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5 Key Lawn Mower Tips You May Not Know
Purchasing a lawnmower is not only a good investment but also a necessity as no one in this day and age will willingly go back to using a scathe. However, getting a quality lawn mower is not the end of the struggle, you need to know how/when to use and take care of it for the best results.
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What compliments a good mower is a quality cordless strimmer. These are key for grooming and sharpening the edges.
I'm sure you have noticed that even though you are using the same lawn mowers as your neighbors, some lawns look better than others. Well, the trick lies in so many underlying factors that you will never really know unless you do your research. Here are essential lawn mower tips to keep your patch lush, leafy, and presentable.
1. When and How Much You Cut Matters
You may not know this, but as much as consequently cutting your grass may give you a neat lawn, it won’t result in healthy grass. By scalping it, you are not giving the roots a chance to develop and grow deep. Grass with deep roots appear greener and lusher than their counterparts and have a bigger chance of surviving during a drought. The longer the roots, the more capable they are of absorbing most of the soil nutrients, leaving little for weeds to thrive on.
You may not know this, but as much as consequently cutting your grass may give you a neat lawn, it won’t result in healthy grass. By scalping it, you are not giving the roots a chance to develop and grow deep. Grass with deep roots appear greener and lusher than their counterparts and have a bigger chance of surviving during a drought. The longer the roots, the more capable they are of absorbing most of the soil nutrients, leaving little for weeds to thrive on.
As a general rule of thumb, only mow a third of the grass length. Since most overgrown lawns are typically 5 inches, your garden should always remain about four inches. However, this wholly depends on the type of grass, and the weather, so finds out what works for you.
The tip of each grass blade has hormones that prevent the grass from growing horizontally. So by coming up with a good mowing schedule, you will find that your grass blades are thick. By good schedule, I mean, you can't just cut it all one day to the desired length. Gradually trim 1/3 of it so as to let the roots adapt.
2. Mulching is Key
Gone are the days that people collected their grass clippings and threw them away. Gardeners proved that mulching indeed does wonders for your lawn. It will save you the money you use on fertilizers and act as a grass shade from the hot summer sun, so your grass does not turn an ugly yellow. Mulch contributes up to 30% of the necessary nitrogen needs the plant requires.
Manufacturers have even started adding a mulch clipper attachment to their new releases. They make sure that after the grass is clipped, the mulch attachment redoes them to the ideal length. This saves you the worry of having to rake the thatch buildup. This, however, should not be a problem if you are only clipping 1/3 of the grass height as the mulch will be too little to notice and will quickly decompose.
If you are still not satisfied with how the thatch looks, collect it and pour where you haven't mowed yet. When the mower gets to that point, it will cut the clippings into an insignificant size.
3.Prioritize Aftercare
Mowing is a tedious activity, especially in the hot weather, so typically, you will want to finish up and lock your mower in the garage. However, just like every other gardening tool, mowers need aftercare so they will be good enough when you need them next time and also to prolong durability.
Horse down your blades and remove all the grass buildup. Leaving it on will allow it to dry up and take you even more time trying to remove it. Wash your filter with soap and hung to dry before installing it back in to avoid rust.
Also, dispense the gas that's left as leaving it in the tank is the main reason why lawnmowers tend to refuse to power on after a while. The oil will clog and is eventually harder to deal with.
4. Don’t Mow When the Grass is Wet
Whereas mowing the lawn after a rainstorm or early in the morning when it's still chilly outside can seem like a good idea, it is not. This is because the grass will always be wet, and the blades will not be able to deliver a clean cut leaving you with an uneven lawn.
Another thing is, the wheels on the mower will not be able to get substantial traction. When the wheels get stuck, the engine will not be able to tell, so they will continue rotating hence making a hole in the ground that leads to the destruction of your grassroots. This results in patches in your lawn when the grass finally grows back.
Also, the wet clippings tend to clog your disposal chute, forcing you to stop the process and remove the clog consequently. So give your lawn up to three days after a rainstorm before you mow. Remember also to turn off your sprinklers a day or two prior, so the grass is as dry as possible for the best, hustle free and even cut.
5. Mowing Patterns Are Important
In as much as you won't notice, the grass blades all slightly face in the direction in which you mow them. So try and alternate the directions every time so as to make them somewhat upright. This will create a huge difference in appearance. It will also save your lawn from developing ruts as the wheels are always passing on the same route.
Also, when you are mowing, stick to one pattern. Mowing however you want will result in patches hence taking more time out of your schedule as you will need to redo the undone parts. If your mower is robotic and the patch is not entirely straight, try and stay nearby to return it to the course if it's met with an obstacle.
Another pro tip; overlap each row with at least three inches to save you the agony of looking at the fished product and realizing you missed one inch.
Conclusion
Lawn mowing is a responsibility most of us have even though we know little to nothing about gardening techniques, which might be a bit tricky and frustrating. However, the above tips will surely give you an insight on how to achieve a lawn as lush as how they appear in gardening magazines. Make sure you follow the tips consistently and research more on them as not everything works for everyone.
About the Author Laura Bennett
Hello, I’m Laura Bennett. I love nature especially when it comes to flowers and different kinds of plants. I started a very small garden behind my house and I named it Humid Garden. So, I created this blog to provide aspiring and inspiring thoughts about gardening for gardeners and anyone who has the intention of keeping a garden.
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