Regular lawn maintenance and the best mowing techniques are essential needs of gardeners who have concerns with their lawns’ aesthetics. Gardeners want to keep their lawn looking beautiful because it is growing in front of the home and is visible to visitors at first view. Mowing is a crucial part of lawn care and keeping it beautiful. If you are curious about how to mow a lawn like a pro, I will tell you the most useful and perfect ideas for mowing your lawn. So, carefully follow my instructions without becoming rushed.
How to Mow a Lawn Like a Pro
The right way of mowing grass is very important to make it healthy and evergreen. It helps your lawn grow more grass and gives it a manicured look. But if you practice the wrong way of mowing, it will be dangerous for your lawn. So, proper mowing practice is vital to making your lawn healthy and impressive.
Many gardeners follow their style and techniques in mowing, but all their techniques are not effective forever. So, you need to have perfect mowing ideas and techniques to make your lawn attractive to visitors and neighbors as well.
Step 1: Choose the best time to mow the lawn
Do you know when to mow your lawn? and when to stop mowing the lawn. Mowing time is crucial to keeping your grass exactly how you like it. Avoid mowing your lawn when it is wet; otherwise, it introduces the disease to the lawn. Also, there is a risk of slipping, and it can cause significant injury to you. So, avoid mowing the lawn after a heavy storm or in the morning when the grass is covered with dew. You have to mow your lawn in dry conditions, but there are also some problems for which you might need to wait for shade.
So, practice mowing when the sun is pressing down on your grass. Do you know the best time of day to mow the lawn? The best time to mow is on a hot summer day, which can put stress on your lawn. Mowing is not an easy task; it is labor-intensive work that needs a lot of physical energy. Mowing must be practiced in the late afternoon or early evening during the summer. Don’t practice mowing your grass in the late evening, as there is a chance of damage to your lawn grass in the darkness.
Step 2: Select the best lawn mower
The selection of the best lawn mower from different mower types that suits you and your lawn is also important. Usually, you can find three types of lawn mowers available in the local market or from lawn care companies. These classifications are according to the power sources and cutting style of the mower.
Reel Mower/Push Mower
Suppose you are an environment lover, are always conscious of environmental pollution, and avoid polluting the environment in your different tasks. In that case, a Reel Mower is the right choice for you. It is referred to as a push mower, so it has no power source other than a push. You have to use your muscle’s power to operate it, so it is quiet and eco-friendly. This mower nowadays has become updated; now it is lightweight, which makes it easier to push than the ancient types.
But it has some limitations, such as the fact that it is not practical for long grass and twigs; these can get lodged in the blades rather than chopped up. You have to take care of your mower before mowing to get rid of these twigs or sticks. A reel or push mower is ideal for a small lawn. To get effective results, you must sharpen your blades regularly. Also, you should keep sharpening your mower blades after every season of mowing to keep them at their best for the next season.
Cordless Electric Mower
Electric mowers are of two types: cordless electric mowers and corded electric mowers. A cordless electric mower is a popular choice for many gardeners. It is cordless, doesn’t need any direct electric supply (battery-powered), and has no movement limitations. You can mow your lawn wherever it is. The primary power source of this mower is a rechargeable battery, so it is not dangerous for you.
On the other hand, a corded mower has a risk of an accident while running on your lawn. The modern cordless mower is safer and more flexible. It is not as quiet as a reel mower, but it is not as noisy as a gas-powered mower. This mower is eco-friendly, and it is effective for medium-sized lawns around a third of an acre or less. But it is not practical for large lawns, as the larger lawn or mowing lots of tall grass can strain the battery. It is also tough to push it up the hill, so before purchasing a cordless mower, bear in mind all these things.
Corded Electric Mower
The electric mower has a corded version as well, and it is very effective for a large lawn. Its working process is speedy, and it can cut tall grass very easily and evenly. It needs access to an electric supply where there is a cord to attach to the wire of the mower. It has more power and is noisier. So, it is not eco-friendly. Moreover, there is a chance of an accident, and you can be seriously injured with this mower while running it.
Gas-powered Mower
This mower is also very effective and most popular for mowing the lawn, as many lawn owners have medium-large lawns of their own. It can be divided into two categories such as walk-behind rotary mowers and riding mowers/lawn tractors. A walk-behind mower can further be classified as two, either it is push-behind, or it is self-propelled.
The purchase price of a gas-powered mower varies from type to type. If it is a lawn tractor, then it is more expensive than a walk-behind. Self-propelled mowers are also more expensive than push-behind as push-behind requires your muscle’s power to move. Overall, gas-powered is effective for a large lawn. Also, they are effective for tackling long grass.
Gas-powered is ideal for the area where there is no access to electricity. It has heavyweight, so it works well for a large lawn, and it is faster than others. But a gas-powered mower is not eco-friendly. It generates more noise and exhaust fumes. You need to make sure you have a proper gasoline supply and keep an extra in your hand.
