Mowing Your Lawn: How to Mow Your Lawn Like a Professional

The warm weather is here, and most of us are ready to soak in the sun in our gardens. If you enjoy yard work, it is time to get outside and start getting your lawn in shape.

Mowing and landscaping might seem like an easy task, but in reality, many people do it wrong. The majority of us are guilty of making the same old mistakes that lead to an unhealthy looking lawn.

Luckily, there are many tips and tricks out there that could help you get a professional-looking lawn. So let’s dive in!

Getting the right equipment

Equipment is the key when it comes to mowing a lawn. So how do you choose the right lawnmower? It all depends on the size and the terrain of your garden.

For instance, using a small push lawn mower on large grassy surfaces will complicate the work. The same goes for smaller yards. Avoid using large machines if you are maintaining a small or mid-sized garden. They are bulky, not easy to store, and could be a problem if you have a lot of trees in your yard. Quality is important as well, so don’t buy the cheapest lawnmower out there.

Once you get the right tools for the job, you have to keep them in good shape. Servicing your lawnmower once a year is recommended if you want to make sure you cut the grass right.

Blades will lose their sharpness over time. Not sure if the blades are sharp or not? Take a closer look at your yard. If the grass is torn or unevenly cut, it might be a time to get a new set of blades. You don’t want dull blades that could damage your lawn and reduce the quality of the cut. A lawnmower with sharp blades will give you a clean and even cut.

Types of Lawn Mower

We have reviewed many different types of lawn mowers here at GardenBeast, take a look through the following posts to find your perfect machine.

• Best Self Propelled Lawn Mower Reviews
• Best Push Lawn Mower Reviews
• Best Cordless Lawn Mower Reviews
• Best Robot Lawn Mower Reviews
• Best Zero Turn Mower Reviews
• Best Riding Lawn Mower Reviews
• Best Reel Mower Reviews
• Electric vs Gas Lawn Mowers

Safety first

Knowing how to use your lawnmower is essential for getting the professional finish. You can also learn all the things you can do with the machine itself. Go through the manual, and don’t forget the safety precautions.

There are so many different types of lawnmowers out there. They are all powerful machines that need to be checked out, especially at the start of the season.

Make sure you are storing the lawnmower properly during winter too. Use the fuel stabilizer to prevent the fuel from separating in cold temperatures. Additionally, a manual can teach you what parts of a lawnmower you need to check before each use.

For instance, improperly placed discharge shoot could make the grass clippings and other things fly around. A manual can help you understand how your lawnmower works, and this can speed up the cleaning process as well.

Create a schedule

Having a mowing schedule is crucial when it comes to keeping your lawn healthy. Of course, you have to learn some basics before you start writing in your planner.

• First of all, you need to keep it light in early spring. The grass doesn’t grow too fast during this period of the year, so it is best to cut it every two weeks or so.
• Your yard requires more maintenance in late spring and summer, but that doesn’t mean you have to mow the lawn every day.
• Stick to mowing once or twice a week. Grass grows at different speeds depending on the climate and the temperature.
• Avoid cutting wet grass. You have to refrain from going out with a lawnmower in early mornings while there’s still dew on the grass. The same goes for mowing after a rainstorm. The grass clippings could be tricky and stick to the insides of your lawnmower, clogging the machine. The cut will be uneven as well. Not to forget that you might also damage the soil.
• Always check the forecast in advance to make sure the weather is nice and dry for your mowing day.

The perfect height

Believe it or not, the perfect grass height depends on the season.

• If you stick to cutting just one-third of the grass blades, you will keep your lawn healthy and thriving.
• The grass should be somewhere between 2.5cm and 4cm tall to look neat and even.
• Additionally, if you have some shade in your garden, keep the grass there a bit longer. Grass needs to be a bit taller in the summer, especially if the weather is super dry.
• Tall grass will protect the soil and help it retain moisture.

Remember not to cut the grass too short. This common mistake is sometimes referred to as scalping the lawn. Short grass could lead to several problems.

For instance, your yard will look more yellow and dry because the grass is struggling to repair itself, completely ignoring the root system. You might notice more weeds in your garden too.

If you are feeling creative, experiment with different heights and patterns and see what works for you. Having a striped lawn is super eye catching. Keep in mind that you would need a lawnmower that features a roller for this project.

Master the patterns

Changing the cutting direction will help your lawn thrive. To do so, you have to follow a pattern while mowing the lawn. There are two patterns you could use, and they depend on the shape of your yard.

• If your yard is rectangular, going back and forth is the key. All you need to do is start mowing at one side of the yard until you reach the other one. Then turn around and go in a different direction.
• A circular mowing pattern is recommended to people who are working with an oddly shaped lawn. You should mow the grass in a circle, either moving from the outer edges towards the center or vice versa.

Make sure you memorize where you started last week and change the direction. So if you often cut your lawn from left to right, alternate the sides next week.

When you continuously cut the grass blades in the same direction, they start to lean over to that side.

It is the best way to keep the grass tall and healthy. This simple trick can help your lawn look fresh and green.

Don’t throw away the grass clippings

Most of us collect the grass clippings after mowing the lawn. This process could be time-consuming and quite tedious. It is also completely unnecessary in summer. Just leave the clippings where they are, and the soil will retain the much-needed moisture more efficiently.

This method is called grasscycling. It is super useful when the temperatures are high. You will need a lawnmower with mulching blades for this trick. Mulching blades cut the grass blades into small pieces so they can fall better and closer to the ground.

If you think your lawn might look unkept when you don’t pick up the grass clippings, you are wrong. Mulching blades will do their work, and the clippings will be on the soil beneath the grass. They will be completely unnoticeable.

Grass clippings are a natural fertilizer. They are made of water and various other nutrients that can do wonders for your yard. The clippings not only release the water into the soil but also provide it with nutrients.

This small trick will make your lawn greener and healthier. They are useful even when you pick them up from your lawn. Grass clippings could be used as a compost for your flowerbed.

Clean your lawnmower

Finally, clean up your lawnmower after every use. It could seem like a chore that could be avoided, but it will keep your mowing equipment in top shape.

• Always check under the deck after you mow your lawn. The grass clippings get caught in the blades, and they can do all sorts of damage to your lawnmower.
• There could also be a buildup above the blades, and that could affect the performance of your lawnmower. For instance, the buildup could reduce the airflow needed for cutting the grass. The moisture could damage the machinery itself, dramatically shortening its life span.
• We also mentioned that cutting wet grass is not the best idea if you want a lush lawn. However, that same wet grass could make your lawnmower rusty. The buildup of damp grass will create a perfect environment for rust.
• If you notice any signs of rust on the deck, remove it as quickly as possible. Then paint over the rusty area, and seal it. This precaution will stop rust from taking over entirely.

As you can see, the simple step of cleaning the lawnmower could save you some time and money in the long run.

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter if you have a small or large yard, mowing the grass is essential if you want to make it healthy and green. The process of mowing the lawn is straight-forward, but there are some easy tricks you could apply to make your yard look professionally done.

Soon you will have the greenest and lushest yard in the neighborhood!