Selecting the proper length is always the first puzzle to solve in lawn care. The answer is complicated by the variability in types of grass, average amount of sunshine and rain and other factors. But, in general, the following holds true…

Keeping most grass a little longer saves effort cutting. Allowing the lawn to grow an extra week between cuttings, mowing every two or three weeks instead of every week, reduces the effort by up to a third. That saved hour or two can be well used on other activities - fertilizing, weeding and other needed tasks.

Longer grass will also grow slower, since the length increases at a higher rate at first, then decreases as the blade extends upwards of a couple of inches or more. The longer the blade, the slower the growth.

Keeping the grass longer helps the grass, too, in many cases. Longer grass can retain moisture better, making for lower water bills and better growing rates. Longer blades have more surface area for photosynthesis, the biochemical process that turns sunlight and compounds into energy used for growth and reproduction.

Keeping the grass longer reduces weeds and time spent on weed maintenance. Weeds have to germinate in order to grow, just like nearly every plant. Longer grass blades rob weed seeds of the sunlight and warmth that stimulate that process. That kind of theft is to be encouraged.

Longer grass encourages deeper roots. This is one other way that grass out-competes weeds, since the amount of nutrient and space under the surface is limited. When it's occupied more by grass roots, there's less left over for weeds. Longer roots also help grass reach moisture further down, making the plant stronger and better fed.

There are limits, however. Apart from the appearance of a shaggy lawn, grass that's too long can encourage the growth of lawn bugs and mosquitoes. The latter prefer cool weather, and the longer grass gives them a place to 'hide in the shade'. Keeping the grass down to a moderate length will help keep the bugs at bay.

Also, when grass gets to more than a few inches, it buds at the end, throwing off new seed. This completes a natural lifecycle and the blade then dies off. Unlike some organisms, slicing them actually helps keep them healthy.

Cutting grass doesn't harm it in any way, provided it's not cut too short. Grass grows from the base (or 'crown'), not from the tip. So, provided the crown isn't damaged by nicking it with a blade, it will do fine.

Though the crown is far down and most lawnmower blades are set to between 1-3 inches, if the yard is bumpy it's possible for the blade to dip. At a large enough angle, the tip of a wide blade can dig into a crown.

Keep the grass a little longer in hot weather, a little shorter in cool weather and you'll achieve the perfect balance.

But which kind?

Traditional edgers are dual blade affairs with a long wooden handle. Despite the aging design, they still do the job and do it well. They require no gasoline, are lightweight and there's no cord to get in the way. If the blades are kept clean and sharp, they can edge a 20 ft x 40 ft patio or 30 feet of sidewalk in a few minutes.

But they do require a lot of muscular effort.  For those who still enjoy working outside, but may be getting along in years, they may not be practical. It's no fun to keep a yard looking trim when the result is an aching back and sore wrists.

A step up is an electric trimmer. Inexpensive and easy to use, they remove shaggy grass by slicing it off with a rapidly whirling plastic string. The cartridge holding the string is easy to replace, lasts for several weeks to months and costs only a few dollars to replenish.

They have another advantage over manual trimmers: they can easily be worked at different angles and in areas that manual edgers can't work. If you have a lawn that abuts against an outbuilding, such as a shed, it can be very difficult to use a pole trimmer to remove the grass. An electric works great.

Ditto, if you have grass that winds around large rocks or a lawn that is bordered by scallop-shaped bricks, using a manual pole edger is out of the question. But the string style edger works perfectly in these circumstances. It does no damage to the bricks and removes grass easily.

A step up in some eyes, a difficulty in others, yet another style of power edger uses a small gasoline-powered motor. They're a bit noisy, but the largest drawback may be the weight. They're much heavier than electric trimmers. On the other hand, they have no cord to get in the way.

Since there's no cord, they also have no restrictions on where you can take them. If you have a large yard, or want to trim in certain areas where there's no outlet nearby, using an electric trimmer can be near impossible. Using a couple of hundred feet of extension cord makes the job unpleasant, and the cord itself is heavy at that length. In those circumstances, a gasoline powered trimmer can work wonders.

Gasoline-powered edgers also typically have much more power. So if you have thick brush, weeds or other debris that you want whacked down to size, this type can do the job. They do cost a bit more, but they last for years and the investment is worthwhile for the effort they save.

