NJ Lawns Community

Hey all, got a quote from TruGreen for winter prep and they're wanting $400! That's insane to me. I live in Bergenfield and have about 4000 sq ft of lawn - mix of tall fescue and some KBG that was seeded a few years ago. They said it's an 'essential' package including fertilization, aeration, and some kind of preemptive Grub control. My yard definitely had some brown patch issues this past summer so I'm wondering if I should just bite the bullet or handle this myself? What are you folks doing for winterization around here? Is that pricing normal or am I getting upsold hard?

$400 is definitely on the high side, but not crazy outlier territory for Bergen County. I've gotten quotes around $300-$350 from other companies. That said, you can absolutely do this yourself and save a good chunk of change. For DIY winter prep in our area (zone 6b/7a), what you're looking at is a late fall fertilizer application (like Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard or Milorganite), maybe some aeration if your soil is compacted, and skipping the grub control unless you've had major issues. Honestly grubs haven't been terrible in most of Bergenfield from what I've seen.

Appreciate the input! Yeah the grub control is what pushed the price up apparently. My neighbor had grub damage two summers back and had to reseed a big section, so I'm nervous about that. What timing are we talking about here? I see conflicting advice online - some say now (late October), some say wait until after the first frost. Also what's the deal with nitrogen vs phosphorus for fall feeding?

Timing-wise, I'd aim for the last week of October into early November - right around when temps drop into the 50s consistently. Too early and you're encouraging new growth that gets hit by frost, too late and the grass won't absorb it before going dormant. For fall fertilizing, you want a formula higher in potassium and phosphorus, lower in nitrogen. The nitrogen pushes top growth which you DON'T want heading into winter. Look for something like 10-20-30 analysis. Milorganite is great because it's slow release and won't burn. For the grub issue - if your neighbor had problems, it might be worth it to at least do a preventative Merit treatment yourself. It's like $40 at Home Depot or Lynde's in Englewood vs $150 from TruGreen for the same thing.

Solid advice, thanks! I'm thinking I'll skip the professional service and do it myself. Can always call them next year if things go sideways. Gonna grab some Milorganite and maybe get my son to help with aeration - figure that's good father-daughter bonding time lol. Will report back in spring on how it turned out. Appreciate the local knowledge folks!