Mowing the Lawn: Methods, Tips and Tricks
There are several tips and tricks to follow in mowing the lawn. They are ‒ to set your mower to a high setting, mow your lawn when it is dry, mow in various patterns, and wait a while before mowing a new lawn, among others.
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While pushing the mowers, moving forward is essential. Always rest after mowing, and using closed-toed shoes is highly recommended. Eye covering is essential to protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses. Always move on the side instead of going up and down to avoid slipping. Lastly, keep an eye on children and pets while mowing.
1. Set Your Mower to a High Setting
It is simple to find out the exact cutting height of your mower. All you need to do is put your mower over your driveway or sideway. Now, measure the distance you find between the cement surface to the bottom of the blade protection. The lawnmowers often have adjustments that help in mowing height between 2 & 4 inches.
When you start, keep these points in mind:
- For choosing the correct mower height, the time of year remains a vital factor that helps set the mower height setting you can use.
- Always keep the mower height at least set to a minimum of 3-inches from the middle of April through September.
- It is always a good idea to mow the lawns once a week without taking one-third of the grass blade height.
Setting your mower to a high setting offers too many benefits. These include:
- The lawns can easily conserve water
- Gain good deep digging roots
- Increase turf density
- Enhance turf color
Setting up a higher mower height is not abrupt. It is worked out somewhere between 3.25 and 4 inches. It proves to be the best lawn. However, setting the height up to 4 inches can have issues like laying over turf blades, which is annoying for a few people. Hence a few people prefer 3 or 3.5 inches calling it an Ideal Height to Cut the Grass.
2. Mow Your Lawn When It Is Dry
Mowing the lawn when it dries helps you enjoy a lush green and even grass. When you start, you can keep these points in mind:
- Always sharpen the mower blade at an interval of 10 hours of lawn mowing.
- Keep your mower blades at a level and in proper balance.
- Set the mower blades a little higher.
- Cutting 1.3 of the grass stalk helps in maintaining uniformity.
- Before mowing, always check if the grass is completely dry.
- Let the grass clipping fall over the lawn.
- Try a diverse mowing pattern every time you mow your lawn.
Mowing the lawn when it is dry has several benefits, and some of these are listed below:
- Easy to do
- Effective results
- Safer to choose
- Manicured Lawn
- Healthier grass
- Instant work with no exhaustion
3. Mow in a Variety of Patterns
Mowing a lawn is never monotonous. Thanks to the variety of patterns you can try on your lawn. It is fun creating various designs and aesthetic value. Trying different patterns can transform simple ones into pleasing ones. You can try patterns like stripes, diamonds, checkerboards, circles, and waves. As you try diverse patterns on your lawn, keep these points in mind:
- Mow the grass taller
- Refer to hardscape features while mowing in a variety of patterns
- Consider a lawn roller
- Always start in a cool season as the grasses will remain the best
- And lastly, check the position of the sun as it will have an impact on the pattern
Mowing in a variety of patterns is beneficial in the following ways:
- Reduce damages to your lawn
- Transform into a healthy lawn
- Coverup all the imperfections found on your lawn
Sticking to the same old pattern on your lawn every time you mow, you will see similar tire tracks. It can hamper the compact grass reducing airflow and inculcating diseases. However, if you try a variety of patterns, it will allow good soil breathing, vertical growth and avoid getting stuck in a rut.
4. Mowing on a Schedule Isn’t Necessary
One popular mowing rule is that you do not have to follow any particular schedule. Following different schedules would eliminate issues like brown, burnt grass, and weak roots, to name a few. The following are some of the key points to keep in mind while following different schedules for mowing:
- Mowing your lawn at a frequency of once a week will suffice; however, it depends on your grass type.
- The frequency during spring and fall will depend upon the quantity of rain received and the fertilization process.
- Adjust your mowing schedule as per the rainfall.
- Know the best time to mow the lawn.
There are several benefits of not following a fixed schedule for mowing. Some of these are enlisted below:
- Having a different mowing schedule can help your grass to remain green and healthy.
- It breaks the monotony in your mowing schedule and adds diversity and fun.
- It keeps your lawn away from any damages due to overcutting of grasses.
5. Wait a While Before You Mow a New Lawn
If you wonder if mowing the new lawn is a similar experience to the older ones, you are wrong. New lawns take time to root well in the soil. These lawns take time to settle down before you start the stressful mowing procedures on them. Hence before you think of mowing a new lawn, you should wait for a while and then start.
- Once the turf is laid down, start watering
- You need to wait till the new lawn is well established
- Check the roots of your lawn
- Fix the right mowing height or know the ideal height to cut the grass.
- Feed your new lawn.
Besides, you reap several benefits of waiting for a while before you go mowing a new lawn:
- It prevents the damage
- Giving time to the lawn to become healthy and stable
- Easy to maintain
6. Grass Clippings Should Be Left Where They Are
As per lawn care experts, grass clippings can benefit your lawns. These prove healthy for the lawn contributing to a process known as grasscycling. It helps in developing a healthy lawn. However, a common misconception among homeowners is that grass clippings create thatch buildup, thus damaging the grass. Before you start the process, you should keep the following key points in mind about lawn clippings:
- Choose the appropriate length
- Select the best equipment
- Add sharpness to the blade
- Rotate directions
- Allow clippings to remain on the ground
These add several benefits to your lawn; some of these are:
- Transform into natural fertilizer
- Provides shade
- It helps in your mowing strategy
- Grass grows greener, thicker and healthier
- Reduce waste
7. Maintain the Sharpness of Your Mower Blade
It will help if you point your blade at least twice every season. It helps in maintaining a green, healthy lawn. A sharp blade adds productivity and reduces the work time on the lawns. The following are the steps you need to follow for sharpening the mower blade:
- Collect the required tools to remove the blade
- Remove the blade from your mower
- Sharpen it with clamp and file or on a bench grinder
- Now fix it over the mower, and you are good to go
There are several benefits of sharpening your mower blade, and a few includes are enlisted below:
- Easy to mow in all the seasons
- Reap healthy lawn quality
- Quick green look on your lawn
What is the Importance of Mowing the Lawn?
Mowing also allows the process known as mulching which plays a vital role in supplying the nutrient value to the grass on your lawn. You can fix any damage within the lawns with mowing, thus providing faster recovery.
Therefore it is imperative to carry out the mowing process frequently. It promises you both healthy and attractive lawns. If carrying out mowing on your own is difficult, you can always consider any of the best lawn care services.
Why Should You Hire Lawn Care Services for Mowing the Lawn?
You cannot afford to invest the whole day trying mowing activities on your lawn and getting shabby results. However, that is not the case with professional lawn care services. They have the expertise and the required equipment to accomplish the job. The next reason to hire them is that they give you more than you can earn through your DIY venture.
The lawn care services professional can go beyond your essential mowing services. They are skilled people who are good at tasks like weeding, brush removal, weeding and seasonal yard cleanup. Besides, you can also gain services like landscape design and installation services.
In conclusion, several tips and tricks to mow your lawn are ‒ set your mower to a high setting, mow your lawn when it is dry, mow in various patterns, and wait a while before mowing a new lawn, among others.
Hiring a competent lawn care company like Eden can ensure that your lawn remains gorgeous even when you fail to have time. They boast quality work seeking the help of experienced staff skilled enough to deal with any lawns.
Lawn mowing taking up all your time? Call us, and we will do it for you!