First time homebuyer— set to close next month & I’m realizing that this yard is going to be a fairly large financial and time investment. First time having a yard. Starting from scratch with lawn care & maintenance.
I estimate the lawn (front & back) is about 16k sq ft. The front is more intricate with landscaping/curbing.
No shed— and one’s not really feasible, at least for now. There is a yard work “closet” attached to the home where I could store a push mower.
I’ve been looking at the Toro Timemaster 30” push mower; but I think in the future I’ll look to get a riding mower. I’m also looking into the Milwaukee quick-lok system for string trimming, edging, hedge trimming, etc.
Any tips or suggestions are welcome! I’m excited (and nervous) to have a yard for my two young kids & two dogs.
by RiverEntire3221
22 Comments
Check out the [Cool Season Beginners Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/fb1gjj/a_beginners_guide_to_improving_your_lawn_this/).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/lawncare) if you have any questions or concerns.*
As a fellow Northern Utah, you better start before this heat comes. We’ve actually had a spring this year, so we’re lucky it hasn’t been 100 for the last month already, or at all
I’m a noob at lawn shit, so I’m in for whatever everyone else says
I don’t live in Utah, but I just came here to say, that is an amazing lawn and you scored.
This is like your first car being a Bugatti Veyron.
Nice yard! I’d skip the push mower and go straight to sit on or zero turn. Mowing that every week with a push mower will turn you off to lawn care imo and that’s coming from someone who loves to mow.
I know storage space is an issue. Hear me out, though. You may be able to find a decent beater of a riding mower, one you won’t mind leaving out in the elements, for the price of a time master.
I would also suggest checking out the Echo straight neck string trimmers. The 2320T is a great smaller trimmer. It’s not too heavy, easy to start, and will do anything you need it to. 50:1 premixed fuel will keep it in good shape.
As a northern Utahn who also has a big yard, get a sit on mower. Having to cut all this with a push mower is too much.
Looks like a great foundation or grass is in place so the hardest part is already won. When you have established grass already, the main issue is keeping weed free and healthy looking. I would advise getting on a pre-emergent/prodiamine schedule every fall(to keep away winter weeds) and late winter/ end of February (to keep out the spring/summer weeds). Other than that it’s just mowing and fertilizing every few weeks and maybe some fungus control here and there
Don’t forget to enjoy it
Its mowable with a push mower, but it sucks balls. I’m also in Utah. We have about 30k of grass. Takes me about 3 hours with a push mower give or take. My riding mower is broken for now.
Yes its expensive, yes its a full time job from April – October. Yes, its worth it.
Your lawn already looks better than mine up here in Utah. Id go for a riding mower if you can afford it. As others have said we’ve actually had a spring this year so you’ll want to get the grass ready for higher temps. Water less frequently and for longer so your grass roots deep. Mow high and often.
I’m also pretty new at this so if anyone has suggestions and corrections I’m all for it!
Ifa 4 step
Don’t go for a push mower. That’s throwing away money. Buy a zero turn and make your life easy.
Treat her just like the house and give her a proper inspection. You’ve got to understand where you’re at before you can plan where you’re going.
– Learn everything you can from the previous homeowner (when was she last fertilized and what with, was she already treated for grubs, are there any known problem spots, etc)
– Send in a soil sample to a testing college to get a clear picture of the current chemistry and treat her accordingly
– Pull some plants (not just blades) from various areas and really inspect their health
– Learn what varieties you’re growing and what they need to thrive
– Study the drainage and deal with any problems now
– Don’t dethatch or overseed until you’ve cycled through one full year to see how she responds through the seasons
– Make a plan and stick to it. Journal everything.
There’s a well-defined line between “I have grass and (sigh) *have* to mow it” and “I farm turf grasses and want to grow the best product possible”. Be the latter, treat her as such, and she’ll always be beautiful.
If you have never had a yard before, start out with a good lawn care service if you can.
The investment you are going to spend in equipment is going to be several times bigger than you think just to keep it looking half decent. Looking like this is several times more.
And the amount of time is several times more than you think just to keep it half decent. To keep it like this several times more. I’d start with a service first so I can understand how much it takes.
That said, congratulations you have purchased a beautiful starting point and we wish you the best.
Beautiful yard, congrats! My yard is only about 9k sq ft total but I got a robot mower and it handles it all for me. No shed needed except for my weed eater (it won’t get the edges well). Just seeding the thought the robot mowers can do this as long as you’re not worried about people stealing them. Hope the kids and the pups get to enjoy many memories here!
Fellow Northern Utahn here:
– If you want a yard that’s better than 90% then do a simple 4 step program from IFA or Scotts. You could maybe just skip to step 4 this fall if you are overwhelmed with all the things right now.
– Mow frequently, but with your yard once a week would be just fine.
– Depending on your grass type you could probably mow fairly high at 3-3.5 inches during the summer. This will require less water and our summers are underratedly (not a real word) hot and harsh on lawns. You can mow lower in the spring and fall. At the end of fall mow super low. Snow will sit on the grass and it recovers better and is less susceptible to fungus when mowed low at the end of the lawn season.
– Join groups on Reddit or Facebook about Utah Lawns. You can get a ton of good info just from scrolling through some comments now and again.
– Enjoy it, but not too much. If you become a lawn nut with that sized lawn it will cost you eleventy thousand dollars a week to maintain.
I’ve got a similar sized lawn not too far from you.
For a mower I bought 2 mammotion Luba robotic mowers and I love them. They mow 3 times a week with minimal involvement from me. I still have to weed wack.
Lawn looks healthy, to keep it that way make sure you have no broken sprinklers. I would recommend investing in a Rachio or other smart sprinkler box to make water adjustments easy.
Once a year buy a soil test kit and figure out what NPK ratios you need, then fertilize. (Don’t buy a Scott’s spreader, you will regret it). IFA sells a 4 bag system that is pretty good, or you can buy bags from Lowe’s and save a little money.
M18 quick lock is a great investment if you’re already into the M18 system. I have the string trimmer and pole saw and love them. I wouldn’t shy away from anything made by Stihl, DeWalt, or Makita either.
IFA fertilizer
Robot mower?
Looks fine