09/06/2026
I wanted to take the time to make this post about the abnormal amount of rain we've had the past month or two, how it's effecting grass growth, and how it impacts other things like a lawn care companies time, profits, equipment, etc...
As you probably know, I am a solo owner/operator, which means I am a one man show. I'm the one mowing, trimming, cleaning up. Efficiency is key to my operation and how I operate a profitable business. In 1748, Benjamin Franklin wrote in an essay titled Advice to a Young Tradesman, "Remember that time is money." This goes hand in hand with what I am about to show you.
The example I am about to show you is my own property. It is a 1/2 acre lot, 90% flat easy mowing. In the first 3 photos I included screenshots of my stopwatch. After I mowed the property the first time, it took me roughly 26 minutes. As you can see, I started mowing around noon. The grass was still wet, and it last rained briefly Friday night into Saturday morning. It typically takes me about 20 minutes to make a pass through the entire property, so having to go slower than normal because it is wet and thick all ready started taking it's toll on efficiency. As you can see in some of the photos, after one pass there was an unacceptable amount of grass clippings leftover from mowing, so a second pass is needed to chop up the grass clippings and to get the grass looking it's possible best. Keep in mind when looking at the finished photos, I have a mix of weeds (clover mostly) and tall fescue grass. It gets both tall, and thick, but it is untreated. The second pass took another 16 minutes, but it did the job and got the grass clippings chopped and dispersed. The final timer reads 59 minutes, after trimming and cleanup.
A majority of my lawns are 1/2 to 1 acre properties. Everything at this point needs to be double cut in order for it to look its best. I'll never be the company that leaves your lawn looking bad with grass clippings all over the yard. I want the yard looking it's best. Because of this, you can see where losing just 15-20 minutes per yard can have a snowball effect on everything.
Extra time lowers efficiency.
Extra time means more use on equipment.
Extra time means more frequent maintenance on said equipment.
Extra time means less time with family, going to kids activities, etc.
Typically around this time, the grass has slowed down and I can do more landscaping type projects, but I've had to pass on those just to keep up with grass.
Anyways, I just wanted to share this info with everyone. It can explain why your guy may have just gave up, ghosted you, etc or it may help you realize why prices are the way they are!
