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A healthy lawn and beautiful garden not only add curb appeal to your home but can boost your outdoor enjoyment. While taking care of the yard can seem like a daunting task, the right lawn care products make all the difference.
Our team has spent hundreds of hours researching and field-testing the most popular lawn and garden products on the market, sorting through the duds to find the best of the best. If you want to make your neighbors green with envy, below are the lawn care essentials that will keep your grass green and your plants thriving.
1. Lawn Mower
Selecting the right mower is one of the key steps to achieving a prize-winning yard. This battery-powered mower ranked as one of the best self-propelled lawn mowers in our tests. It features a 21-inch deck with six height settings, ranging from 1.5 to 4 inches, and offers mulching, bagging, or side discharge options. During testing, its cutting power rivaled that of a gas mower, all while running on a 56V rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
What our tester says: “During my testing on a half-acre yard, I found this mower comfortable and liked how easy it was to adjust the self-propelled speed via a lever on the handle. Most importantly, it delivered the two things I was looking for: ample cutting power and a clean finished appearance.”–Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Ego Power+ 21″ Self-Propelled Lawn Mower at Amazon for $584.10
2. Garden Hose
The Zero-G garden hose is constructed with special woven fabrics that make it durable and kink-free. Our experts selected this hose as the best overall pick in our guide to the best garden hoses due to its flexibility and resistance to kinking, even in cold weather. The hose is also highly durable with its rugged aluminum attachment fittings and brass inserts.
What our tester says: “Out of the box, the Zero-G hose was plain looking and unimpressive—just a wrinkly gray hose that was problematic to untangle. Wow, are first impressions ever deceiving! Despite its initial drab debut, this hose ended up taking the top spot in the lineup.”–Glenda Taylor, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Zero-G ⅝-inch Black Aluminum Garden Hose on Amazon for $43.23
3. Sunday Lawn Care Subscription
A Sunday Lawn Care subscription will provide you with custom lawn products based on the specific needs of your lawn. Sunday will analyze your soil, climate date for your region, and study satellite mapping information to deliver nontoxic fertilizers, nutrients books, and clear step-by-step instructions to help you give your lawn the care and attention it needs.
What our tester says: “Although I was initially skeptical, overall, I have been really happy with the results of using Sunday’s Custom Lawn Care plan so far…My grass is healthier than it’s been in years.”–Amber Guetebier, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get a Sunday Lawn Care Subscription from Sunday
4. Sprinkler
Without watering, your lawn won’t remain lush and green, especially during those hot and dry months. This Dramm turret sprinkler comes highly recommended, with over 4,000 Amazon reviews, along with being the best overall pick in our guide to the best lawn sprinklers for every yard. Featuring nine spray patterns and a heavy-duty base, this sprinkler will stay in place as it delivers water to your lawn, flower beds, or garden.
What our tester says: “The Dramm sprinkler features a heavy-duty metal base that weighs 14.4 ounces, so it didn’t move—as flimsy sprinklers are prone to do—when I turned on the water pressure…The spray patterns are accurately depicted on the dial’s face, and each one offers a uniform water spray.”–Glenda Taylor, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Dramm 9-Pattern Turret Sprinkler on Amazon for $34.99
5. Hose Reel
A hose reel, such as the Liberty Garden multi-directional garden hose reel, keeps a hose tidy and easy to use. This particular model—our top pick as one of the best hose reels—rotates 360 degrees, allowing you to effortlessly pull the hose exactly where you need it to go and wind it back once you’ve finished using it. The weather-resistant frame is made from powder-coated 18-gauge steel.
What our tester says: “I liked the pull-up handle on top [of this hose reel], which allows for 360-degree rotation, and the reel can be locked into eight secure positions, which makes rolling up the hose a snap from any direction.”–Glenda Taylor, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Liberty Garden Multi-Directional Garden Hose Reel on Amazon for $88.19
6. Backpack Leaf Blower
Clear leaves and other debris off your lawn to give it a manicured look with this backpack gas leaf blower from Husqvarna. In our guide to the best backpack leaf blowers, our team gave this blower the best overall award due to how well it breaks up clumped leaves and grass clippings. Its 232 miles per hour rating and 890 cubic feet per minute also make it one of the most powerful residential blower models. Take advantage of the ergonomic harness system, the fuel-efficient engine, and speed control technology.
