Grass Cutting Tips and Tricks

Lawn mowing needn’t be a chore if you follow a few simple rules:

• Never remove more than one third of the grass length on any one occasion
• The more frequently you mow the denser the lawn will be
• Each run up the lawn with the lawn mower should slightly overlap the previous one; put a mark on each side of the mower as your ‘overlap marker’
• If you want ‘straight stripes’ on a large lawn or a lawn without a straight edge begin by mowing a straight line down the middle of the lawn. Now mow on either side of it
• Don’t worry about cutting ALL the grass at the edges of the lawn as you mow up and down the lawn; if you do a final cut all around the perimeter of the lawn once or twice you’ll get all the end bits and add a ‘professional’ frame to your lawn mowing
• If your lawnmower has a roller change mowing direction at least every month
• If your mower has four wheels you MUST overlap each run so that the wheels do not go in the same place all the time. Repeated grass cutting in the same track will produce ruts and tramlines!
• If the grass is damp or long slow down your speed (not the blade speed)
• If you are ‘scalping’ the lawn in some places (high spots) raise the mowing height. Scalped areas will often be mossy and/or weedy
• Mow slopes and shady areas one setting higher than the rest of the lawn
• If the lawn has a ‘silver sheen’ or ‘frayed’ look after mowing the blade(s) need sharpening
• If you’re using a cylinder mower and the blade stutters or produces a ribbed or rippled effect in the lawn then either
  • the mower is blunt or under powered or
  • the grass is too long or too wet - slow down your lawn mowing speed and mow more frequently
• Leave the box off if the mower instructions allow and weeds and weed grasses aren’t seeding;
  • In summer to help conserve moisture
  • To lightly feed the lawn in the growing season
  • For one or two cuts after applying liquid feed, seaweed or iron products