Bypass shears have blades that are designed to bypass each other, applying a shearing force as the cutting edges move past one another. They come in a dozen varieties, each with its own ideal use.

The largest type are grass or hedge shears. Very long-handled, they provide a long cutting surface to cut the maximum amount of material in one clamping.

Long blade shears are most like heavy duty scissors, about 8 inches total, often having rubberized grips around the straight handles for easy grabbing. Perfect for snipping flowers or fruit.

Pruning shears, by contrast, typically have two moon-shaped blades, one with a convex crescent, the other concave. The enlarged-oval handles and the blade design allow the user to apply a large force, needed for cutting the woody stems of herbs and small fruit tree branches. A variation has a set of circular, saw-toothed, metal blades that are great for grabbing or cutting larger branches.

Either long blade or pruning shears are often complemented by a handy spring and latch mechanism. The spring separates the blades when the user eases pressure on the handles, saving him or her the effort of opening the blades when wearing gloves. The latch is there to keep them clamped shut, and the blades together, when stored away. That added safety feature has a side-benefit: it makes them easy to hang on a hook.

Garden scissors are sometimes confused with shears, but they have very large open handles and shorter straight blades. They're used not for pruning, but for cutting twine, opening packages, cutting weed cloth, etc. An ordinary pair of house scissors could do the job in a pinch, but garden scissors are typically stronger and more durable. The blades are very tough and sharpen up well.

Though we often look on these tools as 'merely' useful, which they are, our ancestors regarded them as highly prized possessions. Often referred to today as 'ordinary garden tools', two hundred years ago they would have been worth a great deal.

But one thing is still true today that was true then. A good pair of shears, properly maintained, can last for 20 years or more. Tempered, forged steel, an adjustable screw to tighten loose blades and high quality plastic or rubberized grips that last are all essential. Look for quality, spend a little more and you'll be rewarded with a generation's worth of value.

Shears

Though they have a relatively simple appearance, good shears actually have a number of criteria that all have to work together. Number one is the ability to cut. But that's a function of more than just sharp edges, important as those are.

Think of scissors. No matter how sharp the edges, if the two blades don't come together, cutting is impossible. That important geometric quality is even more important in certain shears. Some shears are really just strong scissors, designed to be used outdoors. But others are curved. Bringing those curved edges together with just the right angle and force requires careful design.

The only way to be sure that design goal has been expertly achieved is to test them. Fortunately, with computer aided design and contemporary materials, shears that work well are available in dozens of designs.

That leads to the next most important criteria, one that runs a close second place. The shears you use must fit your particular hands correctly. That individual choice is vital, since even the sharpest shears are useless if you can't operate them effectively.

In handle shears, the sort used to trim bushes or branches, they must be of the right weight for you, and have grips that feel comfortable and are non-slip. For pruning shears, the fit needed is even more precise. The style that has curved blades for trimming small herbs, flowers and the like often have circular blades in the handle section. A great combination for a wide variety of tasks.

Shovels

Shovels are another essential tool for gardening and lawn work. They too come in a surprisingly large array of shapes, styles and materials.

With the development of sturdy, hard, plastic composites many parts are now made of non-metallic compounds. That's helpful for making them lighter weight, but no commercially available plastic produced yet has the sharpness or tensile strength to use in the blade portion.

So, look for a metal alloy that won't rust and will keep a sharp edge against digging in rocky soil. It should have the right weight and shape for the jobs you anticipate. That blade should be attached well to an unbreakable handle. Strong carbon steel screws, correctly placed in hard wood are essential for keeping the blade attached.

Most shovels die an early death because of a broken handle. The shovel portion will often outlive the other parts. To stave off that fate, the handle should be not merely of hard wood, but somewhat flexible. A good shovel handle will stand up to hundreds of foot-pounds of torque.

Metal handles are heavier, so wood and plastic are more popular choices. Wood is great, but it's important to get a type that will stand up to the pressure put on it for years. A proper coating will help prevent the wood from getting old, breaking prematurely. Plastic handles have also come a long way. They make for a lightweight shovel, but still very few are suitable for the heavy duty jobs.

You'll almost certainly want at least three different kinds of shovel. The most common are the rounded, triangular spade and the square scoop. The first are easy to insert deep into the ground, but the latter type can shovel more earth in a single scoop. But the type not everyone thinks of is equally useful for specialized applications.

