There is nothing like a beautiful lawn in your front yard to add curb appeal and value to your home. In the backyard, a healthy lawn is not only nice to look at but cool and refreshing. It also provides a good place for children to play in. But, keeping a lawn attractive and healthy isn’t easy. Here are five tools that will make the job easier.
1. The Lawn Mower
You may think having a lawnmower is a no-brainer for lawn care but think again. There are many types of lawnmowers, and it will be the biggest investment you make for lawn care, so take the time to look around and choose the right one for your situation.
For lawn mowing and landscaping in Charlottesville, or wherever you live, you don’t need the most expensive on the market, but it should be of good quality, so it will last for years. The manufacturer’s warranty is important, but the way you maintain it is the biggest factor in its longevity and effectiveness.
The type of lawnmower you need depends on your landscaping. If you have a very large lawn, a gas-powered mower may be your best choice. Gas-powered mowers are more powerful than electric mowers, but electric mowers are quieter. An electric model may be fine for a smaller lawn. This is true for all lawn-care power tools. If you just have a small patch of lawn, a manual mower may be all you need.
2. The Watering
Watering your lawn can be a complicated business. Digitally controlled sprinklers are your best tool for giving your lawn the right amount of water according to the season and the weather. They are also very convenient if you need to go out of town or are otherwise not able to water your lawn.
Start with the type of turf you have. Different types of turf require different amounts of water. Overwatering some turf can result in disease and kill the root. Digitally controlled sprinklers are programmable, so you can change the amount of watering you do every few months and forget about it.
3. The Rake
There is no one-size-fits-all rake. A leaf rake is different from a lawn rake. The rake is probably your least expensive tool but important nonetheless.
A leaf rake is for removing debris such as twigs and leaves from the surface of your lawn. Depending on the type of trees near your lawn, you may have to rake it every week. Leaf rakes are usually lighter than lawn rakes.
A lawn rake is for lifting matted grass to allow the soil to be aerated, so the roots can receive air, sunlight, and water. This is usually done in the spring and fall to promote vigorous growth. It is often made of steel and can be used for raking large debris such as small branches and soil or gravel.
4. The Edgers
For most landscaping, a crisp-edged lawn is part of the attraction. Some gardens have a wild look and prefer ragged edges. You don’t need to spend on a powerful lawnmower that has an edging feature. All you need is an iron edging tool and some edging shears.
It’s recommended to do the edging first and mow last. Also, be sure your edging tools are sharp to avoid damaging the grass’s roots and blades.
5. The Spreader
You will need to fertilize your lawn and may need to reseed some areas. It’s more effective to have a spreader for this than to try to do it by hand. There are small hand-held spreaders available for small lawns as well as wheeled spreaders for larger areas.
A broadcast granular spreader disperses fertilizer uniformly on a wide area of lawn. It comes in small and large capacity and is also a sprayer to disperse herbicide. A large spreader is suitable if your yard is larger than half an acre. A small spreader holds about one to three gallons, and a larger one holds about four or five gallons of liquid.
If you want an attractive and healthy lawn throughout the year, it will take constant attention. These tools will make it easier if you do it yourself, but you can always opt for professional lawn-care services that make life even easier.
