Not Just Lawnmowers: A New Homeowners Guide To Lawn Maintenance Tools

If you are a new homeowner and you've never been responsible for taking care of a lawn before, then you might be unsure about what you need. You probably know that you need a lawnmower, but that's not the only item you will need to take care of your lawn. Here's a list to help you get started.

Edge Trimmer

Once you mow your lawn for the first time you are likely to be disappointed that you didn't get all the grass. The reason is that lawn mowers cannot get close enough to grass that borders edges. For instance, if you have a stone edge to your pathway, or a wooden garden border, the grass that is closest to the edge won't get trimmed. The lawnmower blades can't get them. What you need to get is an edge trimmer. These are used to deal with all of these precise spots.

There are two styles: electric or gas. If you are already comfortable dealing with a gas-powered lawnmower, then it would be best to choose a gas-powered trimmer. These allow you to move around with the most ease.

Lawn Aerator

A lawn aerator is an important hand tool that you need to get. It's used to help provide air to the soil. This is necessary to keep the soil healthy. If the soil gets too compacted, it can die, which will cause you to have to reseed or re-sod large sections of your yard. An aerator works by using small spikes to "prick" the soil. They can be large, handle-driven tools that you manually spike into the ground. The other design looks similar to a old-fashioned push mower. This method is great if you have a really large lawn and prefer to "roll" it as opposed to manually spiking it.

Leaf and Grass Rake

You will need a special rake to deal with leaves and cut grass (unless your lawnmower has a bag attachment to deal with cut grass). You should choose a special rake that is designed to work on lawns. Most people know to avoid claw-style rakes, but it's also a good idea to avoid metal prong rakes. You should look for a large plastic rake that is designed to not tear up the lawn. These are perfect for your soft lawn. Save the metal rakes for your driveway and paths.

Electric Hedge Trimmer

Lastly, you are going to want to get an electric hedge trimmer if you have a lot of privacy hedges. Walking around and using a manual clipper can be very time consuming, so many people prefer the electric models. These will let you take care of the hedges faster, and also assist in getting a more even cut. As long as you are not cutting designs into your hedges (which will require manual clippers) the electric clippers are best. You can make even passes and cut large sections all to the same length, whereas with a manual clipper, you will have to constantly keep rechecking the levels.

For professional help with managing your landscaping, contact a company like Sunlight Landscape.