Step-3: Start mowing
Before starting mowing, you need to prepare for the most effective ways of mowing lawn grass according to your circumstances. Here I introduce you to the best ways of mowing your lawn with some special tips. I am assured that it will be helpful for you, and you can mow your lawn very easily and become a pro.
Visit your lawn before starting your job
You need to visit your lawn before mowing to pick up any stones, bricks, or items of trash. These particles can damage your mower very severely. Also, these can cause serious injury of your own by flying away. These can also damage your cars, windows, pets, or other glass materials. So, remove all these particles before starting your job.
Select the correct mower
You have to choose the correct type of mower based on your lawn size. If you have a small lawn go for a push-behind or cordless electric or gas-powered one. If you have a large lawn, you have to choose a riding mower. Nowadays, many gardeners prefer to use a self-propelled mower which makes your work much more manageable. Before you start working, make sure that you have a sufficient amount of gasoline for a gas-powered or fully charged battery for a cordless or cord plug for a corded mower.
How often to mow your lawn
It largely depends on the season to season. If it is the wet season, practice mowing once per week. When it is the dry season, mow every 15 days.
Adjust the mower blade height
You need to adjust the blade height of your lawn to get a fine-straight cut. Always try to cut from 3 to 3.5 inches which is best for all. Don’t cut more than one-third of the length of the blades of the grass height at a time; otherwise, it can promote weeds or diseases. Avoid cutting too short otherwise, it isn’t able to build a strong root system. As we know, taller grass has more drought resistance; so you need to leave your grass a bit taller while cutting in the final season to build the proper root system during winter.
Cutting in the shaded area
Try to cut a little bit longer in your shaded area of the lawn. Taller grass has more surface area, and it needs to catch more sunlight to complete its photosynthesis process.
Keep your mower blade sharp
If you want to get a uniform cut of your lawn, you need to keep your mower blade sharpened enough. A dull mower can damage your grass, and you need to mow multiple times. Also, it wastes your valuable time and oil or charges as well.
Protect the trees
While mowing your lawn, you have to protect your trees, so being aware of this is very important. You have to leave at least three feet wide grasses ring around trunks. To control weeds in these areas, put some stones or bricks around each tree or cover a 3 to 5 inches thick layer of organic mulches.
Aware of the weather conditions
Keep in mind the weather conditions before mowing. You are recommended to avoid working in the early morning as dew or fog remains at this time. Keep working in dry weather; if you work in wet weather, there is a chance of slipping, and it can clog your mower.
Vary your mowing pattern
You may agree that repetition is monotonous, so you need to follow various patterns of mowing. Each time you mow your lawn, do it in different directions. If you follow the same pattern, always your grass will start to lean in the direction you mow.
Don’t mow on a schedule
Do you know how early can you mow my lawn? Mowing is not scheduled to work; it doesn’t depend on a definite schedule. Mow your lawn when needed according to grass type, growing conditions, growth pattern, and season. If you stick to a strict schedule, you won’t receive a good trim, but your grass is already fully mature. As a result, your lawn doesn’t get the necessary cut when it should.
Mulching
After mowing your lawn, leave the grass clippings on the ground and let it dry. The grass clippings break down very quickly in sunlight and turn into good-quality natural mulch. If your grass is too long, gather them into a compost pile as long grass can’t break down in sunlight.
Clean up
If you don’t want the grass on your lawn, use a rake to collect and remove all the grass clippings. Clean up the grass from the bottom of your mower after mowing. Check the blades, gas, and oil to further use, which saves you much time. Drain the oil and gas and remove the spark plug after every season of working.
Watering
You should water your lawn once or twice per week in the evening, soak your lawn overnight and avoid evaporation. Watering in the morning is also effective for your lawn.
Sharpening the mower blade
It is very, very important to sharpen your mower blades at least once a month or two after mowing. If your mower blades are dull, it gives you an uneven cut, and there is a tendency to rip grass which can be a great source of diseases. To get a fine cut, you have to sharpen it regularly. Few steps to sharpen your mower blades:
- First, you need to remove the spark plug wire to ensure that your machine doesn’t start again accidentally.
- Use a wrench to remove the nuts that hold the lawnmower blade against the deck, then remove the blade.
- Clamp the blade in a vise and sharpen the cutting edge with a mill bastard file.
- Follow the same cutting angle as before. Pass the file the same number of times on each side to keep the blade in balance.
- File until the butter knife is sharp. Also, you can examine the blades to determine whether to sharpen or replace them.
Final Thoughts:
Always looking after your lawn regularly and frequently gives you an attractive lawn. Think that mowing is the pruning of your grass. If you mow regularly, it reduces the weed appearance and increases the density of your desired grass. Always try to practice mowing based on your respective region’s conditions. Mowing is the best way to keep the grass beautiful, healthy, luscious, and vigorous. I think all the above information is enough to mow your lawn easily if you are a beginner in lawn care.