A long handled, narrow blade telescoping shovel is like a trowel with a handle. Your back will thank you if you supplement the first two with one of these. They're ideal for removing weeds without stooping, digging small holes and getting into those smaller areas that a regular shovel won't.

Today, thanks to advances in materials science and ergonomics, there are gloves suitable for all tasks that are tough and comfortable. One thing hasn't changed much over that time, however. Hands are still the same basic shape and size.

So, the first criterion remains what it always was: select a pair that fits. Though obvious, this piece of common sense too often goes ignored. In the desire to get the lightest, or toughest, or least expensive pair of gloves, fit sometimes comes in second place. But if the gloves don't fit properly, they can't perform properly.

In order to fit well, they need to have no extra room at the fingertips, otherwise it will be more difficult to grip. A surprising percentage of the ability of humans to manipulate objects results from sensations transmitted via the dense bundle of nerves at the ends.

The second criterion comes in a close second, since the basic purpose of gloves is to protect the skin. They have to be tough. How tough depends on the purpose for which they're intended. For the hardiest work, there's no substitute for leather. Despite near-miraculous improvements in materials, old-fashioned leather remains one of the most cost-effective, and simply effective, choices available.

But there's more to protecting the skin than wrapping the hands in a thick, pierce-resistant hide that nature gave to animals other than humans. With modern pesticides and other lawn care chemicals, you'll need a pair of gloves that's impervious to transmission.

Often a set of neoprene gloves is ideal for this need. They keep out pesticides perfectly, provided the chemical doesn't gain access at the wrist. A small box of 50 nylon or latex gloves is handy for some specialized applications. They don't provide proper protection against most liquid pesticides, but they are useful otherwise. They also fit snugly, allowing maximum manipulation ability for those fine movement tasks.

Wrist protection, either in the form of cloth bands, straps or a snug fit, can be a great help. They keep out dirt, small sharp pieces and other debris. They're also good for keeping hands warm when working outside in cooler weather.

In warmer weather, gloves with a cloth backing are useful, since they allow some air movement and evaporation of sweat. When it's still warmer and the protection isn't needed on the fingers or fingertips, a pair of fingerless gloves can be very useful. They allow maximum control while protecting the palms and joints. That's particularly helpful when transplanting and you need to carefully manipulate the roots into position.

Select a pair for every purpose and your hands will remain unharmed and clean. The skin is the body's first and most important barrier against infection and soil bacteria can easily find their way into scrapes and cuts. Gloves keep hands safe.

Consider the weight. Water weighs about 8 lbs (3.6kg) per gallon (~4 liters). If the watering can itself weighs a pound that's over 12% of the total if you're dispensing a gallon. Why add the extra weight? Plastic containers today are strong, rust-proof and come in a variety of attractive styles.

They may or may not have all the features you want, though.

It can be handy to have a detachable rose (that's the part on the end of the nozzle with tiny holes through which the water pours). Sometimes you want to rain gently on the plants, other times you want to deliver a gusher in a short time. That means either having two different styles, or choosing one with a changeable rose.

It's more common to find that feature with metal watering cans, but plastic ones that provide it do exist.

Size is related to weight, and also to your ability to handle it easily. A large can may hold two or three gallons but that's 16 or 24 lbs, plus the weight of the can. That's a lot of container to carry around just to water a few houseplants. Even when filled with less water, the can may be bulky and awkward.

If you get a smaller can, and there's no rule that says you must have only one, watering those indoor plants becomes quick and easy. Having watering cans in three sizes will cover the complete range of jobs you can expect to use it for.

Small bonsai, for example, can get by on very little water. In fact, overwatering is one of the most common ways novice gardeners hurt their plant. Medium-sized plants, such as an orange tree in a pot, can use all the water you can give it, provided there's good drainage. For that a larger watering can is better.

For those large, outdoor jobs you can often use a hose. But hoses are heavy and inconvenient to drag around and reel up again. Also, if you have a large yard, there may be places the hose won't go. Having a larger watering can for those big jobs makes life easy.

You may have gardens that aren't easy to plumb for a soaker hose system. A large watering can solves that problem, too. When the rains don't accommodate your plants' needs, you just dump three gallons of water around the base of the plants. If you have good soil, that retains enough but drains properly, the larger cans will deliver plenty.

