By just looking at it, mowing seems like an easy task that doesn’t require any special skill
However, when it gets to the actual mowing, most homeowners are left disappointed with the type of patterns they see behind them
You see, mowing is not as easy as it sounds. Cutting those diamond patterns to make your lawn look vibrant and lush requires lots of skill. And since your lawn is a giant air conditioner that helps to keep your home cool and smelling fresh, this post has compiled seven expert tips that will help you maintain a healthy lawn all year round.
Clear the Debris
Now that you’ve set a specific day to mow your lawn, the first thing you need to do before you start mowing is to clean the area you’ll be working on. Since most lawns serve as a playing area for kids and pets, you’ll expect to find a lot of objects hiding amongst the grass and flower beds.
You’ll find branches, tiny rocks, toys, bottles, dog bones, and other debris lying all over the lawn.
Since some of these objects can damage the lawnmower’s blade or even cause accidents when propelled by the mower’s rotating blade, clearing them before mowing is one safety tip you should observe.
Sharpen the Mower’s Blade
Once you’ve cleared all the objects from your lawn, the next step is to check the mower’s blades to see whether they’re sharp. One of the worst things you can ever do to your lawn is to cut the grass with a blunt blade.
Instead of cutting the grass cleanly, a dull blade tears the tip of the grass leaving it with jagged edges. Since grass tissues get damaged in the process, this creates openings for pests and diseases to penetrate through.
In the end, the grass forms a whitish and brownish hue that’s not so pleasant to look at. So, to avoid all these, you should sharpen your mower’s blades a couple of times during the mowing process.
Related: Check out my review of the latest GTech lawnmower which is a great buy for medium sized home gardens.
Set the Correct Height
While the first two tips are necessary for any lawn expert, adjusting the height of your lawnmower is one area most people easily get wrong. If you’re clueless on when to raise or lower the cutting deck, then you’re likely to get everything wrong whenever you mow your lawn.
So, to do things right, the first step is to understand the time of season you’re planning to trim your grass. If it’s during summer, you have to raise the cutting deck of your lawnmower to allow the grass to grow taller.
This helps the grass to shade the soil to prevent weed growth. It also prevents quick evaporation of water from the soil thus lowering the chances of drying during summer. Lastly, taller grass develops deeper roots, which again is an advantage during summer.
Conversely, if you’re mowing your lawn during winter, you need to lower the cutting deck to make the grass shorter. This lowers the chances of snow mould from forming in the grass thus keeping your lawn looking neat and healthy.
Choose the Right Mower
The lawncare business has advanced significantly in recent times due to the high number of exclusive power tools that are hitting the market. From petrol-powered, electric-powered to cordless battery-powered models, the list is endless when it comes to picking a specific lawnmower.
If you’re unsure what to purchase, check out the many reviews on this site, but don’t just take our word for it…You can check out other independent review sites such as Which?, who have a great selection of reviews to look at.
But, to enjoy the convenience offered by a specific tool, you need to factor in the amount of space you’ll be working on. For instance, if your lawn is just a small garden space, an electric corded lawn mower will get the job done for the least cost.
However, if the lawn is quite large, then you’ll have to get a what a lot of people refer to as lawn mowers for ½ acre which in this case should be a petrol-powered or a battery-powered model.
Mow in the Evening When the Grass is Dry
Now, there are two reasons why mowing in the evening is important. First, mowing in the evening or early morning prevents your grass from being overwhelmed by the hot sun.
Remember, when you trim your grass, it loses a lot of water. This can make the situation worse when the grass gets exposed to the hot summer sun.
So, to allow the grass to bounce back, you need to trim it in the evening or early morning when temperatures are still cool.
Secondly, mowing in the evening helps to give the grass enough time to dry. When grass is wet, the tips of the blades usually bend over making it difficult to cut the grass evenly.
Also, mowing the grass when it’s wet can easily clog and dull the mower’s blade making the job tedious and very overwhelming.
Choose a Proper Mowing Pattern
Mowing your lawn using the proper pattern is very important. Other than maintaining the aesthetic looks, mowing your lawn using the right patterns can help to lower the risk of soil compacting and formation of ruts by the mower’s wheels.
When the mower’s wheels press the grass, it tends to give in, forming stripes that appear on the lawn. This can lead to unhealthy grass growth or worse, accelerate the growth of weeds that thrive in compacted soil.
So, to avoid this, you need to find the best mowing patterns that will leave your lawn with vibrant and sophisticated checkerboard patterns.
Practice Grass Cycling
Grass cycling is the process of leaving grass clippings to lie on your lawn after you’re through trimming. This idea helps to save time (of bagging the grass). It also improves the health of your lawn as the clippings serve as lawn fertilizer.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are so many things to consider when it comes to taking care of your lawn. Thankfully, this post has compiled a list of seven surefire ways you can consider if you really wish to improve the health of your lawn. So, by following each of these pointers, there’s no reason why your lawn should not look lush and vibrant and suitable for guests all year-round.
Oh, by the way, if you’re out in the garden this summer be sure to check out the latest Cosmo Grill BBQ because it’s a great barbecue grill which will leave your guests full but envious!