by JoAnn Powell

Created on: July 29, 2008

I swear by Scott's Lawn Care Products. When we purchased our house a few years ago, it was a model home offered by the builder. The interior was beautifully painted and decorated, but somebody neglected the front lawn in the overall scheme of things. Rather than call a lawn care service, I chose to try revitalize it myself. After using Scott's Lawn Care products the difference was so noticeable that I began getting questions from my new neighbors who wanted to make their lawns look as good as ours.

The answer was easy: I used Scott's Lawn Care Products, as directed, and the results were amazing. The weeds were gone, the grass was thick and green, and we had none of those annoying little bugs that are always flying around and getting in your face. It did take most of the first summer to see the improvement, but by fall it was a completely different front yard than had been there before.

Most of the Scott's products are in granular form, so you'll need a lawn spreader to evenly distribute the material over the grass. This is a one-time purchase, though, and you'll have it to use for many years. Of course, Scott's sells the spreaders, too.

I began with Scott's Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer with 2% Iron. This can be applied at any time, and the iron in the mixture produces a nice green lawn. Since the weeds hadn't yet shown their little heads, this mixture enriched the grass roots and gave it a shot of green to improve the look of the lawn.

I applied the next step around the first of June, right before it got really hot and the weeds had time to take over. Use Scott's Turf Builder with PLUS 2 Weed Control. This is formulated to be applied any time weeds are actively growing, which seems to be most of the time in the summer. Apply it to a wet lawn and then wait 24 hours before watering or mowing.

You can also buy Scott's Turf Builder with Weed Control in a liquid form. This product you attach to your hose and spray away. This is so good that you can see the weeds drooping by the next day, and it is easier to apply than using the spreader.

Some time in July, when you begin to notice them hovering around, the little bugs come out of the grass and fly up in your face and just get in your way. Use Scott's Turf Builder with Summer Guard, or Scott's Lawn Pro Super Turf Builder with Summer Guard to control these annoying bugs. Apply it to a dry lawn and then water thoroughly to activate the product. Although it is a fertilizer, it is not designed to be used around shrubs or flowers, and may caused burned spots if it comes in contact with other plants. Hose off right away if this occurs.

In the fall, apply Scott's Turf Builder Winter Guard with PLUS 2 Weed Control to get a head start on a healthy lawn for the next spring. This formulation kills weeds completely and also protects and strengthens the existing lawn for next spring.

Prices vary at different stores, but normally cost about $15.00 to cover 5000 square feet. They do have sales, so watch the ads and buy when it is cheaper to save money.

Doing lawn fertilizing yourself of course takes more work than hiring a lawn service, but the results are about the same, and the price is significantly lower. Give it a try. You'll have a lush, green lawn in no time.

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