Current Events > Why do people spend so many resources on lawn care?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I swear to god, there is at least one lawn mower going on my block every day unless it rains. The neighbours across the street mow their lawn every 4 days. Obsessive much? We do ours every 10 days because who the hell cares if it's a bit long.

Thinking about how much time and energy and gas people use on this stuff is boggling my mind.

Sure, it's the aesthetic of your house. I can understand wanting it to look nice. But (1) the noise is totally obnoxious (get a reel mower if you're so obsessed), and (2) you can be fined for having an unsightly lawn. Why does the law get to say what my property looks like? I'm sure there are reasons to do with real estate value and curb appeal. Guess what? I don't care. Leave me to my messy lawn. I pay to live here like everyone else. Again, I can understand unsightly things that actually pose a danger like leaving garbage out. My messy lawn doesn't affect you.

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This is literally the reason I bought a condo instead of a house. I don't want to mow lawn all the time. I don't want angry old boomers from my HOA sending me complaint letters about my lawn not being mowed.

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@Cheese_Crackers I'm with you 100%

That and poising their lawn with weed killer, and fertilizers.

Also as for noisy Mowers, Mine is a Greenworks electric mower.
It's about as loud as maybe two box fans...I can mow in the middle of the night.

But ya, I don't understand the obsession.
Maybe it's the no sharp corners promise that suburbia was supposed deliver.
Also for the record, I don't live in a Suburb.
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For the same reason people get haircuts or buy expensive clothes or go to the gym: it's just an outward sign of influence. Any crack den can have a yard full of weeds, but a perfectly manicured lawn is the sign of either hard work or wealth. It shows your neighbors that you have your shit together.

There's also the fact that poorly maintained houses can drop the property value of every other house on a block by like $10K, so social pressure to maintain appearance also plays a part because a home owner's laziness drains the entire block of significant value.

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The noise is one thing but the real issue with mowing frequently is all the pollen they kick up.

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CEmen can't understand having outdoor hobbies. This is very surprising to everybody.

I say that like my lawn doesn't look like shit lol.

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its ILLEGAL to have a WILD bush

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s0nicfan posted...

There's also the fact that poorly maintained houses can drop the property value of every other house on a block by like $10K, so social pressure to maintain appearance also plays a part because a home owner's laziness drains the entire block of significant value.

The dumbest reason of all. The system is broken. Oh no, someone has dandelions three houses down, now my house...You'll note I am not calling it a home....is worth less.
~Fucking stupid American thinking processes. Money over all else.
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Lost_All_Senses posted...

CEmen can't understand having outdoor hobbies. This is very surprising to everybody.

I say that like my lawn doesn't look like shit lol.

I literally said that "I can understand wanting it to look nice". My larger point is that people should be respectful when their hobbies can disrupt others, and that the choice shouldn't be pushed onto me and my property.

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Pepys Monster posted...

Money matters.

Sure, but there comes a point.
Pissing your whole country away for profit, or some imaginary GDP war is a bad plan.
Especially when the country is in debt on a generational level.
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Cheese_Crackers posted...

I literally said that "I can understand wanting it to look nice". My larger point is that people should be respectful when their hobbies can disrupt others, and that the choice shouldn't be pushed onto me and my property.

Word. I wouldn't see it as undoable to have a time frame to use lawn mowers. But there will always be at least one fat alcoholic that can do what he wants cause he lives in America

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https://ggwash.org/view/72499/lawns-are-good-for-almost-nothing-environment-eco-landscaping

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Because they're not smart enough to plant clover.

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SiO4 posted...

Sure, but there comes a point.
Pissing your whole country away for profit, or some imaginary GDP war is a bad plan.
Especially when the country is in debt on a generational level.

I deleted my post because I had the realization that if it weren't for HOAs and lawncare, I might be in a house right now. It's not the best system. That said, I can understand not wanting your neighbor to have cars with no engine or wheels sitting in their front yard, with dead grass.

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SiO4 posted...

The dumbest reason of all. The system is broken

You say that until you try to sell your house if you try to move and no one wants to live next to the dump of a house next door. HOAs are there to protect the homeowners from losing value, as well as providing services for the neighborhood (most of the time and it varies from neighborhood to neighborhood).

From my experience they usually aren't that strict or nitpicky about stuff anyways but I suppose that also varies from neighborhood to neighnorhood. But it's not a dumb reason
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Pepys Monster posted...

