Lawn Tools

Lawns are high-maintenance landscape features. However, for those of us who grew up with front and back yards covered with grass, it's difficult to imagine not having at least some lawn. That beautiful surface of emerald green is greedy for water, fertilizer, your time, and regular mowing.

 

Power lawn mower.

A gasoline- or electric-powered rotary lawn mower is appropriate for lawns over 4,000 square feet. If the lawn is configured as a large expanse, self-propelled models are particularly helpful. Today almost all power lawn mowers are designed as mulching mowers with a special blade and higher bell that suspends clippings long enough to be cut several times before they fall back into the grass as a mulch. There's no need to collect them.

 

Drop spreader.

Use a drop spreader to sow grass seed, lime, or granular fertilizer precisely. The granules or seeds flow from a rectangular hopper in measured amounts in a row along its wheelbase. An adjustment on the handle alters the amount you dispense. With each pass across the lawn, this spreader evenly distributes the material in spreader-width rows. It's perfect for lawns with straight edges, but requires a careful pattern of passes so you don't leave any missed strips.

 

Rotary spreader.

Rotary spreaders broadcast seed or granular fertilizer in a wide, circular pattern. When you push the spreader, a spinner -- under the hopper that holds the material -- rotates, throwing out the seed or granules at a rate regulated by a lever on the handle. Because the spreader casts the material widely on both sides of it, there's no danger of missing areas that show later as streaks in the lawn. To ensure uniform coverage, make vertical and horizontal passes over the area.

 

Manual mower.

The old-fashioned lawn mower has been updated for modern times. It's made of lightweight space-age materials -- most models feature pneumatic tires, easy blade-height settings, and handle-length adjustment. The horizontal blades on this mower always give a superior cut. They are mounted on a reel that's geared within the wheel assembly, and they slice the grass against a lower, rigid bar. Spectacularly quiet and, of course, pollution-free, these manual mowers are especially useful for smaller lawns.

 

Hand edger.

A hand edger consists of a sharp, straight-edged steel blade mounted at the end of a long wooden or Fiberglass handle. This English-style version has a rounded semicircular blade with a broad top edge that forms a tread for your foot. Place the tool along the edge of the turf where it meets pavement, then push the blade downward to cut a neat border.

 

Electric-powered edger.

For edging long stretches of lawn along walks and driveways, a powered edger is most efficient. If you have a large property or a lot of lawn that you want to keep perfectly edged, this tool's for you. Electric-powered edgers are available in corded and battery-powered models. Before choosing one, consider the length the electric cord need to be to reach the nearest electrical outlet from the farthest area you will be edging. When using a powered edger, you want to be aware of where any shallowly buried electric or water lines may lie -- a consideration if you have an in-ground irrigation system for the lawn. You don't want to cut any lines accidentally.

 

Dethatching rake.

The steel tines on this special rake penetrate the thatch layer on a lawn. They are mounted on a sturdy bridge that's attached to a long wooden handle. When you pull the tines through the grass with a raking motion, they snag the matted strands of dead grass plants that make up the thatch layer. They bypass the healthy grass and loosen and pull up only dead material. On some models, you can adjust the angle of the row of tines.

 

Hand core-aerator.

Hand core-aerators consist of two or more hollow tines connected by a narrow, steel bridge that serves as a food plate. A waist-high, steel handle, topped by hand grips, attaches to the bridge. When you press your foot against the steel bridge, the 6-inch-long tines penetrate moist turf and fill up with a core of soil. Then when you withdraw them, each one leaves a narrow hole in the turf that admits air and moisture to the root area. Each time you press the tines into the turf, a soil plug pops out the top and lands on the lawn where it decomposes in the rain.