Turning a love of the outdoors into a thriving lawn care business

After years of working outdoors and studying horticulture, Jason Corder turned his interest in lawn care into a business of his own.

Corder owns Lawn Spectations, a lawn care business he started in 2000 after studying horticulture at Kent State Tuscarawas. He said his path into the industry began while delivering pizza during college, when he realized he preferred working outside.

“I realized I really liked working outside,” Corder said. “But I thought delivering pizza wasn’t really ideal to make a living.”

He said Kent State Tuscarawas offered training in three main areas, lawn care, tree surgery and landscaping, and he found himself drawn to lawn care. After graduating, he worked for TruGreen before eventually starting his own business.

Originally from Steubenville, Corder later moved to the area with his wife, Traci Corder. After living briefly in Canton, the couple settled in Harlem Springs.

Lawn Spectations focuses on fertilizing lawns, weed control and grub control, along with lawn maintenance treatments. Corder said the business does not provide mowing services, focusing instead on lawn treatment and care. He also does tree and shrub spraying and fertilizing, though he said that side of the business is less common in the Carroll County area.

He said the most common reason people call is because of weed problems in their yards.

“Usually it’s weeds,” Corder said. “People that get a hold of me, it’s usually because the weeds are driving them crazy.”

Corder said one of the things he enjoys most about the work is being outdoors and seeing customers notice improvement in their lawns.

“I really enjoy when people notice their lawn improving,” he said.

He added that the business has also helped him build lasting relationships with customers, many of whom have been with him for years.

“Majority of my customers have been with me for years,” Corder said. “I have a lot of faithful customers.”

Lawn Spectations has also remained a family business over the years. Corder said his wife helped him when he first started and was licensed to assist with the work until she became pregnant with the couple’s oldest child. Their three children, William, Aiko and Skyler, have also helped around the business over the years.

“My oldest son probably helped me the most,” Corder said.

He said his youngest son now helps with tasks such as blowing off driveways and spot spraying weeds.

Corder said one of the biggest tips he gives homeowners is to mow their lawns at a height of at least 3 inches, especially during the summer. He said cutting grass too short during dry periods can cause lawns to burn out more quickly.

Corder also noted that grub damage still occurs, though it is not as widespread as it once was. He said Japanese beetles, which were once much more common, do not seem to appear in the same numbers they used to, though other beetles can still lead to grub problems.

Corder uses a Steel Green SG46 spreader-sprayer as his primary machine for applying treatments, along with a push spreader and liquid sprayer for smaller lawns.

For Corder, the business has provided more than just a livelihood.

“The best part of it is, you get to know a lot of people that you wouldn’t know if you weren’t in business,” he said.

Lawn Spectations can be reached at 740-543-1022.