How Can I Do My Own Lawn Care Treatment?

Doing your own lawn care is not as complicated as it looks, especially if you have the right tools for the job. Below is our list of 5 essential products you'll need to get started.

Most fertilizers, pre-emergent herbicides, and some fungicides come in granular form. A granular spreader is the easiest way to spread these granules evenly across an entire lawn.

When choosing a granular spreader, look for one that can hold at least 60 pounds of granules at a time. The spreader should have a calibration setting that allows you to adjust how much granules are being dropped at one time. Spreaders should also have a spreader guard, which will help prevent you from dropping granules where you don't need them, like driveways and sidewalks.

Hand-held granule spreaders are also smart for using granules in flower beds, gardens, hard-to-reach parts of the lawn, and in backyard ponds.

Though many lawn care products come in granular form, a fair amount of weed control, fertilizers, and pest control applications are available in liquid form. Liquid products are often mixed with water. If you choose to use liquid products, a sprayer is an essential lawn care tool.

We suggest using a sprayer that can hold at least 4 gallons of liquid. This will ensure you get a more even application of product, without having to constantly stop, refill your sprayer, and start again. You can also use this sprayer for smaller applications, like the spot-spray application of weeds.

Backpack sprayers will make carrying a large amount of liquid across your lawn easier. If you have an extremely large property, a large capacity sprayer like a cart sprayer or an ATV-mounted sprayer may be best for your needs.

When selecting a sprayer, look for one that includes a handle or straps, a filter to keep debris out of your mixture, and a hand or battery pump to keep the solution spraying at an even pace.

After applying granules in your lawn, you will probably have to water them in. Watering-in means applying water to the granules (usually at least half an inch) to activate the product. A hose and sprinkler will help you water in your product, especially if you live in a very dry area that does not see a lot of rain and do not have a built-in sprinkler system.

When watering-in granules or just watering the lawn, be sure to run your sprinkler in the early morning. This will give the water time to absorb to avoid burning your grass and to prevent lawn diseases that can thrive in damp lawns.

Personal protection equipment, also known as PPE, are the small items that keep you safe while you work in your lawn.

Long sleeves, pants, and closed toe shoes are essential, as are eye goggles and gloves, both chemical gloves and heavy duty work gloves. If you are using a marking dye or will be getting extremely messy, you can always wear a coverall, but that is your personal preference.

Most lawn care herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and fertilizers will contain a PPE section on their label. Be sure to read labels and wear the recommended PPE when using those products.

Perhaps the most important tool you'll need when you begin to take control of your lawn is advice from the pros, and DoMyOwn is here to help! We have an entire customer service team dedicated to helping homeowners across the country do their own lawn care. We also have plenty of lawn care guides, articles, and videos to help you do it yourself!

Learn more about lawn care equipment essentials in Episode 4 of our DoMyOwn Lawn Care video series. Click here to watch the entire series.

Ready to get started on doing your own lawn care? Shop our lawn and garden products here. Have questions about the products recommended on this page? Give our customer service team a call at 866-581-7378 or email [email protected].