On this page you’ll find a curated collection of some of my favorite DIY lawn care products.
Many of these products are those that I’ve tested on my own lawn. I have first-hand experience with them, and only mention and recommend products I’ve used that have delivered great results.
A few products mentioned here are from brands that I am very familiar with and which I have used before. All of the DIY lawn care products and tools shared in this section of my site are highly-reviewed. I’m confident that any weekend warrior can use these tools effectively to care for, and improve their lawn.
If you’re new to lawn care, grab my free lawn care chat sheet right here. It covers everything you’ll need to do, and when you should do it for great results. After you read it, you can come back here and pick the products that fit the plan I outline for your growing zone.
As you scroll down this page, first you’ll see links to different lawn care product category pages. Click through and I’ll share my picks and recommendations for each type of product you can use for your lawn.
At the bottom of the page I’ll provide some more information about how each type of product can and should be used to improve your lawn. And you can find additional, in-depth guides linked below, and in the site navigation at the top of this page.
There’s a lot of information here to help you succeed. Enjoy!
One of the easiest, and most effective ways to control weeds in your yard is to block the germination of annual weed seeds. Pre-emergent herbicides do just that.
Apply these products in the spring before soil temperatures reach 50 degrees, and they’ll prevent annual weeds like Crabgrass, Poa Annua, and others from germinating in your yard.
Granular fertilizer is easy to apply, and will feed your lawn over time. It’s one of the most popular DIY lawn care products because it is readily available in local hardware and box stores.
It comes in different formulations for different times of year and stages of your lawn’s growth cycle. Knowing what to apply when is the key to successful fertilization.
Which type of granular fertilizer do you need?
Liquid fertilizer is easy to apply with either a pump sprayer or hose-end sprayer. It’s as easy as watering your lawn by hand, and there are lots of great products to choose from in this category.
Foliar feeding will take your lawn care game to a whole new level, delivering instant nutrition to your turfgrass so you can enjoy great results without the wait.
Explore product recommendations in my favorite formulations:
If you’ve ever struggled to see results after fertilizing, it may be that your soil isn’t optimized for nutrient uptake. An application of humic acid (which is available in granular or liquid form) will help chelate nutrients in your soil to make them more accessible to your grass.
In turn, this encourages root growth for a healthier lawn.
One of the most critical micro-nutrients for a lawn that looks great is iron. The lawns that have that stunning, deep-green color are those with grass benefiting with plenty of iron in the soil.
Whether you prefer to apply granular or liquid products to your lawn, these are my favorite chelated iron products for rapid green-up and visibly stunning results.
If you have a lawn of any significant size, investing in a high quality backpack sprayer will take your game to a whole new level.
Whether you want to apply liquid fertilizer and iron, or simply want to treat weeds quickly and safely like a pro, a good backpack sprayer will help make short work of your project.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that great lawns start with great soil. You can save time, money, and turn heads in your neighborhood if you have great information.
A quality, lab-based soil test will tell you exactly what your lawn needs to thrive. It will also keep you from wasting money on nutrients your lawn does not need.
It’s a key part of the plan in my lawn care cheat sheet.
I use the MySoil test kit and recommend it without reservation.
There are a few items every homeowner should have for taking care of their lawn, and the goals you set for your property should dictate what tools, products, and equipment you’ll need to purchase and own, and which ones you may not need.
Lawn care is not a one-size-fits-all hobby, but rather it’s an exercise in knowing yourself, setting goals, and enjoying the satisfaction that comes with working hard to achieve them.
So I’ll split this lawn care product list into two: Must-Have products, and additional products which you don’t need, but are nice to have. These lists are offered with the caveat that what I consider a “must-have” lawn product may be a luxury for you (and that’s ok!).
Tools:
Products:
There are a number of helpful and detailed articles and guides on my blog which will guide you through pretty much every aspect of your lawn care journey.
This page offers a short summary of the tools you’ll need, and my product recommendations to help ensure you aren’t wasting your money on inferior products for your property.
Here’s a quick summary of the key ways you’ll use these products and tools:
Soil Test
I do this every spring on my property. A quality lab-based soil test will tell you your soil’s pH level, macro-nutrient levels (NPK), and micronutrient levels.
Most soils have plenty of nutrients in them already, but if the pH or other specific values are off, your grass won’t be able to utilize what’s there.
You can make informed decisions about what to spread (and what to not spread) when you have this information.
Most homeowners find that they save a lot of time and money by only applying what their lawn needs when compared to simply fertilizing and hoping for the best.
Pre-Emergent Application
You’ll apply pre-emergent in the spring, just before soil temperatures reach 50 degrees. That is the temperature that annual weed seeds begin to germinate and grow. Apply this to your lawn to block the germination of those weeds and to give your lawn’s turfgrass a head start.
By the time the pre-emergent wears off (typically after a few months), your grass will be high and thick enough to create the shade needed to prevent most annual weeds from germinating or growing.
Fertilizer Applications
I recommend most homeowners apply granular fertilizer at least twice a year, and ideally four times annually. Grab my free cheat-sheet to learn when you should do your applications.
