Lawn Maintenance

Our lawn maintenance tips can help you keep your home cost efficient, safe & cozy.

Deck in backyard of house

Filed under:

Spring Home and Lawn Maintenance Tips

Tackle these spring home and lawn maintenance tasks to keep your property looking as good as new.
best_fertilizer_spreader_panel

6 Best Fertilizer Spreaders (2023 Guide)

A spreader applies a consistent layer of fertilizer over the surface of your lawn. In this review, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best fertilizer spreaders on the market to help you find one that meets your needs.
best_fertilizer_panel

The 5 Best Fertilizers (2023 Review)

Using fertilizer is an important step to maintaining a lush, healthy lawn. In this review, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the five best fertilizers on Amazon to help you find the one that’s right for you. The products included in this article are available at various retail stores, local home centers, and online retailers like Amazon.
Ornamental_Grass_0178834

How to Care for Ornamental Grass

These types of grasses can add beauty and grace to your lawn or garden, but it is critical to know how to care for them. Here are some factors to consider when selecting ornamental grass.
rsz_adobestock_204287225

The Ultimate Guide to Winter Fertilizer (2022)

Applying a winter fertilizer is an important lawn care measure that ensures your grass survives freezing temperatures and is ready to flourish in the early spring. Read on to learn about winter fertilizers, their benefits, and tips for application.
rsz_adobestock_210046297

What Is Grass Rust and How to Remove It

Your lawn isn’t actually rusting, but it may have a fungal disease that weakens the grass blades and sheds orange powder. Fortunately, although this infection weakens turfgrass, it rarely kills it. We’ll show you how to get rid of it.
Image of an herbicide being sprayed onto a weed in a sidewalk crevice. Cover image for This Old House's Best Weed Killer Guide and Product Review.

Best Weed Killers

An effective herbicide can get rid of a variety of weeds that have invaded your lawn. In this guide, our Reviews Team takes a looks at the best weed killers and prevention formulas to support a variety of gardening, landscaping, and lawn care needs.
best_oscillating_sprinkler_request

Best Oscillating Sprinklers of 2023

Oscillating sprinklers rotate to reach more of your lawn, limiting the number of times you have to move them. In this review, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the five best oscillating sprinklers on Amazon to help you find the product that’s right for you and your home. The products included in this article are available at various home improvement stores, local home centers, and online retailers like Amazon.
Landscaping_Colleen_McQuaid_P1060790_crop

End-of-Summer Yard and Garden Cleanup Tips

Give your lawn and garden the care they need by removing debris, dividing crowded perennials, and adding mulch—so plants can come back stronger.
Whats_New_Gardening_Action_Hori_hori_garden_tool_340130_01_tout

What’s New: Summer Tools for Your Home

A new crop of warm-weather problem-solvers for your home.
Checklist_iStock_1135327368_crop

Pro Tips to Get Your House Ready for Warmer Weather

Spring is here, so it’s time to prime the house and garden for the warm-weather months ahead. Read on for tips on how to get everything ready for the summer.
AdobeStock_393709058

Best Tick Killers of 2023

Ticks are not only a nuisance to your vegetation, but they can also carry harmful diseases. To keep your pets and family from getting sick, read our review on the best tick killers below. The products included in this article are available at various home improvement stores, local home centers, and online retailers like Amazon.
Snow_Mold

What Is Snow Mold & How to Remove It

If the snow melts in your yard but the grass is still covered in patches of white, you may have snow mold. We’ll explain what snow mold is and how to prevent it from affecting your lawn.
BX2380_FL19_KUB_783_mw1_srgb

Sub-Compact Tractors: Full-Size Power in a Sub-Compact Package

When your ride-on mower isn’t quite "cutting" it, but a full-size tractor isn’t necessary or practical, a sub-compact tractor can make light work of even your toughest lawn and landscaping challenges. Here’s what you should know about these small but mighty machines.
AdobeStock_83927308.0

