Maintaining a big yard isn’t an easy task, even when you hire help. Despite doing most of the work yourself, getting it done still takes time, planning, and of course, money. If you can do all of your own yard work, you’re lucky because most people have to hire out at least a portion of their yearly yard maintenance duties.
Whether you’re trying to tackle the job all by yourself or have help, try these tips to make your yard work a little bit easier.
1. Time your tasks
Since tackling yard work involves working with predictable factors during the seasons, like knowing when plant growth will happen, you can time your yard work tasks to coincide with what’s convenient. For example, pruning your trees in winter is ideal because you can get a clear view of what’s going on and easily see what branches need to be cut. You won’t have any leaves in the way and winter pruning is less stressful on your trees.
When it comes to mowing the grass and weed eating, your timing will depend on where you live and how fast things grow. If you happen to live in an environment that gets plenty of rain and everything grows fast and tall, you probably already know which month is ideal to start cutting it all back. You don’t want to wait until it’s too messy, but if you start too early, you’ll just be wasting your energy.
Timing your tasks will give you a reliable schedule to plan your days and hire out the tasks if needed. Having a routine around your yard work can also help you avoid fines for having grass or weeds over a certain height if you live under an HOA.
2. Get a push weed eater
Standard weed whackers are amazing tools and they can get the job done with ease. If you need to cut something thicker than basic weeds, you can put all sorts of attachments on them, including blades for cutting blackberry bushes and other thick vines. However, if you’ve never used a push weed eater, you will be amazed at what it can do for you.
A push weed eater looks like a lawn mower, but the underside includes a mechanism for string and/or other attachments. It works just like a lawn mower that you push, but it will mow down weeds even when they’re tall. This means you can wait a while before tackling your yard work.
You can set some push string trimmers to different heights and they will cut the grass perfectly – even better than a standard mower. Best of all, if you have a large area of weeds or berry bushes that need to be cut down, a push weed eater will get the job done in far less time than a traditional weed whacker.
3. Burn your cut branches and other yard waste
If it’s allowed in your area, and there is no current burn ban active, burn the branches you cut and any other yard waste you can put into the pile. This is the fastest and easiest way to get rid of everything, and it keeps it out of landfills. However, you will need to have a water source close by to ensure you can put out the fire if it starts to spread for some reason.
Burning your yard waste eliminates the hassle of cutting it smaller, trying to fit it into trash bags or your yard waste bin, and hauling it away somewhere. It also eliminates the need to pay someone else to haul it off if you don’t want to bother. If you want to save some time, money, and energy, start burning your yard work clippings and branches whenever it’s legal.
4. Hire high school kids for simple tasks
Hiring high school kids are great for simple tasks, like cutting up fallen limbs, basic weed eating, and mowing the lawn. Many will have experience with yard work as a side job, but even so, they will work for lower rates.
Granted, you always get what you pay for, so if you need professional landscaping, don’t hire a teenager. However, if all you need are simple tasks, there will be plenty of high school kids willing to trade hard work for cash.
Hire everything out if you don’t want to do the work
There’s no shame in hiring someone to do all your yard work. That’s actually the most logical way to make your life as easy as possible. It costs money, but not having to do the work is worth every penny.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