Mowing & Edging
I like to do a hard edging job around all of my landscaping and garden beds in the spring each year. I do this with a flat shovel after a heavy rain when the soil is moist and easy to cut. After this, it’s just maintenance with my string trimmer each time I mow.
When you mow your lawn, never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. Take off too much and you can damage your lawn and make it more susceptible to disease.
I have a cool-season lawn, meaning it grows best in the spring and fall. I have to mow more frequently during these times of year, and less-frequently during the summer. For warm-season lawns the opposite is generally true.
Lawn Irrigation
In most areas, mother nature takes care of watering your lawn all year, and if you have a healthy, resilient lawn with deep roots, you may not need to supplement your local rainfall.
That said, most lawns need at least 1 inch of water weekly to thrive. You can monitor your local rainfall with an app or a rain gauge, supplementing with a hose and sprinkler as needed.
When you do water, it’s usually best to water deeply and infrequently. This will encourage your grass to grow deep roots to seek out the moisture that soaks into your soil, and over the long-term that will give you a lawn that’s more resilient to drought.
I recommend that most homeowners tackle a big-project weekend at least once every couple of years with the help of a few pieces of rental equipment.
It’s something I do bi-annually (every other fall) on my property.
This project weekend includes core aeration, dethatching, overseeding, and top-dressing. It’s a labor-intensive, 3-day project, but only happens once every few years and can totally transform your lawn. It’s worth it.
Where You Are Will Dictate When to Do It
Most cool-season lawns will want to plan this project for early fall, and most warm season lawns will want to tackle it in the spring. If you’re in the transitional zone, the best time of year for your property will depend upon your grass type.
These in-depth and detailed buying guides round up all of the best DIY products for lawn care that I’m proud to recommend. These are products I’ve personally tried on my lawn, or on a neighbor’s lawn. Those I haven’t tried, I have received feedback on from a friend or family member who has first-hand experience with the product.
There are lots of buying guides out there (some great, some not so great). I hope that you find mine to be uniquely helpful in this space because I provide detailed guidance and tips for success in every article.
Also, at the end of each article I compile a robust list of frequently asked questions on the topic so you can feel confident you’re buying the right product for your lawn and (more importantly) that you know exactly how to get the most out of its use.
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Do you hate lawn weeds so much that you want to murder their seeds before they have a chance to germinate? Well, you’re in the
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The information on this page was written by Lawn Chick Owner Sarah Jameson and has been reviewed for accuracy by Horticulturist Arthur Davidson, A.S.
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Horticulturist
Dustin Stoll is the owner of a horticulture design and consulting company. He has done planting design work on many commercial and residential projects. Previously, Dustin was Director of Horticulture at Tulsa Botanic Garden, where he worked for over eight years.
Every article we publish on LawnChick.com is written and/or reviewed by founder Sarah Jameson for accuracy. Additionally, each article is reviewed carefully by a member of our expert panel. We hire these credentialed subject-matter experts to share their knowledge and experience with us to ensure we present information that is 100% accurate, and that aligns with industry best-practices.
Nicole Forsyth is a passionate Instructor of Plant Science at an agricultural vocational high school, and a certified landscape design professional, certified horticulturist, certified arborist, and the CEO of NF Landscape Design and Horticultural Consulting.
Dustin Stoll is the owner of a horticulture design and consulting company, Stoll Design. He has done planting design work on many commercial and residential projects. Before starting his own company, Dustin was Director of Horticulture at Tulsa Botanic Garden, where he worked for over eight years.
Arthur Davidson is a seasoned horticulturist with over five decades of hands-on experience. Holding an A.S. in Horticulture, Arthur’s expertise spans landscape design, organic gardening, soil science, and more. A former ISA Arborist and Master Gardener, Arthur maintains a gardening blog of his own.
Read our editorial policy to learn more.
Horticulturist
Arthur Davidson is a seasoned horticulturist with over five decades of hands-on experience. Holding an A.S. in Horticulture, Arthur’s expertise spans landscape design, organic gardening, soil science, and more.
Managing Editor, Lawn Chick Editorial
As the managing editor of Lawn Chick, Joe brings nearly 20 years of experience in marketing and digital publishing to the team. He earned his M.F.A from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa.
Sr. Editor, Lawn Chick Editorial Team
With a M.A. in English from the University of Windsor, Samantha is a key part of the editorial staff working to ensure every article we publish is grammatically correct, free of factual errors, and appropriately sourced.
Certified Landscape Design Professional, Horticulturist & Arborist
Nicole Forsyth is a passionate Instructor of Plant Science at an agricultural vocational high school, and a certified landscape design professional, certified horticulturist, and certified arborist in Massachusetts.
Founder & Owner of LawnChick.com
Sarah’s blog is read by over 2 million homeowners each year and she is regularly cited as an expert source of lawn care knowledge by major publications like Family Handyman, Homes & Gardens, Livingetc, and House Digest. She’s an active member of MELNA, and the American Horticultural Society.