What our tester says: “This blower truly excelled in air movement, outperforming all the others we tested on a price-to-performance comparison.”–Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Husqvarna Gas Backpack Leaf Blower at Amazon for $499
7. Cordless String Trimmer
After spending more than 20 hours testing battery-powered string trimmers, the Ego Power+ ST1511T was one of our favorites thanks to its clean cutting, powerful operation, and quietness. The included 56V 2.5Ah battery allows for a 45-minute runtime on a single charge, and the adjustable telescoping straight shaft and well-balanced design make it comfortable to use.
What our tester says: “In my tests, the Ego battery-powered weed eater showed ample power to cut through everything in its path, including overgrown grass, privet seedlings, and honeysuckle vines.”–Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Ego Power+ ST1511T 15″ Powerload String Trimmer on Amazon for $179.00
8. Broadcast Spreader
Use the Scotts Turf Builder mini broadcast spreader to seed your lawn, spread fertilizer, salt an icy walkway, and more. The hopper can hold enough lawn products to treat up to 5,000 square feet of space, making it the optimal size for smaller yards. Its hopper and agitator allow for smooth and consistent application of fertilizer, seed, or other lawn care treatments. This spreader, a customer favorite with nearly 34,000 reviews, was also our experts’ selection for the best bang for the buck when it comes to the best fertilizer spreaders.
What our tester says: “I appreciated that this little spreader didn’t need any assembly…It’s a great choice for homeowners with small- to mid-sized yards and limited storage space who still want easy operation and precision coverage.”–Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Scotts Turf Builder Mini Broadcast Spreader on Amazon for $49.97
9. Edger
A lawn edger will help you achieve clean lines along sidewalks, driveways, and garden beds for a neat and pristine lawn. The Echo PE-225, rated the best lawn edger by our experts, offers a 7.75-inch blade and features an open-faced debris shield to prevent clogs. It’s equipped with a 21.2cc professional-grade 2-stroke engine and Echo’s I-30 starting system that makes start-up a snap.
What our tester says: “Overall, the PE-225 edger for lawn care did a respectable job digging new edges. Its 2-cycle engine produced higher blade revolutions per minute and lower torque than the 4-cycle walk-behind edger we tested.”–Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Echo PE-225 Curved-Shaft Gas Lawn Edger on The Home Depot for $299
10. Weeder
Stop weeds from taking over your garden and ruining the appearance of your yard with the CobraHead weeder and cultivator tool. With its tempered steel blade and comfortable-to-grip curved head, this tool comes highly recommended by over 2,000 Amazon reviewers and our experts in our selection of the best weeding tools.
What our tester says: “In testing, the CobraHead’s versatility truly impressed me. The curved shaft and fingernail-like shape of the blade dug deep into the soil for removal of taproot, yet it just scratched the surface to cultivate safely next to young seedlings.”–Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the CobraHead Original Weeder & Cultivator on Amazon for $34.95
11. Sprinkler Controller
Eliminate the worries about watering your lawn with the smart sprinkler controller from Rachio. Selected as the best overall pick in our reviews of the best sprinkler controllers, this model uses local rain and weather data to keep your grass lush and green. It will also use this data to skip unneeded watering sessions due to rain, freezing conditions, high winds, and other factors. With the smartphone app, you can keep track of watering schedules and view an estimate for your water usage.
Get the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller on Amazon for $199
12. Soil Moisture and pH Meter
One of the best things you can do for your lawn is to test the soil to ensure the pH is in the ideal range of 5.0 and 7.0. The Kensizer soil tester measures pH levels, along with moisture levels, to help your grass and plants flourish. In the world of soil moisture meters, this “best for pH” pick uses a double-probe to provide quick and accurate data without the need for a battery.
What our tester says: “When I tested the pH function, I was pretty impressed. In my blueberry patch, where I’ve added a high amount of soil acidifiers, the Kensizer gave me a reading of about 5.5, which is right in line with what I expected.”–Glenda Taylor, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Kensizer 2-in-1 Soil Tester on Amazon for $11.69
13. Gardening Gloves
A good pair of gardening gloves is essential when working in the garden or attending to other lawn care tasks. These gardening gloves from Showa, which boast over 4,000 reviews, feature an ergonomic design and a non-slip grip. Their woven-back design makes them breathable and helps keep hands cool while tackling gardening chores. Best of all, they come in a pack of 12.
