New Lawn Care Survey Shows Americans Aren’t Entirely Sure How to Care for Their Lawns

Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPB; “Spectrum Brands”), a leading global branded consumer products company committed to delivering strong brands and exciting innovation whose Home & Garden business unit supplies Spectracide® lawn & garden pest control solutions, today announced findings from a national survey evaluating Americans’ understanding of lawn care and maintenance.

Despite the fact that half (53%) of surveyed U.S. adults who are responsible for maintaining their own lawns said that a well-maintained lawn is the most important part of their property’s curb appeal, the respondents do not necessarily have the know-how to achieve the look:

• In response to questions about proper lawn care, most (77%) answered 40% or more incorrectly.
• Similarly, when asked about weeds, most (82%) of the survey’s respondents answered 40% or more of the questions incorrectly.

Spectracide® Products: YOU HOLD THE POWER®

If respondents were being graded on their knowledge, an overwhelming majority would fail – but have no fear because Spectracide® products are here with a variety of solutions to help make it easy for homeowners to maintain their lawns. In conducting the survey, the brand set out to understand where knowledge gaps exist in lawn care and, in turn, empower consumers to take control of their outdoor spaces by providing tips to ensure success.

The Spectracide® lawn care survey, performed by Wakefield Research in April 2020, surveyed 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults over the age of 18 who are responsible for maintaining their own lawns.

“Gardening and lawn care are seeing a high level of interest as more people are spending time at home and in their backyards,” said Steve Schwallie, Division Vice President of Marketing for Spectrum Brands’ Home & Garden business unit. “Our Spectracide® lawn care experts know the importance of a well-maintained, weed-free, pest-free lawn, and this is especially timely with summer in full swing. We want to help Americans understand that, with the right knowledge and tools, they can keep their lawns in top shape and take pride in their outdoor spaces.”

Many Americans claim to be knowledgeable about lawn care; however, even those who say they are extremely familiar with caring for their lawns (35%) are not always doing so properly. Spectracide brand is here to help:

• The survey indicates: A majority (52%) of consumers are unaware that morning is the best time to water lawns.
• Our Spectracide® experts say: Early bird gets the worm! Water your lawn in the morning before the heat of the day so any excess moisture has plenty of time to dry up before the sun goes down. Watering at night can encourage excess water in the soil, around roots and on foliage, which could create conditions ripe for insects, disease or rot.

• The survey indicates: Some people (37%) incorrectly believe cutting grass shorter means you have to mow it less frequently, while some (27%) incorrectly think they need to water their lawn every morning to maintain optimal health.
• Our Spectracide® experts say: To make sure you are not over-cutting or overwatering, set a schedule that’s easy to follow. Cutting at the right height helps grass get the sunlight and nutrients it needs for a lush, healthy lawn. Mow as often as needed to ensure you’re not cutting off more than one-third of the grass blades at a time – for many lawns, that’s weekly, but some lawns might need mowing more or less frequently. Keep in mind that for most lawns, watering two to three times per week will suffice.

The knowledge gap widens even more when it comes to treating weeds in general – especially with weed control products.

• The survey indicates: Most Americans (74%) do not realize spraying herbicide after mowing the lawn is not an effective way to treat weeds, with some (36%) incorrectly agreeing with the statement: “The more weeds I have in my lawn, the more herbicide I need to use.”
• Our Spectracide® experts say: Know the right weed control products to use and how to use them effectively. For example, use Spectracide® Weed Stop® For Lawns products for controlling lawn weeds or Spectracide® Weed & Grass Killer for killing unwanted vegetation down to the root. Choose the right product for widespread or targeted weed control – whichever your lawn needs. Remember that herbicides work through contact, so treating all plant surfaces at the recommended temperatures from the product label will give you the best results.

With half of Americans (53%) ranking a well-maintained yard as the number-one contributor to curb appeal (outside of the actual house itself), it is evident that proper lawn care is especially important. Spectracide® lawn and garden products are easy to use and fast-acting to give you the power to tame invading weeds and bugs. Spectracide® products are available for purchase at retailers nationwide. For more information, please visit Spectracide.com.

About Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.

Spectrum Brands Holdings, a member of the Russell 1000 Index, is a leading supplier of residential locksets, residential builders’ hardware, plumbing, shaving and grooming products, personal care products, small household appliances, specialty pet supplies, lawn and garden and home pest control products, and personal insect repellents. Helping to meet the needs of consumers worldwide, Spectrum Brands offers a broad portfolio of market-leading, well-known and widely trusted brands including Kwikset®, Weiser®, Baldwin®, National Hardware®, Pfister®, Remington®, George Foreman®, Russell Hobbs®, Black+Decker®, Tetra®, Marineland®, Nature’s Miracle®, Dingo®, 8-in-1®, FURminator®, IAMS® and Eukanuba® (Europe only), Digest-eeze™, Healthy-Hide®, Littermaid®, Spectracide®, Cutter®, Repel®, Hot Shot®, Black Flag® and Liquid Fence®. For more information, please visit www.spectrumbrands.com. Spectrum Brands – A Home Essentials Company™

About Spectracide® Products

The power is in your hands to keep your landscape in line – unleash it with Spectracide® lawn and garden products. Our easy-to-use, fast-acting insect, lawn disease and weed control solutions help you tame lawn and landscape invaders with incredible pest-punishing power. Take command with Spectracide® brand. For more information, visit www.spectracide.com.

Methodological Notes

The Spectracide Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+ who characterized themselves as responsible for maintaining their own lawns, between April 7 and April 15, 2020, using an e-mail invitation and an online survey. Quotas were set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. adult population ages 18+.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

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