I Signed Up for TruGreen Lawn Service and Here’s How It’s Going

Testing TruGreen Lawn Care Service

I began testing TruGreen’s service on my 5,000-square-foot lawn in spring 2025. It was a typical spring season in Raleigh, NC, with mild to warm temperatures, moderate rainfall, and frequent pollen accumulation—conditions that are common for the southern region and ideal for evaluating weed control and turf response.

TruGreen first provided me with an initial lawn analysis, which included an evaluation of grass health, weed presence, and soil condition, followed by recommendations for a customized treatment plan.

I proceeded with two treatments as part of the TruPro lawn care plan. The first treatment was applied in April and the second in early May. Each visit included applications targeting pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control, as well as fertilizer intended to promote healthy spring growth.

As of this writing, I have completed the first two treatments and have six additional treatments remaining in the annual service plan. This ongoing testing will help assess TruGreen’s long-term effectiveness in weed suppression, turf health, and overall service quality.

Choosing the Right TruGreen Plan

TruGreen offers homeowners three annual lawn care plans: 

• TruBasic offers a lawn assessment, customized lawn treatment plan, fertilization, and weed control—the essentials at the lowest prices with satisfaction guaranteed. However, this low-price option does not include aeration, soil enhancer, overseeding, or insect control, so results may plateau if soil compaction or insects are present.
• TruCore builds on the TruBasic plan by adding insect control plus a soil-health amendment that helps to loosen compact soil and promote deeper roots for thicker turf. It also has priority scheduling, is pricier than the TruBasic plan, but it does not include aeration or overseeding.
• TruPro bundles TruCore’s treatments with core aeration and overseeding for comprehensive protection at the highest annual fee, and free pretreatments anytime issues arise.

Regardless of the lawn care plan, every customer’s first visit with TruGreen begins with a lawn analysis where the specialist inspects the turf type and soil type, identifies weeds, and checks for insects.

Initial Lawn Assessment

When the lawn care specialist arrived for the initial visit, he did a walk-through of our property before presenting TruGreen’s Healthy Lawn Analysis, which details overall lawn health, environment, and care recommendations. There was no mention of soil testing or using a meter to read soil pH. He noted different types of grass, bare spots, and weeds such as annual bluegrass and crabgrass. 

After explaining his findings, he recommended the TruPro service, which would treat weeds with pre-emergent herbicide, fix the bare spots with aeration to relieve compaction, and fill bare spots by overseeding. The visit concluded with a copy of the TruPro plan, which detailed eight treatments plus aeration and overseeding in the fall.

First Service Appointment

The first treatment with TruGreen felt coordinated and professional from start to finish. A few days after my Healthy Lawn Analysis, a text message confirmed that the specialist would arrive the following morning, and the TruGreen app echoed the notice with a push notification. Upon arrival, he began the late-spring treatment laid out in the initial assessment.

He applied fertilizer and delivered pre-emergent crabgrass and broadleaf weed control. He explained that this balanced feed would jumpstart chlorophyll production, deepen the green color and thicken the lawn, and prevent annual grasses and other weeds from becoming a problem later on. I received a hard copy of the service summary, along with an electronic version in my online account that summarized what treatments were done, what to expect from the treatments, what the specialist noticed, and what he recommended.

Before leaving, he staked a small, branded sign to mark recent treatment and reviewed key after‑care steps: keep children and pets off the lawn until the spray dried and postpone mowing for 24 hours.  The summary, complete with product names, rates, and weather conditions, appeared in my TruGreen app minutes later. The seamless communication and detailed summary left me with a good initial impression.

A couple of days later, the specialist arrived to apply lime to the lawn. The service summary explained that this application helps correct soil pH and provides calcium for improved lawn health. It was recommended that I water the lawn twice a week with a half-inch of water. It also recommended mowing at the proper setting for my grass type. I wasn’t sure what that should be, so I headed to the TruGreen website, where I found an article on mowing heights by season and grass types. My mower-recommended setting ended up being 3 to 4 inches, the ideal grass height for tall fescue.

Early Results 

After the second appointment, the lawn care specialist stopped by to inspect the lawn and see how the treatment was coming along. No additional product was applied. He confirmed that several grass species are present, predominantly tall fescue with intermingled Kentucky bluegrass, and he pointed out yellow areas where the weeds were responding to treatment. He also noticed the bare areas of the lawn, which will be addressed in the fall when seeding establishment is more successful. In the meantime, the focus is on thickening the grass and keeping weeds suppressed. 

The specialist advised maintaining consistent irrigation of about a half-inch of water across two watering sessions per week, as well as mowing the tall fescue between three to four inches to reduce stress and improve the color and quality of the turf. With six treatments remaining, the lawn should transition from its current recovery phase to a full, lush lawn by the end of the season.

After just two TruGreen visits, the lawn is showing encouraging progress. The slow‑release fertilizer and pre‑emergent crabgrass control laid down in the first treatment have already deepened overall color and started thickening the tall‑fescue canopy; scattered yellow patches where weeds once thrived signal that the broadleaf herbicide is working. It is still early in the season, however, and six scheduled treatments remain before the full program’s benefits can be judged.

TruGreen Lawn Service Pricing: What You’ll Pay for a Greener Lawn

TruGreen service costs depend on the size of the lawn and the chosen plan. I obtained the following quotes for my 5,000 square-foot lawn:

• TruBasic: (Lawn assessment, lawn plan, fertilization, and weed control): $398.76 per year
• TruCore: (TruBasic plan plus insect control and soil enhancer): $770 per year
• TruPro: (TruCore plan plus aeration and overseeding):  $1,033 per year
• Average cost per visit: $100–$110

So, Is TruGreen Lawn Service Right for You?

Based on my initial experience, it’s still too early to say definitively whether TruGreen is the right lawn care service for me, but here are my first impressions.

I tested the service starting with their initial lawn analysis and have since completed two treatments out of the total eight planned for the year. These first visits included fertilizer applications and weed control, and the lawn care specialist was punctual and professional. The lawn has shown some early signs of improvement, particularly in color and density, but there are still bare spots.

TruGreen does note that it can take up to a full 12 months to see the most noticeable results, especially when dealing with persistent weeds or compacted soil. So, while my first impression is highly optimistic, the jury is still out on whether the service delivers on its long-term promises.

I’ll be completing the full treatment plan and will update this review after a full year of service to share the long-term results and whether I ultimately feel it’s worth the investment.

Meet the Tester

Cathy Harms is an award-winning woodworker, trades instructor, DIY enthusiast, and content writer. Her work has been featured in Fine Woodworking Magazine. Cathy owns Charms Woodworks, a one-woman woodworking shop where she specializes in building fine furniture using advanced joinery techniques and heirloom-quality educational toys.

 

Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners

We’ll help you set up your first garden—whether that’s a few pots on your patio, a raised bed, or an in-ground plot out back—and select the right plants for your soil and region.

GET STARTED