Top Grass Mowing Techniques Every Gardener Needs to Know About
The secret to a neat lush lawn and a presentable outdoor area is extensive care and proper grass maintenance. Yet sometimes, even if you give a lot of love and attention to a garden lawn, random mowing every once in a while will not provide the exquisite results you are looking for.
To help you learn how to properly care for your grassy area, we are here to share with you the specifics of extensive lawn care. Keep on reading and follow the guide on the top grass mowing tips and techniques by professional gardeners:
Best Advice and Methods from Lawn Mowing Experts
Keep in Mind the Mowing Directions
The first rule of lawn maintenance is to follow certain directions. The correct lawn mowing pattern is a back and forth motion in straight and even rows. For the grass to stay upright, do not mow in the same direction. Change mowing directions after each row instead.
Cut the grass at a brisk pace. If you go too fast or too slow you risk getting uneven patches and clogged blades. And remember that spiral mowing is out of the question if you want to achieve visually appealing results.
Make Sure the Grass is not Wet
Lawn care should never be performed on wet grass and moist soil. When you mow dry grass, you make straight, even cuts and lower the chance of the grass getting a fungal disease infection. The risks you take by not following this vital lawn mowing rule can result in uneven cuts, soil disturbance, mower clogging and overall messy looking grass.
Height Matters - Mow Only When the Grass is Tall Enough
Another priceless lawn maintenance technique is to cut the grass only when it is tall enough. Waiting for the grass to grow to at least 7-8 cm before cutting it will help you get better and cleaner cuts. The advisable height of grass left after mowing is considered 5-6 cm. That means it is long enough to promote a healthy root system and short enough to leave the lawn looking snatched.
To get these amazing results though, you should also consider the height recommendations of your mower. At the end of the day, you aim at having a fresh presentable lawn. And that is possible only if you find the right balance between mower height and grass height.
Overlapping Technique
Overlapping is an awesome lawn care technique. It provides impeccable results in regards to height difference and untreated patches. Basically - there are not any! So let’s dive into the specifics of how overlapping works, how much excess room should you leave and how to make smoother cuts.
Gardening experts say the best way to get an even lawn is to mow in half-lap motion. Meaning the new line overlaps the previous (already mowed) line by half the width of the mower.
You probably think the downside is that it takes more time and effort to do the job. While in reality, the mower moves over the grass way faster and smoother due to the less amount of grass that is cut on each pass. Despite this method being extremely good at evening the lawn out, you might need to go back and trim some uneven patches.
Side to Side When it Comes to Slopes
Slopes require special lawn care and attention. The ultimate goal when treating slopes is to get a pretty lawn without unfortunate accidents or slips. To ensure that, you need to mow in a side to side direction, across the slope. Unless you have a riding lawnmower, up and down mowing is recognized as super dangerous and irresponsible, so we urge you not to attempt it.
Don't Forget the Importance of the Mower
One of the most important factors in lawn care and maintenance is the mower. It is vital to choose the right lawn mower for the size of the garden and the task at hand.
Battery-powered lawnmowers are the eco-friendly option for tiny lawns since they burn no gasoline and are relatively quiet. Reel and electric mowers are a good solution for small lawns. They make less noise than gas ones and are super easy to use. If your grass area is big, then consider getting a more powerful mower to do the job faster. And in case you have more than a 4 decare garden - a riding mower will do wonders for your grass.
The lawn is not the only one that needs care and attention. The mowers also have some small maintenance to do, in order to perform at their best. Keep the lawnmower in excellent condition by seasonally sharpening and keeping an eye for blockage in the blades; as well as oiling any tightened parts; and regularly cleaning up the leftover grass.