# YardVetted

> Lawn, garden and outdoor living reviews and buying guides: mowers, power equipment, gardening tools and backyard gear, with reader codes from brands we trust.

YardVetted publishes yard and garden reviews, buying guides and reader discount codes. Every review states who the product suits, the current price from the brand's own store, and any active reader code.

## Key pages
- [Reviews](https://yardvetted.com/reviews): every product we recommend
- [Buying guides](https://yardvetted.com/guides): how to choose
- [Glossary](https://yardvetted.com/glossary): yard and garden terms defined
- [How we review](https://yardvetted.com/how-we-review)

## Topics
- [Lawn care](https://yardvetted.com/category/lawn-care): Mowers, seed, fertilizer, aeration and watering.
- [Gardening](https://yardvetted.com/category/gardening): Garden tools, raised beds, soil, compost and growing guides.
- [Power equipment](https://yardvetted.com/category/power-equipment): String trimmers, leaf blowers, chainsaws, hedge trimmers and pressure washers.
- [Outdoor living](https://yardvetted.com/category/outdoor-living): Patio furniture, fire pits, grills, lighting and backyard upgrades.

## Buying guides
- [Gas vs Battery Lawn Mowers: Which Is Right for Your Yard?](https://yardvetted.com/guides/gas-vs-battery-lawn-mower): Battery mowers are quiet, start instantly, need almost no maintenance and suit most small to medium yards up to about half an acre, especially with a spare battery. Gas mowers offer unlimited runtime with a refill and more power for large, thick or hilly lawns, but they're louder and need oil, filters and fuel. Riding or zero-turn mowers make sense for an acre or more.
- [Home Composting Basics: Materials, Moisture and Setup](https://yardvetted.com/guides/home-composting-basics): Home composting works by balancing dry carbon-rich browns with wetter nitrogen-rich greens, while keeping the pile moist and aerated. Choose a bin or contained pile that fits the amount of material you produce and the space available. Follow your local program’s rules for meat, dairy, pet waste and food scraps, since accepted materials vary between backyard and municipal systems.
- [How to Kill Weeds Safely in a Lawn or Garden](https://yardvetted.com/guides/how-to-kill-weeds-safely): Identify the weed and the area around it before choosing a control method. Hand removal, mulching or correcting a lawn’s underlying condition can solve some problems without a pesticide; if a herbicide is needed, choose a product labeled for the weed and site, then follow every direction and pet-safety precaution. Avoid homemade chemical mixtures and never use a product in a way its label does not allow.
- [How to Mow Your Lawn: Heights, Timing and the One-Third Rule](https://yardvetted.com/guides/how-to-mow-your-lawn): Never cut more than one-third of the grass blade at a time, and mow at the recommended height for your grass: about 3 to 4 inches for tall fescue, 2.5 to 3.5 inches for Kentucky bluegrass, and 1 to 2 inches for Bermuda. Taller mowing shades out weeds and builds deeper roots. Keep the blade sharp, mow when the grass is dry, and leave the clippings to return nutrients.
- [How to Start a Vegetable Garden: A Beginner's Plan](https://yardvetted.com/guides/how-to-start-a-vegetable-garden): Start small in the sunniest spot you have, ideally with at least six to eight hours of direct sun. Use a raised bed or well-prepared soil rich in compost, choose a few easy crops such as lettuce, herbs, bush beans, zucchini and tomatoes, and plant after your last frost date. Water deeply at the base of plants, mulch to hold moisture, and check plants a few times a week.
- [Lawn Aeration and Overseeding: When and How](https://yardvetted.com/guides/lawn-aeration-and-overseeding-guide): Aeration relieves compacted soil, while overseeding adds grass seed to thin or bare areas; they solve different problems and can be paired when conditions are right. Timing depends on grass type and region, so follow local Cooperative Extension guidance rather than a national calendar. Prepare the surface for seed-to-soil contact, and check herbicide labels before seeding because some treatments can prevent germination.
- [Leaf Blower Buying Guide: CFM vs MPH Explained](https://yardvetted.com/guides/leaf-blower-buying-guide): Leaf blowers are rated by CFM (how much air they move) and MPH (how fast the air leaves the tube). CFM matters most for moving large piles of leaves; MPH helps lift wet or stuck debris. For small to medium yards, a handheld battery blower is quiet and convenient. Large lots and heavy fall leaf cleanup call for a backpack blower, battery or gas.
- [Patio Furniture Materials: Teak, Aluminum, Wicker and More](https://yardvetted.com/guides/patio-furniture-materials): For low maintenance, choose powder-coated aluminum or HDPE recycled plastic lumber: both resist rust and rot. Teak is the classic premium wood, naturally weather-resistant, and weathers to silver-gray unless oiled. Resin (HDPE) wicker looks warm and handles weather well; avoid natural wicker outdoors. Wrought iron is heavy and wind-stable but needs rust care. Choose cushions with outdoor fabrics and quick-dry foam.
- [How Much Soil for a Raised Bed? Calculator and Soil Mix](https://yardvetted.com/guides/raised-bed-soil-calculator): Multiply the bed's length by width by depth in feet to get cubic feet of soil. A 4 by 8 foot bed that is 1 foot deep needs 32 cubic feet, about 1.2 cubic yards (there are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard). Fill it with a mix of quality topsoil and compost, and plan for the soil to settle, so buy about 10 to 20% extra.
- [String Trimmer Buying Guide: Battery vs Gas, Line and Shafts](https://yardvetted.com/guides/string-trimmer-buying-guide): For most suburban yards, a battery string trimmer with a straight shaft, a 13 to 16 inch cutting swath and a bump-feed head is the best balance of power, reach and convenience. Gas trimmers suit large properties and heavy weeds. Choose line diameter to match your trimmer: thinner line (about .065 inch) for light trimming, thicker (.080 to .095 inch) for tougher growth.
- [When to Fertilize Your Lawn: A Schedule by Grass Type](https://yardvetted.com/guides/when-to-fertilize-your-lawn): Feed your lawn when its grass is actively growing. Cool-season grasses such as tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass benefit most from feeding in early and late fall, with a lighter feeding in spring. Warm-season grasses such as Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine and centipede should be fed from late spring, after green-up, through summer. Water after applying, and follow the label rate.

Contact: info@yardvetted.com