc... are expensive so make a point of taking good care of them. Clean them, sharpen blades, check

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