Whichever type you buy, be sure not to let water sit in for long. That encourages the growth of bacteria that can be harmful to pets, people and plants. It also gives mosquitoes a good place to breed. Letting it stand overnight, to allow for evaporation of chlorine is good, but a week is too long.

A broadcast spreader itself comes in two different varieties, push-cart and hand-held.

The smaller, hand-held style has a large cup-like container that usually holds up to a few cups of dry grass seed or fertilizer beads. You fill the container, then turn a small crank that causes the material to shoot out holes in the bottom. They're useful for spot seeding lawn patches or feeding specific plants.

The larger, push-cart style has a tub with a similar dispenser arrangement, but the whole assembly sits on an axle and wheels attached to a pole with handlebars. You squeeze a lever attached to the handle, thus opening the mechanism at the bottom. As you move forward the wheels turn a rotor that flings seed, fertilizer or weed killer in a broad arc.

Using a push-cart broadcast spreader it's possible to cover a large area in a short time. For applications of combination dry weed killer/fertilizer it can't be beat. But, it does have one drawback. Since the broadcast area is circular and the material shoots quite a distance, it's difficult to cover a rectangular area near the edges very precisely. You may be spreading material onto the sidewalk or garden where you don't want it.

The solution is a drop spreader. Drop spreaders have a similar tub and handle design, but the base of the tub has an entirely different mechanism. Instead of throwing material in a semi-circular arc, a roller lifts as you squeeze the handle and a series of holes is exposed. As the spreader moves forward, material simply drops through the holes, hence the name.

A drop spreader is inexpensive, sturdy and puts material right where you want it in just the needed proportions. A dial on the handle allows the user to select the size of the opening, controlling the amount of material dropped out. You pass along an area just as you would with a lawnmower, back and forth or in a rectangular spiral.

A spreader costing less than $20 can easily last for years, if kept properly maintained. All you need to do is wash out the basin after use, to remove residual chemicals. They can spread seed, but are more often used to spread dry weed killer beads or powder or seasonal lawn care mixtures.

Either of the tub or push-cart spreaders will hold a cubic foot of material - far more than one would use in a typical application, unless your yard is enormous. A layer of material only a few inches deep in a drop spreader, for example, will cover a section of yard 20 feet by 60 feet with beads of grub killer.

Maintenance is simple: simply hose out, let dry and spread a few drops of oil on the axle once in a while.

Power leaf blowers come in two basic types, gasoline-powered and electric.

Electric models are typically lighter, always quieter and often less expensive. But they rarely have anywhere near the power of a gasoline-powered type, so it may take longer to clear the area. Power ratings are marked on the unit and/or box, measured in the cubic feet of air per minute (CFM) they expel. Not surprisingly, you usually pay more for the higher rated models.

Some models run off a battery, but in order to keep the weight down to reasonable levels, they have only enough capacity to power a small unit. Most will have a cord. If you have a small yard that may not be a problem. But for larger areas, or if the trees are far from an outlet, you may want to consider a gasoline-powered model.

Carrying a hundred feet or more of extension cord behind the blower is inconvenient. The cord has a tendency to get in the way. You will trip over it from time to time, and it magically finds a way to lay across leaves you want to blow away. That requires working not only the blower, but becoming a cord management expert. That's the electric leaf blower dance.

Gasoline-powered leaf blowers are heavier, but generally push much more air. On the downside, they produce much more noise at the same time. Anyone who has heard a professional lawn care specialist at work has probably heard the sound, a cross between a lawnmower and a jet airplane at a distance. Neighbors may object to the noise, or it can irritate the user.

But a gas-powered blower will handle any size job you have and many can operate in reverse. Those will serve as a leaf vacuum cleaner as well as simply pushing the leaves to another location. That's an important consideration since blowing leaves into the street or onto a neighbor's property is often a bad alternative.

If all you need to do is blow them all into a central location to be packed up, this feature may not be needed. Here again, you'll pay more for a model that has that ability.

Blowers can be as light as a few pounds or as heavy as 25 lbs, rarely more. The latter doesn't sound like much until you carry or drag it around for an hour. You'll want to consider the tradeoff of weight vs power. Here, too, price will come into play since larger models tend to weigh more and cost more. Only buy what you need.

Now, lawnmowers are everywhere. More often rotary today, they still cut the grass to within an inch or four in height and are usually gas powered. But beyond that, choosing a good one takes some research.

