Weeds are the enemy of a healthy lawn. You need to ensure your lawn receives adequate water, nutrients, and other products, protecting it from weeds, diseases, and seasonal changes. The US government suggests adopting an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to deal with such issues in an environment-friendly way.
A lawn spreader helps distribute products evenly across the lawn and makes the process quick and efficient. Choosing a single option from the list of best lawn spreaders can be a confusing task. This guide will help you understand the importance of lawn spreaders, different types available, and factors to consider before buying one for your lawn.
How Do Lawn Spreaders Help?
- Spreading grass feed, fertilizers, or weed killing products by hand can be a cumbersome process. Lawn spreaders help you optimize this process.
- Uniform distribution of products around your lawn.
- Saves your time and effort.
- Cost-efficient options are available in the market, depending on your requirement.
Types of Lawn Spreaders
Three popular options fall under the category of best lawn spreaders. They are as below:
Broadcast Spreaders
These spreaders are best suited for medium to large-sized lawns. The spread can be attached to the tractor’s back, or you could push it manually depending on the weight. It operates in a fanlike motion distributing products far and wide from the spreader.
Push Spreaders
As the name suggests, it is a spreader that needs to be manually pushed around the lawn. Push spreaders might take a longer time for complete lawn coverage, but they are comparatively more precise in distribution than the broadcast spreader. These spreaders are suitable for medium to large sized lawns and can be used to avoid obstacles like flower beds.
Hand-Held Spreaders
If you are maintaining a small lawn area, then opt for a hand-held spreader. You might have to go over certain patches a few times for uniform distribution, but they would still be a good choice considering their cost-efficiency.
Factors to Consider Before Choosing Best Lawn Spreaders
Lawn Size
As seen above, different types of spreaders are best suited to different lawn sizes. If you have a large lawn to tend to, a hand-held spreader, though cheap, will make the process difficult. It would be wise to buy a broadcast spreader, and if you have budgetary constraints, then a push spreader.
Similarly, if you have to maintain a small turf area, investing in a broadcaster would prove to be an expensive option.
Cost
Set a budget before you start hunting for lawn spreaders. You will find cheap options for as low as $ 10, expensive options going up to $ 300. Prioritize your requirements. If you want to save on time and effort tending to a large lawn, then invest in a broadcaster spreader as they provide good returns over a long time.
Usability
How easy is it to use the lawn spreader? If you have a reasonably large area pushing around a spreader can be easy. But if you are dealing with flower beds, trees, plants, and other nooks and crannies of your lawn, then you will need a spreader best suited to that requirement.
Capacity
Lawn size dictates the number of products you would need to cover the whole area. Check for the capacity offered by the lawn spreader beforehand if you do not wish to spend time making multiple trips over your lawn. For example, a broadcaster spreader can handle a capacity of 20 to 100 pounds, depending on the model you choose.
First, understand the job you have at hand before buying a lawn spreader. Invest in a lawn spreader after careful consideration of the size of your lawn, cost, the time and effort you are willing to spend.
