Finding affordable lawn care for seniors can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Learn how to find cheap lawn care for seniors in our guide.

An attractive lawn is a great spot to enjoy the outdoors and can improve your home’s curb appeal. Landscape maintenance and upkeep can be tough, though, especially for older adults and retired homeowners on a budget.

Seniors can make lawn care manageable by seeking maintenance services that reduce its price. Our guide explains the value of lawn care for older adults, outlines tips to simplify the process, and shares details about the best low-cost lawn care services for seniors.

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Why Does Lawn Care Matter?

A healthy lawn needs proper maintenance and hydration to remain free of pests, diseases, weeds, and fungi. When homeowners neglect lawn services, grass becomes overgrown and turf starts to become starved for nutrients.

Fertilization, aeration, routine mowing, pruning, mulching, and weeding can all keep your lawn green and healthy. These chores can be physically taxing but are necessary, especially since overgrown grass that’s littered with tree and shrub debris can be dangerous to navigate.

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Lawn Care Tips for Seniors

Many older adults enjoy gardening, and they don’t have to abandon it completely if they take the necessary steps to stay safe. Seniors should simply eliminate excess lifting, bending, and burdensome chores. Extra tips for seniors who want to keep up with lawn care are below.

Choose Low-Maintenance Plants

Low-maintenance plants such as daylilies, hostas, irises, forsythia, lilac, and ornamental grasses need little water, thrive in many climates, and don’t require replanting. For these reasons, sustaining them is considerably easier and safer for older adults.

Ask a gardening professional about native plants that thrive in your local climate along with drought-tolerant shrubs. Plants that grow slowly are also easier to maintain since they don’t require lots of pruning or trimming.

Use Mulch Effectively

Mulch reduces your landscaping workload and acts as a protective layer over soil. It releases essential nutrients into the soil that improve plant health and helps flower beds to retain moisture and block out sunlight. This lowers water requirements and limits weed growth.

Shredded mulch is common for yard and garden projects, while rubber mulch is more popular for walkways or play areas. Spread mulch with a rake or gloved hands over a given area to create a 2-inch layer. Avoid heavy watering with sprinklers for the first one or two days.

Raise Plants

Bending and stooping down to weed gardens and flower beds could lead to muscle strain or injury. Raised garden beds solve this problem and allow you to keep the plants you love. You can hire a professional to build a raised bed or buy a kit from a hardware or home improvement store to assemble at home.

Protect Yourself

The risks of sunburn and sunstroke are high when you work outdoors, and symptoms can be difficult to detect until conditions become severe. Put on sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and gloves before going outside and bring a water bottle with you to stay hydrated. Locate a shady spot where you can rest whenever you need to.

Call a medical professional if you experience any of the following symptoms, which could be indicative of sunstroke:

• Confusion
• Dizziness 
• Fast pulse
• Headache
• High body temperature
• Hot, red, or dry skin
• Nausea

Invest in Low-Maintenance Landscape Elements

Xeriscaping is the process of reducing your lawn size by adding materials such as sand, mulch, and rock, along with low-maintenance plants such as ground covers, succulents, and perennials. Combining xeriscaping with hardscapes such as patios and walkways can improve the aesthetic appeal of your outdoor space and reduce the need for taxing maintenance work.

Hire Help

Using tools such as lawn mowers, wheelbarrows, or anything with sharp edges isn’t safe for those with balance or mobility issues. Enlist the help of a family member, caregiver, or lawn care professional to handle work that involves these objects.

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Affordable Lawn Care Services for Seniors

Lawn maintenance is strenuous work that frequently requires expensive tools and services. Some programs aim to mitigate this financial stress and help those who can’t afford costly lawn care.

I Want To Mow Your Lawn

I Want To Mow Your Lawn Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides free lawn mowing services for older adults, veterans, and disabled individuals. Service depends on volunteers, though, so there are no guarantees about biweekly or weekly lawn care offerings.

You can fill out an online form to request assistance. If you don’t own a lawnmower, a volunteer may be able to supply one. While services are free, you can provide a donation to support the cause.

Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Service

Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Service is a nonprofit organization that recruits youth to help older adults, disabled individuals, veterans, and single parents who need assistance with lawn maintenance. The program inspires kids to participate in the 50 Yard Challenge, through which each child aims to mow 50 lawns for free. Volunteers who complete the task earn a new lawn mower, weed eater, and blower.

You can search local yard sale pages on Facebook or visit the group’s website to see if volunteers are available in your area.

Yard Angels

The Yard Angels program matches volunteers with older adults to facilitate free yard work, landscaping, and yard cleanup. Services are free and include weeding, grass cutting, and trimming small trees or bushes.

Availability of volunteers varies by area. Contact Volunteers of America, Colorado, to find out if volunteers are available in your area.

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DIY vs. Professional Lawn Care

Many homeowners love working on their lawns, but tasks such as lawn cutting are laborious and potentially dangerous for certain individuals. Older adults with mobility issues should consider seeking professional help with lawn care and yard maintenance.

Pros and Cons of Professional Lawn Care

Professional lawn care experts offer experience and knowledge, but there are also some cons to using their services. Read more below.

Pros

• Professionals add fertilizer to help you maintain a healthy and green lawn.
• Professionals get rid of pests and diseases that can undermine the health of plants and trees.
• Professionals help seniors avoid strenuous work.
• Professionals trim lawns and remove debris, keeping the area safe.

Cons

• Lawn maintenance can be expensive.
• You may have to sign up for multiple services to secure routine mowing.

Certain lawn care professionals may be willing to handle seeding, leaf removal, tree trimming, and snow removal as needed.

Pros and Cons of DIY Lawn Care

Performing lawn care as a do-it-yourself (DIY) project can be rewarding and saves older adults money, but it’s not always the right choice. Read about the pros and cons of DIY lawn care below.

Pros

• The exercise you get from lawn care can be good for your health.
• You can continue doing the work you enjoy.
• You get the satisfaction of a job well done.
• You may be able to cut costs by taking care of labor yourself.

Cons

• Costs can add up over time.
• Lawn maintenance tasks require substantial physical effort.
• Professionals may be able to produce superior results.
• You need your own equipment.

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Our Conclusion

Lawn maintenance is essential to keeping your outdoor space safe and improving your home’s curb appeal. The taxing physical labor and expenses associated with DIY lawn care are too much for some, though. Seniors especially may want to hire professionals or seek out free lawn care maintenance if they don’t have the budget or physical capacity to keep their yards tidy. A hybrid of DIY lawn upkeep methods and professional landscaping services is often the best solution for keeping lawns green and healthy.

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FAQ About Cheap Lawn Care for Seniors

How can I make my lawn look good for cheap?

You can make your lawn look good for cheap by getting low-maintenance plants and by investing in hardscapes. Using mulch can also enhance your landscape’s appearance.

How can I save money on lawn mowing?

Save money on lawn mowing by shrinking the areas that require mowing and by seeking programs that offer discounts for older adults. You can also arrange for a family member or a nearby high school student to provide low-cost mowing services.

What is the best lawn care program for seniors?

The best lawn care program for seniors depends on your location. National programs such as I Want To Mow Your Lawn and Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Service work with volunteers across the U.S. You can also contact local churches or your area’s senior center.

How do I make a lawn care quote for seniors?

You can make a lawn care quote for seniors by asking for a discount from your typical rate. You may be able to take 15% off of your typical rate, for example.

Are there lawn care services that offer senior discounts?

Many lawn care companies offer senior discounts. Contact your local lawn care service provider and ask about any savings opportunities.

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