Lawn Care for Newbies: Expert Help from The Lawn Tools

Let’s be real: lawn care can feel like a full-time job… but you just want green grass, not a degree in turf management. Whether your yard is crispy, patchy, or just plain sad-looking, we’ve got you.

We asked lawn care pro Jordan Netzel of @thelawntools to break it down for us—no jargon, no shame, and no pressure to buy 30 products from aisle 17 at the hardware store. This is lawn care for beginners who want their yard to look nice without all the guesswork.

Because sometimes your grass is dead and so is your motivation. Let’s fix that.

Meet the Expert: The Lawn Tools

The Lawn Tools is known for transforming rough, overgrown yards into clean, green lawns—no fancy tricks, just solid advice and satisfying results. He shares simple, beginner-friendly lawn care tips across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

1. Do I really have to water it that often?

What’s the truth about watering: how much, how often, and when can I ignore it without turning my yard into a dust bowl?

Watering is better done deeply and infrequently. People think they need to water their lawn every day but what this actually does is encourage shallow root growth. It can also lead to fungus. Shoot for 1” of water per week and do it all in 2-3 waterings. Keep in mind the grass will need more water during particularly hot and dry conditions.

2. What’s the easiest way to get rid of weeds without nuking the whole yard?

Give us your no-fuss weed control strategy that won’t destroy our souls (or our lawn).

Pre-Emergent (USA)! I tell people all the time that pre emergent is the MOST impactful thing you can do for a lawn. It PREVENTS weeds from popping up. It does NOT kill existing weeds. But, it is much easier to prevent weeds in the first place than to try to kill weeds after they are already present. Get on a good pre emergent schedule in fall and winter. 

3. Is fertilizer actually necessary or is it just grass steroids for lawn bros?

If we’re only going to fertilize once, when should we do it and with what?

Fertilizer isn’t necessary, but it will definitely give your lawn a color and health boost. I look for fertilizer with iron in it (USA) (Canada) because iron gives a really dark deep green color response.

4. My lawn has brown patches, bare spots, and weird mystery zones. What gives?

Basic troubleshooting for patchy messes: What are the usual culprits and how do we fix them?

The most common culprit I see is construction debris under the lawn. If there is a rock or chunk of concrete just below the ground surface, that area won’t be able to grow grass because there is nowhere for roots to go. Stick a screw driver down and see if you hit something. If you do, remove the rock!

5. Do I need a soil test, or is that just something lawn nerds do?

When is it worth testing your soil, and what do we even do with the results?

A soil test can give you good information but most people don’t know what to do with the results. Some of the companies that do soil tests will give you recommendations for what products to put down. But just be aware that if the soil test company also sells fertilizers, they are going to be biased and recommend their brand of fertilizer.

6. What’s the deal with dethatching and aerating – do I need to do both?

Break it down for beginners: what these are, why they matter, and when to bother.

Dethatching is getting rid of all the “junk” at the base layer of the grass. Getting rid of all of that helps the grass plants “breathe” better and allows more water and nutrients to get down to the soil. It’s a good practice to do once a year for cool season grass while warm season grasses should get a complete scalp every spring which in turn takes any thatch away also. 

Core aeration helps decrease compaction in soil which allows water and nutrients to get down to the root zone more easily. Aerating is something that can be good to do for a lawn every few years but most lawns don’t have very heavy equipment on them to become significantly compacted very often.

7. How short should I mow my lawn, and how often do I really need to do it?

We’re not running a golf course, but we also don’t want jungle vibes. What’s the sweet spot? What are the pros and cons of short vs. long?

Grass length is very highly dependent on personal preference. Some grass types are better maintained at higher heights if cut like fescue or st Augustine, but for the most part it comes down to what you think looks the best. 

8. When’s the best time to hit the reset button on your lawn?

If things are looking rough and you’re ready to get your grass back on track, which season gives you the best chance at real results for reseeding or a big overhaul?

For cool season lawns, the best time for a total overhaul is in the fall. This is when seed has the best chance of survival and lasting through the summer. 

For warm season lawns, early summer is the best time for a renovation because it will have the summer to recover. 

9. What’s your top “lazy lawn care” hack that actually works?

Something easy, low-effort, and high impact that we can do this weekend.

Pre emergent!

You Don’t Need a Perfect Lawn. Just a Plan That Doesn’t Suck

Here’s the thing: your lawn doesn’t have to be flawless to be functional (and not embarrassing). A little consistency goes a long way. Water it. Feed it. Mow it. Maybe talk to it if you’re into that kind of thing.

And if you mess up? Good news – grass is basically nature’s comeback kid. You’ve got time to turn things around. 

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