4 Efficient Lawn Mowing Practices

A lush-green and well-manicured lawn is certain to appeal to the proud homeowner, but this is only possible if the right lawn mowing techniques are applied. Here are four steps involved in the process of mowing the lawn safer, more effective and easier:

Plan for future mowing

If you are planning to landscape the existing garden or starting from scratch, you really want to consider the ability to mow the large open spaces. A landscape plan should only include the amount of grass that you are willing to mow on a regular basis, especially through the summer months. A preferred layout is oval or rectangle in shape with minimal narrow corridors or tight corners. Plus, avoid placing too many pieces of lawn furniture like statues or benches which can be difficult to mow around. Also, if you plan on planting trees, try to use a suitable ground cover to minimize the need to mow in this area.

Only cut back a third

A general rule of cutting the lawn is to only take a third off. If you do intend to follow this rule, you are certain to have the healthy, lush-green lawn, but you will also have to mow the lawn more often. The preferred length of the grass blades is in the region of about 5 cm, so aim to cut the grass when it reaches a height of 8 cm. If you leave the grass for a while before mowing, make sure to rake up the excess clipping to avoid smothering the lawn. A small amount of grass clippings after a regular mow is fine because this can act like a mulch and provide the much needed nutrients.

Double mow

In those times that is isn’t possible to mow the lawn as often as you would prefer it can benefit to use the technique known as double duty. This simply means to mow the lawn twice. For the first cut set the blade to the highest setting. Once the lawn is cut leave it for two or three days, then come and repeat the cut, but with the blade lowered to a more favourable height.

Only mow dry grass

The grass is best cut when it is dry, which is beneficial for a variety of reasons. For instance, it is advised against using the electric-powered mower on damp grass. Plus, the cuts on the wet grass are less even and the clippings can easily form clumps that have the potential to smother the lawn surface. Other concerns relate to the slippery surface which can be dangerous when pushing the mower.

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