NJ Lawns Community

Hey everyone, I'm new here and still figuring out the whole lawn thing. My backyard is about 3,500 sq ft with mostly tall fescue (I think the previous owner seeded it). I've been mowing myself but honestly my results look pretty mediore compared to my neighbors who all have these gorgeous lawns. I'm considering either hiring a pro lawn service or just renting equipment from the Home Depot on Route 46 in Hackensack to do it myself - aeration, dethatching, the works. What's actually cheaper in the long run? I see those weekly mower rentals are like $45/day which adds up fast. Anybody done the math on this? Around here what do the pros charge for a full season service?

Welcome to the club! Here's the thing - it really depends on how many years you're planning to stay in that house. If you're only doing it for one season to get the lawn looking decent, renting might make sense. But let me break it down: Pros in Hackensack/Paramus area typically charge $35-50/week for basic mowing +$15-25 for fertilization applications throughout the season. That's roughly $300-450 for the growing season (April-October). Those daily rentals at HD add up QUICK. Say you aerate ($65), dethatch ($55), and rent a good mower a few times - you're looking at $150-200 right there BEFORE you buy seed, fertilizer, etc. And if you do it wrong (wrong blade height, overwatering in this humidity we get), you can actually damage your grass. We get so much rain in Bergen County that Fungus is already your enemy.

+1 to what Steve said about doing it wrong. I Used to rent from that HD on 46 all the time until I realized I was spending almost as much as just buying my own equipment. Check this out - I picked up a used Honda HRX217 from Facebook Marketplace for $275 last spring. Got a decent manual aerator for $40 online. Total investment was maybe $350. Now I can do my 4,000 sq ft lawn RIGHT. The key is tall fescue handles our NJ climate SO much better than the Kentucky bluegrass mixes - less disease issues, deeper roots, and it doesn't need watering every 5 minutes like KBG does. Pro services are great if you have money burning a hole in your pocket and don't want the work. For actual cost savings though? DIY all the way once you have the basics.

Thanks both! So you're saying DIY is actually cheaper even after buying equipment? That surprises me because I assumed the pros had bulk pricing on fertilizer, seed, etc. Do you guys have any recommendations for local places in Hackensack to get soil tests done? I've read you're supposed to test before throwing down anything but not sure where to go. Is the Rutgers cooperative extension still a thing?

Totally worth it! And yes - Rutgers Cooperative Extension in New Brunswick does soil tests for like $20. You can also use the Master Gardeners program through the Bergen County office in Hackensack - they're super helpful and it's free-ish (donation suggested). One tip nobody mentions - the Home Depot rentals ARE convenient for the one-time big stuff (like if you have a huge property or need something specialized). But for regular maintenance, owning your own stuff pays for itself in 2 seasons max. Also - invest in a good rain gauge. We're right near the Passaic River basin so depending on your drainage, you might be overwatering naturally.

Oh! One thing I forgot - the rental units at HD are usually pretty beat up. I rented their power aerator two years ago and it barely worked. Ended up calling for a replacement which took half the day. Not fun when you've got a weekend window to work in. For local suppliers hit up Frank's Hardware in Rutherford or the Lyndhurs Home Depot - the associates there actually know lawn stuff unlike the big boxes. Frank's will actually help you figure out what you need instead of just scanning stuff.