What our tester says: “I wore the Showa gloves while shoveling compost, mowing, and raking. The rubberized coating made it easy to grip tool handles without slipping. In addition, the woven cotton backing acts to ventilate the gloves, so I didn’t end up with sweaty hands.”–Glenda Taylor, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Showa 300L-09 Atlas Fit 300 Rubber-Coated Gloves on Amazon for $32.95
14. Plant Food
This plant food from Miracle-Gro contains essential nutrients needed to help your flowers and other plants grow and thrive. Our experts touted this product’s ability to revive old, lifeless plants when we reviewed plant food. They also noted that it is easy to use with just a standard watering can or with the Miracle-Gro Garden Feeder (available for a separate purchase).
What our tester says: “Our plants responded really well to us alternating Miracle-Gro applications with plain water during testing. They all sent out a flush of fresh new growth about 2 days after the first treatment and looked healthy and strong by the end of the month.”—Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food on Amazon for $10.83
15. Rake
Autumn is such an enjoyable season. However, falling leaves can quickly cover and take over your lawn. This True Temper rake earned our expert’s seal of approval and the award for the best leaf rake thanks to its easily maneuverable, lightweight design and dual tines that allowed for quick cleanup.
What our tester says: “I awarded the True Temper dual-tine poly leaf rake ‘Best Overall’ because it works as advertised. In my tests, the dual tines really did collect more debris faster, including hard-to-reach pine needles, acorns, and grass thatch, eliminating the need to double rake.”–Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the True Temper 26-Inch Dual-Tine Poly Leaf Rake on Tractor Supply Co. for $29.99
16. Garden Fork
Garden forks, such as this highly rated D-handle model from Fiskars, come in handy for a variety of gardening tasks, including loosening and turning the soil, transplanting plants, and removing weeds or dead plants. Our experts like how the comfortable D-handle design of this fork reduces strain on your wrist, and that it features durable powder-coated steel construction. Additionally, they gave it the “best bang for the buck” award due to its budget-friendly price.
Get the Fiskars Ergo D-Handle Steel Garden Fork on Walmart for $34.88
17. Wheelbarrow
With its over 5,000 glowing reviews and status as our experts’ favorite wheelbarrow, the Gorilla Carts wheelbarrow will make an excellent addition to your lawn care arsenal. This 4-wheel garden cart features a unique dumping design that allows for fast and complete unloading of its contents. Its flat basin makes it stable, and the handle allows for single-handed operation.
What our tester says: “A combination of high weight capacity, easy one-handed operation, and excellent stability set the Gorilla Carts 4-cubic-foot poly yard cart apart from the competition.”–Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Gorilla Carts 4 cu. ft. Poly Yard Cart on The Home Depot for $129.00
18. Pruning Shears
Keep your flowers, herbs, and bushes perfectly manicured with these bypass pruning shears from Fiskars. Their rust-resistant steel blade, self-cleaning sap groove, and comfortable, non-slip handle helped land these shears a spot in our ranking of the best pruning shears. These shears also come very highly recommended by Amazon customers, with over 48,000 positive reviews.
What our tester says: “Right out of the box, my first impression was that the Fiskars steel bypass pruners looked and felt less impressive. Then I used them. They worked great for green wood and fairly well for drywood cuts up to their ⅝-inch listed threshold.”–Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears on Amazon for $9.88
19. Loppers
Pruning shears are necessary for lighter trimming jobs, but you’ll need a reliable pair of loppers to cut through thicker branches. The steel head combined with the powerful ratchet action of the Kings County Tools anvil loppers will allow you to easily cut back long or dead tree branches. Rated “best overall” by our experts, these loppers offer telescoping handles to help you reach higher branches and a comfortable, non-slip grip for added safety.
What our tester says: “We were impressed by the tough blade of carbon-coated steel—it didn’t dull or nick even with the hardest dry branches.”–Glenda Taylor, Product Reviews tester and writer
Get the Kings County Tools Double-Ratcheting Anvil Lopper on Amazon for $52.95
20. Fertilizer
This Turf Builder Weed and Feed fertilizer from Scotts is specially formulated to help grass grow and thicken lawns while also eliminating dandelions and clover. The smart Weedgrip technology, which helped earn this product a spot as one of our experts’ preferred lawn fertilizers, works to kill both visible and hidden weeds. Over 30,000 Amazon customers are impressed with the positive impact this fertilizer has had on the appearance and health of their lawn.
Get the Scotts Turf Builder Weed and Feed Fertilizer on Amazon for $34.99