I deleted my post because I had the realization that if it weren't for HOAs and lawncare, I might be in a house right now. It's not the best system. That said, I can understand not wanting your neighbor to have cars with no engine or wheels sitting in their front yard, with dead grass.

When I think of HOAs I'm reminded of the "streamer house" from about a year ago. I can't remember the names, but basically there were some Twitch streamers that moved into a big house in Texas. The local HOA was on their ass from the beginning because they were concerned about a bunch of people in their mid-20s moving into the neighbourhood.

It's that kind of overreaching that really disturbs me. Why on Earth should you get to decide who moves into a house on your block based on age alone? Granted that the streamers went their separate ways pretty quickly, but the complaints came before they even had a chance to do anything to warrant them, and as far as I know they didn't really do anything that affected their neighbours anyway.

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WaterLink posted...

You say that until you try to sell your house if you try to move and no one wants to live next to the dump of a house next door. HOAs are there to protect the homeowners from losing value, as well as providing services for the neighborhood (most of the time and it varies from neighborhood to neighborhood).

From my experience they usually aren't that strict or nitpicky about stuff anyways but I suppose that also varies from neighborhood to neighnorhood. But it's not a dumb reason

The issue of a house looking like shit making people not want to live next to it also isn't some unique american problem.

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Pepys Monster posted...

I deleted my post because I had the realization that if it weren't for HOAs and lawncare, I might be in a house right now. It's not the best system. That said, I can understand not wanting your neighbor to have cars with no engine or wheels sitting in their front yard, with dead grass.

Ya you want to keep things reasonable.
But if someone's biggest issue in life is a house a few houses down lets their grass grow a little long, and has Dandelions, I would say they are living a pretty good life. Good fences make good neighbors. Live and let live. And never trust the real estate industry. ~They play games with people's lives, treating Homes like used Cars.
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I'll mow every other day when the goddamn dandelions are active.

s0nicfan posted...

The issue of a house looking like shit making people not want to live next to it also isn't some unique american problem.

I never said it was. Neither are HOAs
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WaterLink posted...

I never said it was. Neither are HOAs

That response was directed at what SiO4 said. Sorry if you thought it was directed at you.

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A lot of them are old retired people looking for purpose and any reason to get out of the house. I'm speaking about those who consistently mow twice a week for no reason.

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WaterLink posted...

You say that until you try to sell your house if you try to move and no one wants to live next to the dump of a house next door. HOAs are there to protect the homeowners from losing value, as well as providing services for the neighborhood (most of the time and it varies from neighborhood to neighborhood).

From my experience they usually aren't that strict or nitpicky about stuff anyways but I suppose that also varies from neighborhood to neighnorhood. But it's not a dumb reason

You've been well trained.
Only a real snowflake needs to live under the direction of a HOA...Fucking, fuck that shit.
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My neighbor is really annoying. He does one thing every day so doing his lawn, trimming hedges, weeds, etc takes like 4 days. And he decides the best time to crank those tools is at 7am

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SiO4 posted...

You've been well trained.
Only a real snowflake needs to live under the direction of a HOA...Fucking, fuck that shit.

Again, YOU may not care what the people next door do with their lawn. Not while you're living there at least. But if you ever move and try to sell your house then you'd probably care a little more if it directly made you have to sell for way less than you bought it for. Or even make the sale at all really.
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casio_guy posted...

My neighbor is really annoying. He does one thing every day so doing his lawn, trimming hedges, weeds, etc takes like 4 days. And he decides the best time to crank those tools is at 7am

Yikes. One of my neighbours consistently (about once or twice a week) uses power tools outside on a work bench, about 7am or so. They're never home when I try to talk about it. I don't like making complaints about people but the day may come.

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WaterLink posted...

Again, YOU may not care what the people next door do with their lawn. Not while you're living there at least. But if you ever move and try to sell your house then you'd probably care a little more if it directly made you have to sell for way less than you bought it for. Or even make the sale at all really.

My point is. We need to stop selling houses like used cars.
And our petty nation has to stop worrying about stupid shit.
Love thy Neighbor even if their lawn looks like shit.

It was when the housing bubble, which so many stupid people bought into...right after the fucking internet bubble, that people really bought into this, Flip-this-house mindset.
A house is a Home first, and investment, I guess, second.
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casio_guy posted...

