155 homeowners share their favorite DIY lawn care apps

155 homeowners share their favorite DIY lawn care appsMost everyone loves a green lawn, but keeping one well-maintained can be a lot of work. It takes time, effort, and know-how. Technology can't solve every problem or take time off of every task. However, it can make the lives of homeowners easier. For those who choose to maintain their yards themselves, apps are available to help them in their journey.

We asked 155 homeowners to share their favorite lawn care maintenance app for DIYers. 
Here are the results:

Survey Overview

PlantSnap: 62

Rainbird: 24

My Lawn (Scotts): 21

Lawn Care Journal: 15

YardMastery: 13

TurfPath: 5

Other: 15

PlantSnap

PlantSnap's tagline: "a plant expert at your fingertips." Sounds pretty helpful, right? That's what many of our survey-takers said. Many noted they still rely on other sources for plant verification but love having the free app on hand. PlantSnap was the app most chosen by those who participated in our survey.

Of 155 survey takers, 62 homeowners (40 percent) named PlantSnap their favorite DIY lawn care app.

Take a photo, discover the species. It's easy. The app allows users to identify more than 600,000 types of plants, flowers, trees, cacti, succulents, and more. Users can also join in on the app's community.

Rain Bird

Rain Bird's app automatically configures your irrigation system for smart watering based on weather forecasts and seasonal changes. It lets you control your irrigation system remotely as needed.

This app took the second top spot in our survey. Many noted that the app's ability to connect with their Rain Bird controller positively impacted their lawn's overall health and loved the convenience factor.

According to Rain Bird's App Store page, the app is compatible with the following controller models:

Rain Bird's app allows you to connect to your irrigation system and ensure that your lawn gets just the right amount of water it needs – no more, no less – to keep your grass growing lush and green. This app is great for the homeowner looking to have complete, automated control at the touch of a button.

My Lawn by Scotts

Created by Scotts, My Lawn will consider your lawn's needs and create a customized care plan. It will remind you when to water, mow, fertilize, weed, and do other lawn care tasks. The app uses your smartphone's location services to provide precise recommendations based on local weather conditions and lawn type.

Several survey takers noted that the My Lawn app helped them establish a more consistent lawn care schedule. While the app is used to sell more Scotts products, it is a great, free tool for homeowners seeking help when doing it themselves.

Tired of doing it all yourself? Get help with GreenPal!

The app is ideal for homeowners who want a lawn care resource in their pocket. The recommendations and reminders are personalized to your area, ensuring you do the right things at the correct times. And with the alerts and reminders features in the app, you'll be well on your way to a healthier lawn.

Do you save money using DIY apps?

For many homeowners, doing it themselves no longer has the same appeal. They keep plugging along anyway because they believe the DIY route saves them money.

So, the question becomes, how much does maintaining a lawn cost? We've previously calculated in our national GreenPal lawn vendor survey how much homeowners save by mowing their yards. 

Of course, every homeowner owns a lawn of a different size. Not everyone will need a riding lawn mower to cut their grass, but many respondents who participated in the survey mentioned they had more than an acre to mow.

We assumed a homeowner needed a basic riding lawn mower and some essential tools when making our calculations. A base-level riding mower might cost $1,500. Add $100 for a weed eater. Tack on $150 for a leaf blower — $ 1,750 total, not including gas and maintenance. 

From our data, the average mowing price is roughly $45 per half acre.  Let's break it down further by assuming a yard must be cut 30 times yearly.

Take the $1,750, divide it by 30, and it comes out to $36 per cut if the homeowners mow themselves, which totals $1,080 per year. A professional mower cutting the lawn 30 times at $45 per cut equals $1,350. The savings? $270 per year.

It's worth it for some. But those thinking about their initial investment realize it would take them almost seven years to recoup their costs. 

Again, these are estimates. Not every state has a seven-month growing season, so many variables exist. Still, every homeowner should ask: are the savings worth the time it takes me to mow myself?

If the answer ever becomes no, the GreenPal app can help you find the perfect lawn care company for your yard within 24 hours. 

Lawn Care Journal

With the Lawn Care Journal app, homeowners can log every time they mow, water, fertilize or treat their lawn and schedule future tasks to guarantee their grass stays on a routine.

Users can also use the app to manage multiple lawns. They are offered a mowing score, which homeowners appreciate.

This knowledge helps users cut grass more regularly and follow mowing best practices.

The app allows you to track when and how often you mow your lawn, figure out regular times to water it, and sort through the jumble of lawn-care tips that bombard homeowners. 

The app will help you  keep a detailed record of what methods work or don't work for your grass.

Tired of doing it all yourself? Get help with GreenPal!

TurfPath

Identifying lawn diseases and pests is the first step in getting your lawn back in shape when issues arise. Users can access troves of reference materials.

Early detection of pests and diseases can prevent serious turf damage. By connecting users with turfgrass managers and others who care about their grass, TurfPath helps all involved address problems quickly and effectively.This app is a must-have for the homeowner who wants to maintain a pest-free, healthy lawn.

Quick Summary

We surveyed 155 homeowners to learn more about their favorite lawn care applications for completing tasks themselves. PlantSnap and the Rainbird app took the top two spots. My Lawn, Lawn Care Journal, YardMastery and TurfPath also made the list, with all other entries receiving little to no additional votes.

We also looked at how long it would take a homeowner to recover costs from their initial investments to maintain their lawn by themselves. We found that homeowners would take nearly seven years to recoup their costs by going the DIY route over hiring a professional.

Tired of doing it all yourself? Get help with GreenPal!