At Ultimate Innovations, Inc., which specializes in "low maintenance lawns," company president Brian Vidinhar said, "Most people buying a new home here feel they don't have the money to get into landscaping. At our company, we try to do good planning. It's when you don't plan that you end up spending three times the amount of money."
Vidinhar said his company uses a base figure of $1.75 per square foot, with landscaping for a typical Hawaii yard starting at about $2,500. Figured into the cost are materials and labor.
Soil types determine what is needed. A sandy soil, such as that in Lanikai, would require the addition of nutrients and moisture-retaining peat moss or mulch. But while sand may require more material than a clay soil, it is much easier to work with, requiring less labor than clay soil.
"Most companies don't charge for estimates," Vidinhar said. "If you find you can't afford it, at least you would get educated on how to do it."
Most companies also guarantee their work for about 90 days. By then, he said, "The yard should be pretty weed free, level and ready to take over."
Professionals can also provide additional upkeep services as well. Ultimate Innovations will charge about $1.25 per square foot to aerate the soil, a procedure which extends the life of a lawn by punching 3/4th-inch holes into the soil and adding compost to allow sunlight, nutrients, air, water and fertilizer to reach the grass roots.
They will also remove thatch, a process of removing dead stem build- up which should be performed annually or as needed. De-thatching helps to prevent disease, decreases water use and makes the lawn more attractive.
In starting a lawn, Ultimate Innovations generally plants stolons, or the grass roots. These are spread over prepped soil and topped with mulch.
"It's an easy way to do it," Vidinhar said. "The only requirement is sprinklers because it has to be watered three times a day."
The lawn then comes up evenly in 30 to 45 days.
Stolons are delicate so the average home owner will probably find it easier to work with plugs. These are 2-inch square patches of grass planted every 6- to 12-inches or so. Grass tends to grow more unevenly this way. It doesn't require as much water as stolons, but the lawn takes four to 6 months to fill in.
Vidinhar said growing a lawn from seed is the most time-consuming process and he doesn't recommend it.
Although Vidinhar is a second-generation landscaper and loves his work, when asked how his own "garden" grows, he says his choice of ground cover is cement.
"People always tell me, 'You must have the best-looking yard.' Landscapers are like mechanics in that they say mechanics have the worst-running cars and plumbers have the leaky faucets.
"I cut grass all day long. I don't want to play in grass when I come home."