1.  Follow-up on referrals. Asking neighbors, friends and family members if they can recommend a good lawn service company is a great place to start, but it is important to research the company a little more before settling on which one to go with. Besides asking for additional references, look up the company on the Better Business Bureau website. If they have a history of customer complaints, it will show that. Check especially for numerous unresolved complaints that suggest a history of not meeting expectations rather than just a few disgruntled customers. Also make sure the company is properly licensed and insured.

2.  Ask satisfied customers detailed questions. Request information for former or current customers you can call or email rather than just relying on written testimonials. You want to be able to ask these people about whether the company was dependable, showing up when they were supposed to and finishing all the jobs that were agreed upon. Ask for specific reasons why they like this lawn service to get a better idea of what working with them will be like. It is also a good idea to ask about how well they are able to communicate with company employees and if they feel like they are always made aware of all the details, including cost, before the work is started.

3.  Find out what services they offer. The different lawn care services each company does varies by the company. The majority will mow and edge the lawn and will usually also trim lawn weeds. Some do fertilizing, liming, and applying treatments like pesticides and fungicides. Other possible services include dethatching and lawn aeration in addition to basic care for bushes and hedges like trimming, shaping and mulching around the base. Keep in mind everything you are interested in, so you can choose a company that offers them.

4.  Get a list of all services, what they each include, how frequently they are done and what they cost. Not only do the offered services vary by company, but so do the details of each one. Some mow, edge, trim weeds and haul away all debris and materials each time for one set fee. Others provide these services separately at different costs. When looking at monthly rates, find out how frequently each job occurs. If they only mow every other week for that rate and your lawn needs to be mowed every week some months, you will either have to do it yourself or pay extra for the additional visits.

5.  Focus on value not price. The company that quotes the lowest prices doesn’t always cost the least. Besides having to pay more for services that aren’t included, some companies may try to talk you into unneeded lawn care or more frequent than necessary services. Quality work that is consistently done on-time and professionally is worth a few extra dollars and fewer headaches rather than suffering through poor quality work that gets done late or sometimes never. Having a good working relationship with a reliable professional lawn company that consistently does quality work is always worth it.

Though not as common as gas-powered rakes, an electric lawn rakes can also be used  to dethatch a lawn. There are many benefits in using one to remove unwanted thatch and encourage healthier and thicker grass growth.

Why Use a Lawn Rake?

A lawn rake is used to pull out some of the thatch before it gets too deep. Thatch is the matted moss, leaves, grass and other debris that accumulates on the surface of the soil. A little bit is good for a long, but when it gets too deep (1/2-1 inch) it can begin to adversely affect the health of the lawn, blocking the flow of nutrients, water and air from the surface to the roots. The lawn may look a bit sparse right after power raking, but soon the grass will be thicker, greener and healthier than before. To maintain lush grass, a lawn should be dethatched every one to three years depending on how quickly thatch accumulates in it.

Advantages of an Electric Lawn Rake

An electric lawn rake has some significant benefits over its gas-powered counterparts. They typically are smaller, easier to maneuver and weigh less, only around 15-30 lbs for an electric rake as opposed to 100 lbs or more for a gas-powered dethatcher. They cost must less, only $150-$200, than gas-powered machines that sell for closer to $1000 or more. Most also have foldaway handles, which make them much easier to store.

The electric rake will need to be plugged into a power source and the cords are typically about 40 feet long. Narrower than gas-powered rakes (only about a foot of raking width), they will take a bit longer to do the same area. However, they are easier to roll over the ground, turn, and maneuver around obstacles, so that helps make up for dethatching less grass at a time.

Electric rakes typically have a collection bag or box. While it will need to be emptied out as you power rake, it is faster and easier than having to rake up all the thatch and moss that is pulled out with a leaf rake afterwards. Some even have a compacting box that squishes the material tightly together to get more in there so you don’t have to empty it as often.

Mow the grass short, about half its normal height, before dethatching. Adjust the height of the vertical rake tines based on the type of grass (lower for warm-season and higher for the delicate, cool-season varieties) and the amount of thatch (lower for deep thatch). These will slice into and pull up the thatch. Plug in the rake and begin to dethatch using lawn rows. Always be aware and careful of where the cord is. Periodically check that the blade height is correct and the machine is working properly, making adjustments if necessary. Empty out the collection bag as needed. Be sure to use crossing rows for the best coverage and to get up the most thatch. After dethatching, the grass will benefit from fertilizing, over-seeding and extra watering for about a month, until it has filled in the sparse areas again.