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Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

For regular lawn maintenance, it’s a good idea to have: A) a garden cart; B) grass shears; C) a lawn rake; D) a lawn edger; E) a string trimmer; F) a dethatching rake; and G) a hand-edger.

Routine lawn care demands its share of tools, and lawn restoration and installation require others. Of course, which tools you really need likely depends on the size of your lawn. Which ones are right for your yard? Read on…

To restore an existing lawn, you’ll need a thatching (or dethatching) rake, which features knifelike blades designed to cut through dead grass. For a large lawn, consider renting a power dethatcher.

You’ll also need to aerate your lawn by punching deep holes at regular intervals in the surface to allow for better water and nutrient penetration and to add oxygen at root level. There are manual aerators you can use, but again, if your lawn is expansive, you may want to rent a gas-powered aerator that deposits the short plugs on your lawn’s surface as compost.

Finally, you’ll also need a spreader – a multipurpose tool that evenly broadcasts fertilizers, amendments and seed for lush, healthy grass.