Acquire a few brochures or check out the websites of the brand you're considering. Find out what their failure or replacement rates are and how often they have to be maintained. Manufacturers differ. Some have engines that almost never need tuning and oil replacement may be needed rarely.

Lawn care professionals often use a type of reel mower that shoots cuttings out the front, leaving a fine mulch. The result can be a golf green smooth lawn. But they're more expensive. However, if you have a very dense, short blade grass such as Bermuda or St. Augustine they're worth investigating.

The more common type is the power rotary, invented in 1939. The push-type will typically be about $100 less than the self-propelled variety. For most lawns they will do a fine job and the extra money for a self-propelled type may not be justified.

Self-propelled lawnmowers will save a lot of pushing effort, but they still have to be turned so the benefits are limited. The amount of turning can be so frequent that having the mower propel itself saves only moderate effort, in some cases. Whether the extra cost and potential maintenance issues are worthwhile is a matter of personal taste and reliability or reputation.

Consider the type of lawn you have and whether you want to pick up grass or leave it down for mulch. Even today many are designed as if the engineer never used one. Whether the bag should be in back or the side depends to some degree on preference. But much depends on the size and shape of your lawn. A wide open area can accommodate a side bag easily, but that's less common today.

Rear bags will typically hold more clippings, but that can mean pushing a heavier mower as it fills up. Side-bag units are often lighter and less expensive. When considering which to buy, try to test out removing the bag and replacing it to see how easy or difficult the task is. Apart from the effort, this also gives you a clue to whether the manufacturer has used solid quality parts.

Once the plastic components of a bag are broken, replacement is usually your only option. Bag replacements are not cheap and sometimes impossible to find a year after the initial purchase. Here again, the final choice is a matter of preference.

Check out the blade and other metal parts. Steel costs less, but rusts more readily. Aluminum doesn't rust so readily, though it does oxidize this is less of a problem here. Some modern decks on which the motor sits are heavy duty plastic polymers and very sturdy.

Select carefully and your lawnmower could last 10 years or more. Given the high cost of a mower, it's worth the effort to do some homework before purchasing.

Electric models are available, just as they are in standard push mowers. The batteries are sturdy and you can generally get a 1/2 acre or more mowed before recharging is required. They're quiet and don't produce any fumes. But they don't have the power of gasoline-powered tractor mowers and can get stuck in thick brushy areas.

Some models have reel blades that shoot cuttings out the front, but those are usually designed for professional lawn care specialists. If you don't have a golf link to mow, the rotary type is for you. The mowing blades are usually below the deck on which the seat resides, which does produce a bit of vibration. But a good soft seat will minimize that to well below an acceptable level.

The smaller types are often called 'riding mowers', but the design is essentially the same. The difference is often just in physical size and horsepower of the engine. More horsepower is usually better, but efficiency comes into play. If you have a well built model, it doesn't require as much horsepower to do the job.

Also, if you have a very smooth, level yard less horsepower is required. Conversely, if your area is hilly with several slopes, more may be required to maintain those. For that, the lawn tractor is the preferred choice.

The engines are in the 10-15 horsepower range which is still considerably less than the 150-300 horsepower range of the typical car engine. In general, you pay more money for those with more horsepower. Be sure you need it before laying out the extra cash.

Prices tend to be higher also for those with wider cutting areas. Lawn tractor blades can range between 38-42 inches (96-107 cm). The wider blade will usually cut more lawn quicker, getting the job done sooner. But keep in mind that the difference is only about 10% and the inaccuracy with which you steer it may more than make up for the difference.

Of course, it's possible to get a garden tractor, with 20 horsepower or more and up to 60 inch mowing blades. Few will need that, but the extra power can be handy if you use it to haul dirt, brush or tree parts around in an attachable trailer. Here again, you'll pay more to get more.

Check out the turning radius on the model you're considering. You may pay more for a very tight, or even zero, radius model, but unless you have areas that are very difficult to navigate the feature probably isn't worth the extra cost.

Sit on a unit, get a feel for the steering mechanism and controls. Ensure that they're within comfortable reach and made from sturdy materials. Lawn tractor or rider mowers can easily cost from a few hundred to $2,000 or more. So, you'll want one that makes the job easy and pleasant, while being reliable for years to come.