While well-intentioned, sometimes homeowners aren’t always precise in how they use lawn and garden products. It can seem tempting to use more product to achieve the desired results. Luckily, Scotts® and Ortho® have created the innovation to help you apply the right amount of product, right where it needs to go.

Gardeners are creative souls. There’s always another corner of the backyard to turn into a bed, always another place to tuck in a container, always another window with an appetite for a box. The team at Scotts Miracle-Gro is the same way. They are never done creating. And by constantly talking with gardeners, they pay close attention to the things they want to accomplish and the problems they face.

One insight from Scotts is that, for some, it can seem tempting to use more than the recommended dose of a product, thinking it will make your grass twice as green as last year.  And while that logic doesn’t stand scientifically, Scotts knows it can feel intuitive.

So, whether it’s growing a single potted plant, caring for their lawn, or guarding against pests,  Scotts does rigorous testing to ensure that overapplication is considered and won’t cause lasting damage to your plants, grass or the environment. They build in a “safety factor” that responsibly accounts for human error. The company not only tests the efficacy of their products at the proper, measured doses, but they also go above and beyond, planning for the reality that some people might not use the correct amount.

Scotts gives gardeners this built-in margin of error so they don’t have to worry about damage from possible overuse to their backyard or the environment.

Another important way Scotts helps homeowners deliver the right amount of product, in the right location, is through the innovation of cutting-edge packaging applicators. The company’s packaging engineers carefully research and design applicators to reduce the risks of misapplication and help homeowners apply lawn and garden products more precisely – exactly where they need them. Here’s how:

  • EdgeGuard® is a highly accurate lawn spreader designed to prevent fertilizers and pesticides from being applied onto sidewalks and driveways, so that the lawn fertilizer stays on the lawn where it should.
  • Comfort Wand® is a battery-operated applicator that eliminates the tiring, sometimes difficult, plunger mechanism used in older pest control applicators. It reduces the potential for product overuse through one constant stream. Handheld wands with built-in sprayers bring products closer to their intended targets for best application and to minimize any accidental product drift.
  • Sure Shot® Wand features a Protective Shield, which fits over weeds to contain the weed control spray. It ensures homeowners are killing weeds and not their plants, and the improved wand extends 2 feet for a more convenient, targeted control.

Innovations like these help make product application more friendly, more sustainable, and help more gardeners succeed by delivering the right amount of product, right where it’s needed.