How to Repair and Improve Your Lawn

Looking to repair or improve your lawn? It can be as simple as patching, aerating, dethatching, and practicing proper mowing and irrigation methods.
AdobeStock_286921198.0

How to Remove Mole Crickets

Mole crickets are a major nuisance in any lawn, tunneling through soil and tearing up turfgrass. Read on to find out how to identify them, flush them out, and get rid of them.
Lawn_Care_iStock_564597438

The Best Year-Round Lawn Care Schedule

Creating a plan of attack for your lawn care is critical. Here’s your best lawn care schedule, broken down season by season.
Lawn_damaged_iStock_1023855278

How to Get Rid of Lawn Grubs

If grubs have invaded your lawn, you have both all-natural options and chemical treatments to get rid of them. We’ll show you how.
Clover_Lawn_iStock_159200688

How to Get Rid of Clover in Your Lawn Naturally

If you don’t want clover taking over your lawn, there are several natural and organic ways to get rid of it—no harsh chemicals needed.
Bad_Grass_iStock_182175267

Brown Spots in Grass: Identification and Prevention

Your lawn could have brown spots for a variety of reasons—fungus, excessive thatch, and poor soil quality, to name a few. We’ll show you how to identify, repair, and prevent brown spots.
Lawn_iStock_1160441685

NaturaLawn of America Review

If you’re looking for environmentally friendly lawn care services, NaturaLawn of America may be right for you.
Grow_grass_iStock_899234322

How to Grow Grass Fast

There’s no secret trick to get grass to grow overnight, but here are the top tips to get your grass to grow in thick and lush as fast as it can.
Lawn_Aeration_iStock_1011974874

What Is Lawn Aeration and How Is It Done?

Lawn aeration is key to lawn maintenance, but you might not always know when you need it. Read this aeration to guide to learn how, when, and why to aerate your lawn.
iStock_1211663452

The Complete Guide to Lawn Fertilizer Services

Fertilization is key for a healthy, thriving lawn, but it can take a lot of work and expertise. Consider hiring a professional lawn fertilizer service to get a gorgeous, healthy lawn.
Lawn_iStock_1160441685

Summer Lawn Care Tips

Wondering how to care for your lawn in the summer? We have all the top tips to keep your lawn lush in the hot summer months.
creeping_charlie_iStock_466433873

How to Get Rid of Creeping Charlie

Creeping Charlie is a pernicious weed you don’t want in your lawn. We’ll show you how to get rid of it.
Lawn_iStock-502848762.0

How to Restore a Lawn Full of Weeds

Read our handy guide on how to restore a weedy, patchy lawn to its former glory.
Hydroseeding_iStock_184372510

What is Hydroseeding?

Hydroseeding is a convenient, cost-effective way to plant grass seed, but like seeding and laying sod, it has its pros and cons.
Lawn_iStock_1169584877

Spring Lawn Care Tips

Taking care of your lawn in the spring is the key to a lush, healthy lawn all year-round. Here are the top tips to achieve your dream lawn.
Z400_FL19_KUB_099_mw1_srgb.0

Mow Like a Pro

If you’ve got a big, beautiful lawn, chances are you spend a lot of time and energy maintaining it. Here are a few ways a zero-turn mower can help you get a healthy, professional-looking lawn—in less time, and with less effort.
Screen_Shot_2020_04_03_at_3.50.25_PM
Play

Lawn School: Weed Control

This Old House Landscaper, Roger Cook shares his tips for homeowners on caring for their lawns and keeping weed growth under control.
cordless_mowers2

Cordless Lawn Mowers That Won’t Quit

We’re living in the golden age of cordless lawn mowers. Not long ago, these quiet, smokeless cutters had anemic batteries that made you wish you were mowing with gas.
roger_tuneup
Play

How to Tune Up Your Lawn Mower

This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shares his top five tips for keeping your lawn mower running smoothly.