How To Reclaim Your Yard After a Vacation

Make sure you have a plan for you yard when you leave for vacation so you don't have a mess when you get home!

There is nothing like spending some quality time out of the house with your family, but what effect does time away from home have on your yard? If you’re one of those families that goes off on a 1-2 week adventure, your yard could seem untamable when you re-enter the real world. Never fear, as always the Humphreys’ Blog has the answer for you. In this post, we’re going over some of the things you can do before you leave and when you come back to make sure that your yard stays under control.

Before you leave:

Get on the right cycle:

Make sure to get on the right mowing cycle. If you know you’re going to be leaving try to mow the day before you leave or even the day of, that way your yard will have to grow from its smallest height while you’re gone.

Hire a mowing company while you’re gone:

This can be expensive, but if you’re going to be gone for a while you might want to consider this option. A cheaper alternative might be to ask your neighbor if he or she could take care of it for you.

After you come back:

Trim your yard before you mow:

This will allow all the big weed that have grown next to the house and other obstacles to fall back into the path of your mower. There is nothing more aggravating than putting a perfect mow job on your yard then having big weed slung about after you finish weed eating.

Double mow in high areas:

If you have spots that are especially heavy, and a low horsepower mower, you may want to mow these spots before you start your actual mowing. In doing this, you’ll be able to chop and disperse your high grass while maintaining a consistent look and pattern

Raise your deck:

If your grass is really high you might want to consider raising your deck. This will cut less of the grass but put less strain on your mower and create less cut off debris. Raise your deck this time and then move it back to your regular height in a day or two.

Mow diagonally:

Mowing with a diagonal pattern can help conceal grass clippings and look cool. Take one path diagonally across your yard and start working out from there. As a side note, the diagonal pattern is also more forgiving for first time mowers as well.

Run a grass catcher over your yard:

This requires that you purchase or borrow a grass catcher, mow your yard, and run a grass catcher either while you mow or afterwards. This can be a tedious job but it can leave your yard looking perfect when its all said and done.

Hire a commercial cutter for your first mow job back:

The easiest but more expensive way to handle long vacation grass is to simply hire a professional for the first cut. Just pay to not worry about it.

Leave your kids at home to mow while you’re on vacation:

This allows the grass to be taken care of and gives you more one on one time with your significant other!

Wherever your adventures take you this summer make sure that you have some sort of plan for your yard. It’s a small thing that can make coming home either a nightmare or dream come true. If you have any other suggestions on how to maintain your yard when you get back from vacation leave them in the comments below!