5+ Lawn Mowing Tips & Tricks For That Stunning Lawn
Last Updated on 10 June, 2021 21:15 by highreviews
When it comes to garden maintenance, mowing lawns is arguably one of the most arduous tasks to contend with. However, you should never cut corners when it comes to mowing your lawns. Mowing on a regular basis promotes thicker growth and a healthier looking lawn. To make sure you are doing the best job possible, we have put together some essential Lawn Mowing tips & tricks to bear in mind.
Taking the time to mow your lawn regularly will also keep weeds from gaining a foothold and ensure your grass is as a resilient as it can be. In the summer months and during key growing periods, you may need to mow your lawn fairly frequently.
Lawn Mowing Tips
- Use a reliable lawn mower
- Be conscious of Mowing frequency
- Adjust lawn mower for grass height
- Be aware of the best time to mow
- Make use of Lawn clippings
- Perfect Lawn Borders & Edges
Use a Reliable Lawn Mower
Just because you have spent a small fortune on a lawn mower does not mean it will be particularly effective. Even the best lawn mowers require regular upkeep and maintenance to ensure they are working efficiently. If you have a substantial lawn mower model, you may want to think about getting your garden appliance serviced annually.
You can carry out this maintenance yourself, or instead seek out the help of a professional. Key things to look for when serving a lawn mower are blunt or damaged blades. Poor quality blades will damage your grass as you mow, leading to washed out tips.
You should also ensure your mower is regularly cleared of any clippings after every use. This involves more than simply emptying a collector bag or box. You should also ensure the blade components are brushed free of any clipping debris after every use.
Mowing Frequency
Growing season usually kicks during early spring. However, lawn growth is likely to be quite gradual during this period. During this time, you only need to mow your lawn twice a month. This will ensure an even finish and promote healthier growth when warmer temperatures arrive. Once spring is in full swing, you can start to increase the lawn mowing frequency.
As spring gives way to summer, you will need to start increasing the amount of time spent mowing your lawn. Ideally, you should be aiming to mow your lawn once a week. If you prefer a particularly neat finish, you may wish to mow your lawn twice a week, especially during peak growth periods. According to RHS, “Watering once a week to every 10 days is normally sufficient” for good growth.
Cutting Height
As a general rule, you should try and shave off a third of the overall height of your lawn every time you come to mow it. If you mow any more than this, you run the risk of damaging the grass and affecting future growth. This cutting guideline applies throughout the year. However, if you mow your lawn fairly infrequently, you will need to aim to remove more than a third to compensate for any lapses in your mowing schedule.
If you want to be specific about grass height, you should aim to keep your lawn at a height of no more than 4 centimetres. Grass can be maintained at heights of as little as 2.5 centimetres, although you will run the risk of damaging your lawn if you mow it regularly.
If parts of your lawn are looking a little patchy, you can leave the grass height a little longer to ensure a more consistent appearance. Areas of the garden that are regularly used and experience more footfall are prone to wear and tear.
If you have recently sown seed in certain areas of your garden, you should also avoid mowing over these sections. Wait until the seed has sprouted and grass is growing at a healthy height before tackling it with a lawn mower.
You also need to ensure your lawn is receiving enough moisture for healthy growth. During the summer season, you may need to improve irrigation yourself. A simple hose pipe can help you water thirsty looking areas of your lawn, while a garden sprinkler will allow you to irrigate much larger grassy areas.
Best Times to Mow
In addition to maintaining a seasonal mowing schedule, you should also make sure you are tackling mowing tasks in certain conditions. Only ever attempt to mow your lawn on dry days. If the ground beneath your lawn is sodden with moisture, the mower will be hard to manoeuvre and potentially damage the soil layer.
Wet grass is also difficult to work with. Mower cutting blades can not effectively trim wet grass, while wet clippings can be difficult to remove from your mower and collector box. Wet grass clippings can also damage your lawn itself. If clumped clippings gather on your lawn, they can suffocate the grass and soil beneath.
Try and wait until there has been a couple of consecutive days of hot, dry weather before mowing your lawn. This will ensure both the grass and soil beneath is dry and suitable for mowing.
Making Use of Lawn Clippings
If you have a particularly large lawn, you will undoubtedly find yourself dealing with a considerable amount of clippings. You can use clippings to produce compost for growing projects. However, grass cuttings should be mixed with other material if you are looking to produce suitable compost for growing.
You can also leave clippings on the lawn itself during the summer months. Doing so will help your lawn maintain good levels of moisture, which will promote healthier growth.
Perfecting Lawn Borders & Edges
Although mowing the main section of a lawn is easy enough, even the most experienced gardener can struggle to maintain the edges of their lawn. You do not need to worry about trimming lawn edges after every session with the lawn mower, although you should definitely think about using a specialised edging tool at least once a year.
If your lawn is bordered by high hedges and foliage, you may also want to think about purchasing a long reach hedge trimmer.
Final Thoughts
Although many people find a corded electric lawn mower to be more than sufficient for garden upkeep, those with a larger area to tackle will want to think about other lawn mower options. A petrol lawn mower is far more flexible than a corded mower, allowing you to navigate across larger lawns.
Newer petrol lawn mowers are fairly quiet and do not produce harmful exhaust fumes, unlike older models. If your lawn is particularly expansive, you can also consider a ride on mower.
