9 Essential Tools for Your Best Lawn
Lawn tools extend beyond the basic lawn mower and garden hose. While those two are definitely essentials to have in your arsenal, we have a few more to add in that will help you revive your lawn and maintain it in the warm weather months.
1. Fertilizer Cart
A fertilizer cart enables you to spread fertilizer evenly over the grass in your yard. It's vital to apply the fertilizer in a uniform pattern to ensure that the there is even growth in your grass and to prevent damage to your lawn from the application of large amounts of fertilizer material.
Tool Tip: Refrain from using your fertilizer cart for any other applications to your yard. Using your cart to apply salt to a sidewalk or driveway in the winter could lead to damaged grass when you use the cart in the summer.
2. Aerator
By aerating your lawn, the soil below your grass will become less compacted and will allow for better penetration of water. It’s important to get enough water through your grass into the soil to maintain proper growth of your lawn.
Tool Tip: Using a small hand aerator (or one that attaches to your foot, as pictured above) is less expensive than renting a large one and it will enable you to get into smaller areas of your lawn.
3. Hand Weeder
A hand weeding tool makes it possible to remove weeds from your lawn without the use of a weed killing product. This prevents the chance of accidentally killing your grass along with any annoying weeds in the middle of your yard. Hand weeders are designed to remove both the weed and the root, ensuring that the plant won’t grow back.
Tool Tip: Hand weeding tools are available in a range of prices from three to 50 dollars. If you’re looking to just get rid of some pesky weeds, get a product on the lower end of the price scale.
4. Lawn Mower
This tool is the most important one you need for your lawn. Keeping the grass in your yard maintained is vital to proper lawn care. It's also one of the most expensive tools you will purchase for your lawn. The type of lawn mower that you'll need will depend on your lawn size and the features necessary to make the job easier for you. Mowers are available as a reel, electric, battery or gas powered tool. The price of the mower will vary depending on the power type you choose.
Tool Tip: Consider purchasing a battery operated lawn mower for your yard. These mowers have no electrical cord that can get in the way, do not create pollution from burning gas and are fairly easy to push.
5. Lawn Shears
Lawn shears are a terrific tool to trim areas of your lawn that are difficult to reach with your mower. There are a variety of these tools available. Some require you to get down on their knees to trim the grass and others feature longer handles, making it possible to trim while standing.
Tool Tip: Lawn shears are also available as a motorized tool. These shears are a bit more expensive, but they make the job easier to complete.
6. Leaf Rake
Leaf rakes differ from garden rakes in the size of their tines. Leaf rake tines are much longer and more flexible, allowing you to gather debris from the grass without much effort.
Tool Tip: Most leaf rakes made today have handles that are designed to be ergonomically effective. The handle designs prevent back strain while working on your yard.
7. Shovel or Spade
A versatile tool, shovels come with blades in several shapes that make removing debris (especially that of the animal kind) easy.
Tool Tip: Have the blade of your shovel sharpened each spring to make your digging jobs easier. Check the connection between the blade and the handle as well.
8. Watering Hose
A garden hose is necessary for keeping your grass (and all of your plants) healthy. You’ll need one that offers the proper length to get all areas of your lawn, including those that are missed by sprinklers.
Tool tip: If you’re getting a new hose, look for the ones that easily recoil to a small lightweight shape when the tubing is empty. This makes using and storing easy.
9. Wheelbarrow
Your lawn will accumulate a great deal of debris throughout the seasons, whether it's leaves or dead grass itself. Wheelbarrows are great for transporting debris and gardening materials from one place to another. The most efficient wheelbarrows have two wheels and bins with high sides. If you need to get into smaller areas in your lawn, get yourself a second smaller wheelbarrow that maneuvers easily.
Tool Tip: If you’re replacing the wheel on your wheelbarrow, look for non-pneumatic tires. This type of tire does not go flat and you won’t have to worry about filling it with air.