My neighbor is really annoying. He does one thing every day so doing his lawn, trimming hedges, weeds, etc takes like 4 days. And he decides the best time to crank those tools is at 7am

Maybe you should be less lazy and get up and appropriate time

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Who cares what other people do on their property. Mind your business.

chitown82 posted...

Who cares what other people do on their property. Mind your business.

Thats exactly my point.

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SoundNetwork posted...

Maybe you should be less lazy and get up and appropriate time

you do know what shift work is right?

shut the fuck up

chitown82 posted...

Who cares what other people do on their property. Mind your business.

Yep. Really if kids playing, lawn care equipment, air compressors, dogs barking, motorcycles etc bother you, maybe move to the country.
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i actually enjoy mowing the lawn, it is probably the most boomer thing about me

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vigorm0rtis posted...

Because they're not smart enough to plant clover.

My backyard is too much clover. I don't like it.

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Romulox28 posted...

i actually enjoy mowing the lawn, it is probably the most boomer thing about me

LOL for me it is like washing the dishes, and sometimes taking a shower.
I don't always want to do it, but once I get started I go ham on it.
~Funny how the brain works.

I will say though, in the case of mowing the lawn, I can get extreme allergies, so it's a little different.
Having said that, my Electric Lawnmower doesn't seem to kick shit up as much. That was a real plus I didn't see coming when I bought it!!

Honestly, I love that thing.
It always starts up with no issues, its quiet, and I don't feel like I'm on Crack and LSD after using it due to allergies!
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Captain_Qwark posted...

Lawn and house care is Animal Crossing: boomer edition

I been doing both. The real work is definitely way more rewarding. AC got old within a few days of manipulating time. I know that's not how you're suppose to play, but I'm only borrowing a Switch.

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Lost_All_Senses posted...

My backyard is too much clover. I don't like it.

Eh, different strokes.

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after 9 am is reasonable. most people should be awake by then. otherwise get earplugs. it's more reasonable for a late sleeper to get earplugs than it is to expect the whole neighborhood to mow at your convenience. if they mow twice a week, so what? it's their lawn.

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vigorm0rtis posted...

Eh, different strokes.

Tbf, with how little I take care of my backyard, you're right that it's the least annoying. The clover areas were a lot tamer than the grass that grew a couple feet. But if Im picking between a well kept clover or grass yard. It's grass all day. I had to weed whacker my entire lawn the last few days cause I let it go to shit while focusing on cleaning my sisters yard.

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Boomers have such a dumb pride over their lawns

its dumb as hell, ESPECIALLY the people that just pay others to do it. I could see having some sense of pride if you were out their wasting hours of your life each week on your lawn, but paying someone to do it is just useless

at least it provides income to some people I suppose

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Lawn care is an escape for some people like video games are for us. My Father is one of those people

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pauIie posted...

after 9 am is reasonable. most people should be awake by then. otherwise get earplugs. it's more reasonable for a late sleeper to get earplugs than it is to expect the whole neighborhood to mow at your convenience. if they mow twice a week, so what? it's their lawn.

WTF is that? Who the fuck are you to say that?
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SiO4 posted...

WTF is that? Who the fuck are you to say that?

i'm saying that like in a "most people are probably awake by then, so you should be good to go" kind of way. not in a "you better be up by 9" type of way.

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pauIie posted...

i'm saying that like in a "most people are probably awake by then, so you should be good to go" kind of way. not in a "you better be up by 9" type of way.

We live in 24 hour society plenty of people need to sleep in late.
If you work at night, you do not 'have all the day to yourself'

Having said that, I do sleep with a box fan. So, I do my part.
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Just get AstroTurf like the Brady Bunch
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Scorsese2002 posted...

Just get AstroTurf like the Brady Bunch

Okay, Marcia...
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SiO4 posted...

We live in 24 hour society plenty of people need to sleep in late.
If you work at night, you do not 'have all the day to yourself'

yes. not arguing any of that.

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pauIie posted...

yes. not arguing any of that.

That's cool man, Sorry for the harsh response. My Bad.
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It depends on grass, really good grass needs to be kept longer than shitty grass so you cut it higher more often. If you scalp it then it can die.

That aside, Americas obsession with lawns is insane and wastes so much water and causes pollution. I especially cant stand lawns in the desert, why make the work for yourself when you can just have rocks and sand and dont have to do anything?

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