A control mechanism for a lawn spreader controls output flow of granular material out of the spreader hopper by adjusting the position of a control cable anchor point. The control mechanism includes a clamping portion for clamping to a tubular handle of the spreader. A top surface of the clamp portion, adjacent to the handle, provides a slide for a slideable cable anchor shuttle, which internally provides the anchor point for a control cable. The shuttle may be made from a plastic material. A dial housed within a dial housing, adjacent to the slide portion of the clamp, may be rotated to various indicated positions which in turn controls the position of the shuttle on the metal slide portion of the clamp, thereby adjusting the position of the control cable anchor point. The control cable extends from the end of the shuttle anchor mechanism to a hopper spring-loaded aperture cover.