Did you know not knowing how to correctly mow your lawn can leave it at a greater risk to fungal infections, weeds and insects? Mowing and maintaining your own lawn does not require a lot of skill, all the tools you really need are a lawnmower, a rake, and some basic knowledge.
So read on and you can have a nice beautiful clean cut lawn in practically no time at all.
Mower safety and maintenance Safety first, do not do not allow children anywhere near the mower, always mow on dry grass to lessen the odds of you slipping and also to keep wet blade clippings from clogging your mower; if this happens turn it off, be sure the blades have stopped spinning then carefully lift the mower and remove any rubbish.
You should use a rake to remove any objects from the turf that might get caught on the blade or fly out of the chute.
Look for any exterior pipes or half buried rocks, then mark or flag so you wont run onto them.
Keep all the moving parts well oiled to prevent rusting and the blades sharp, a dull blade can leave the turf looking worn out, a clean and sharp blade will leave a cleaner cut and a healthier looking yard after mowing.
Mow your grass early after the dew has dried.
Also regularly enough so you never cut off more then one-third of the blades of grass in a single mowing, this will keep the grass its healthiest and will also allow you to leave clippings on the turf rather then getting rid of them.
Grass clippings contain nitrogen, by allowing them to stay you can recycle in place on the turf grass to naturally degrade and return nutrients to your grass.
Mowing once a week is ideal, but no more then two weeks.
Get mowing Your ready to start, adjust the wheel height.
Cool season grasses such as Bluegrass and Fescue should be cut at a height of two to no more then three inches, depending on shade, temperature and light.
Warm season grasses such as Bermuda should be cut at a height of one-half inch to one inch, two inches at the very most.
Mow the lawn in a pattern, continue back and forth at a fast walking rate, moving too slowly the grass will catch and clog the blades.
Continue on in nice even rows, with two passes around flower beds and trees, once in one direction and once in the other.
On every pass overlap the part of the area you just mowed by approximately one half the width of the lawn mower this will allow smoother movement and will actually take less time; you will also catch any uncut grass you might have missed the first time around.
Once you have finished clean the blades with water, for gas or electric mowers, be sure to follow machine directions, then oil the machine parts to stop any rusting.
The stripes you can see on the turf like the ones at some ballparks, are just reflections of light off the blades of the grass, you can achieve the same effect by mowing in a straight line walking parallel to a sidewalk or driveway always looking a few feet ahead you, not on the ground directly in front of you.
When you come to the end of a row lift the deck of the mower as you turn mowing in the opposite direction as you pass.
This will create the basic stripe pattern, if you want a more vibrant stripes mow on a higher setting for a softer grass that bends over more easily.
Next you will need to bend the blades of grass a little further, this can be done with a lawn roller by going back over the stripes, rolling over the grass in the same direction you just mowed.
That's it you are done! Just a few quick tips on mowers, Reel or push lawnmowers are less expensive simple to use, and good for smaller lawns.
Powered lawnmowers are good for larger lawns.
Riding lawn mowers are only good if you have an acre or more or uneven terrain.