Soon the sound of lawn mowers will fill the air, but some may not be in optimum condition. Students in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment’s Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering will host their annual Lawn Mower Clinic April 9-11 to sharpen mower blades and their skills.

Blade sharpening isn’t the only service included in the $35 fee. Students will also change the oil, clean and gap spark plugs, thoroughly clean the mower including the air filter, and drain the fuel system. New spark plugs will cost an additional $5.

The goal for the clinic is to provide preventative maintenance for the upcoming season, but students are not able to offer repair services for broken machines. Organizers can only accept a limited number of mowers, so reservations are a must.

To reserve a spot, email BAE.lawnmowers@gmail.com or call 859-218-4329 and make sure to include name, phone number, make and model of mower, drop-off date and whether the mower needs a new spark plug.

Participants should bring their mowers to the Agriculture Machinery Research Laboratory machine shop on Stadium View off College Way and Alumni Drive in Lexington between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. EDT, April 9-11. Pick up is Sunday April 12 between 8 a.m. and noon. Owners may be able to pick up their mower on Saturday, if the mower is ready.

Clinic organizers are not able to accept reel mowers, garden tractors or riding mowers, and all machines must be operational.

Because of the difficulties of servicing Honda mowers, those machines will cost an additional $10 to offset the additional time and effort to adequately service them.

A portion of the service fees will go to the Larry W. Turner Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for first-generation college students.