Everybody loves a good hack.
The internet has us wrapping our banana stems with plastic wrap, stretching rubber bands over our paint cans, and setting wooden spoons over pots of boiling pasta.
Life is good.
But when it comes to lawn care hacks, don’t get too excited. They’re usually duds.
Here are common lawn hacks that don't work, along with some lawn care tips and tricks to try instead.
1. Natural Remedies for Weeds
Maybe you saw your grandmother attack her pesky lawn weeds with boiling water, vinegar, or salt.
Sorry, Grandma. These kitchen remedy lawn care hacks don’t really work.
Vinegar might kill your weeds, but it can kill surrounding good plants, too.
Save the kitchen condiments for Sunday dinner.
Here’s what works: Professional-grade weed killer targeted to the specific weeds invading your yard — without killing your lawn.
Some especially vigorous weeds need a professional-grade, specialty weed killer multiple times throughout the year to combat them.
2. Lawn Repair Patch Mix
This seems like a nice easy yard hack — spread this mix of grass seed, fertilizer, and mulch on bare spots, add water, and grow new grass.
But don’t expect it to match the rest of your lawn. And it’s likely just a temporary fix.
Here’s what works: Aeration and seeding. 
Thin and bare spots often mean your soil is compacted, and your lawn can't breathe. Its roots can't take in water or nutrients, which weakens your turf.
Lawn aeration uses a machine to pull out plugs of soil, creating spaces so that air and water can penetrate, which leads to healthier roots.
Next up: overseeding. Those holes created by aeration are perfect new homes for the grass seed.
3. Mowing Short
The shorter you mow your grass, the less often you’ll have to mow, right? Time-saving lawn care hack!
Not so fast. Mowing too short actually hurts your grass.
When you mow, you’re removing a portion of the leaf surface that creates food through photosynthesis. Take off too much, and you’re starving your grass.
No more than a third of the grass blade should be removed during a single mowing.
Mowing too short also means the soil heats up, making it easier for weed seeds to germinate. Mowing short is a bad lawn hack to try.
Here’s what works: Mowing taller.
Taller grass helps a lawn grow thicker and stay greener. It promotes a deeper, stronger root system, which is more drought tolerant. It shades the soil surface, making it tougher for weeds to take hold.
As summer progresses, you should keep raising your mower blade. Shoot for 3 inches in June, 3.5 to 4 inches in July and August.
4. Bagging Grass Clippings
We all know homeowners who swear by gathering up all their grass clippings in tidy bags and whisking them away.
Tidy lawn, healthy lawn, right?
Actually, wrong. They’re removing a great free food source.
Here’s what works: Skip the bags. Those grass clippings can head right back to the soil as mulch.
The bits of grass fall down to the soil level where they’ll begin decomposing, acting as a natural fertilizer.
5. Dog Urine Remedies
We love our furry friends, but not the ugly yellow and brown spots they make in the lawn.
Pet supply stores sell dietary supplements that promise to change the nitrogen content or pH of dog urine. Other products claim to neutralize dog urine if spread on your lawn.
But there’s no evidence these lawn care hacks work. Supplements can actually cause urinary tract problems for some pets.
Here’s what works: Designate a separate area for Princess to do her business. Plant something other than grass in the area where your dog tends to go. Or plan to re-seed those damaged areas as needed.
6. Pop Can and Duct Tape Irrigation Repair
Who would try this ridiculous yard hack? You’d be surprised at how many DIY irrigation repairs we fix.
People cut open an aluminum pop can, place it over a puncture in the irrigation line, then cover it with duct tape. Or they remove a broken sprinkler head and tape off the pipe.
Here’s what works: Call us. We’ll fix it for real, with quality parts that last.
Skip the Lawn Care Hacks — Trust RainMaster
Yard hacks are tempting, but they’re mostly a waste of time.
Get the job done right the first time by trusting skilled professionals who don’t believe in flimsy shortcuts.
When you’re ready to put your trust in us, we can’t wait to meet you — and help you make the best choices for your lawn.
Want to skip the hacks and depend on skilled professionals to solve your lawn problems? Request a quote today! We’ll review your lawn care options together so you can make a great choice. Then, you can finally enjoy watching your lawn transform and stop worrying about it.
