Lawn mowing is an important part of keeping your grass healthy and looking good. With over 40 years experience in lawn mowers we will share our lawn mowing tips to help you cut your grass properly with a lawn mower.
Frequent mowing is the key to a healthy lawn, each cut encourages growth, blocks out weeds and makes your lawn more hard wearing. Cutting the grass can be time expensive, so it is worth making sure you are doing it properly (or you can invest in the brilliant robotic Husqvarna Automowers and cut your lawn from the comfort of your armchair)
1.Make sure your lawn mower blades are sharp
We recommend getting your lawn mower sharpened and serviced at least once a year depending on use.
You want to cut the grass rather than tearing it, by checking the evenness of the cut and inspecting your blade for chips or gaps you can tell whether it’s time for a replacement or sharpen.
2.Know when to mow the lawn
Help your lawn out by learning when NOT to cut grass. We recommend not to cut grass when your lawn is wet, newly sown (until at least 4cm tall) or the ground is sodden or frosty. It may be rare in the UK but we do not recommend cutting grass in a drought.
In the UK lawns should generally be mown weekly or fortnightly between March and October. Everyone’s lawn is different dependant on grass type, rainfall and recent fertilisation so mow when your lawn when it needs it.
Check the grass and soil conditions are suitable for mowing and we recommend mowing mid-morning (if it’s completely dry) or later in the day, out of the mid-day heat when there is no chance of moisture on the grass.
3.Proper height to cut grass
Work on the one-third rule. You should never remove more than one-third of your grass on any single cut. Removing too much length in one go increases the amount of stress you put on the grass, so no matter how tempting it may be it’s worth taking your time and cut down your grass in increments.
Most mowers have an easy to use height adjustment lever on the side of the deck, so make sure this is set properly before you start the engine.
Most grass for the garden is best kept at 2.5-4cm tall but in hard-wearing areas or areas of shade or slopes you may prefer to keep the grass length a little longer. If it is hot and dry, let the grass grow a little longer which helps it to retain water.
4.What direction to mow in
Start off by mowing round the edge of your lawn to define the area and this also provides a border to turn the mower around in.
Each run up the lawn with the lawn mower should slightly overlap the last. With an irregular shaped lawn, start with a line across the middle , then do one side at a time.
If your wanting ‘straight stripes’ follow the instructions above and make sure to go in opposite directions on each run. A lawn mower with a roller helps create this look.
Once finished mow around the edge of the lawn again the give your lawn a professional framed finish. Finish off by trimming your edges with a pair of lawn shears or a strimmer.
Vary your mowing pattern at least once a month to catch all the stray blades of grass and to prevent creating wheel ruts.
5.Throw clippings back into the lawn
We recommend when cutting your lawn regularly to mulch the grass cuttings and redistribute back into the lawn. This provides a great natural fertiliser for your lawn and also helps the grass retain moisture.
Try not to leave large clumps of grass cuttings or leaves on your lawn, if the grass is long or dense you are best using the grass collector. If collecting the grass, add the clippings to your compost heap.
View our range of lawnmowers online, have you considered a ride-on for larger lawns or a robotic mower for a pristine, hassle-free lawn?
We have a full showroom in-store so #poptopigneys for quality advice and service. Please note all mowers sold online are in-box, or when bought in store the mower is unboxed and prepped so it is ready to go as soon as it leaves us.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any advice on buying, using, mower maintenance or servicing.