Lawn Mowing Tips

Picking Up Branches While Mowing the Lawn

By Alice from west Brandywine, PA

8 Ways to Make Mowing Your Lawn Easier

1. Streamline your path. Make sure there is enough space to mow between the obstacles in your lawn. If you can keep items like birdbaths, bird-feeders, and benches confined to your planting beds you won't have to mow around them. Likewise, installing beds along the borders of your property or up against a fence is the ideal because you won't have to mow around more than three sides.

2. Prune low-hanging branches. Having to constantly duck your head every time you pass near a trees lower branches is a waste of your time and energy. Take a look around your yard. If a trees lower branches constantly interfere with your mowing path consider pruning them. Now only will thinning a few lower branches allow you to mow more efficiently, it will also allow more sunlight to reach your grass.

3. Control your clippings. As you mow, keep the discharge chute of your mower directed toward the lawn. That way you have to go back and sweep up grass clippings from the sidewalk and driveway when you are done.

4. Mow when its dry. Lawnmower blades tear wet grass instead of cutting it cleanly. For the cleanest, healthiest cut, mow your lawn when the grass is dry. Wet grass also has a tendency to lean over, which can end up making your mowing efforts look uneven after it dries.

5. Dont mow too short. Every time you mow you are essentially sending your lawn into shock, cutting down its ability to manufacture food. Mowing your grass too short actually stimulates faster growth and causes the grass to redirect all of its energy towards growth in order to recover. That means more mowing for you - at least temporarily.

6. Overlap as you mow. As you cross the lawn with your mower, overlap the edge of your previous cut by 3 to 5 inches. This will give the mower a second chance to pass over any uncut grass that was flattened under the mowers wheels and will eliminate the need to go back and fix things later on.

7. Clear obstacles before starting. Remove any movable obstacles from the yard before you start mowing - toys, lawn chairs, sticks, and stones. Place them on a sidewalk or driveway where you won't have to worry about moving them again until you are finished.

8. Round sharp edges. Sharp turns are hard to make with a lawnmower. They often force you to stop, back up, and take another pass - a big waste of your time. If you have a lot of beds and borders with straight sides or sharp corners, try to round their edges for easier mowing.

Plan for the Future

By Ellen Brown

Lawn Mowing Tips

Many people think that by cutting their lawn really short, they will have to mow their lawn less often. Most grass types can safely be moved to 2 to 2-1/2 inches tall. Any shorter than that and you risk stunting your lawn's growth. Really short grass does not retain as much water as longer grass. Different types of grass require a different mowing heights. For more information on what height to cut a specific type of grass, contact your local college extension.

Don't Cut Too Much at Once

Don't mow more than 1/3 of the grass height in one mowing. If you need to cut really long grass, mow it over a couple of days, cutting 1/3rd of the grass on each day. If your grass is growing too quickly, try scaling back how much you water it. You may also be using too much fertilizer.

Sharp Blades

It's important to have sharp mowing blades. Dull blades don't cut the grass, they tear it. This causes stress to your lawn and makes it more susceptible to disease and insect problems. When grass is torn rather than cut, it can also develop a brown appearance.

Mow in Different Directions

Mow in a different direction each time you mow your lawn. This will help prevent wear patterns that can develop when grass is always pushed in the same direction. Mow at a right angle to the previous direction that you mowed.

Don't Bag It, Use It

Use the grass clippings to help feed your lawn. The clippings will work as slow release fertilizer for your lawn and help encourage growth. If the grass clippings are in clumps, use a rake to spread them out. Clumps of grass will create a thatch problem which will smother the grass and discourage its growth.

Don't Mow Wet Grass

Try to avoid mowing your lawn when it's wet. The clippings will stick to the blade and interior of the mower and will clog it. Also, clippings will clump together, and won't disperse throughout the lawn. If you are letting clippings fall back into the lawn, rather than bagging them, you won't want the grass clumped together. If you do mow grass when it's a little wet, spray the blade with some spray cooking oil (like Pam) to help prevent sticking.

Cleaning Up After Mowing

Use a blower or broom to clean grass clippings off of walkways and make sure to remove grass from any drains to prevent clogging. If you are bagging your grass clippings, be sure to compost them instead of throwing them away. If you don't want the grass clippings, you probably have a neighbor with a compost pile that would love them. Use a broom or blower to clean under the mower.

Post your lawn mowing tips below.

Save Money With Good Mowing Practices

How Grass Grows

Increase Your Mowing Height

Listed below are suggested mowing heights according to grass type. These are not hard and fast rules, just general guidelines compiled from several different sources. For more detailed information, contact your county extension agency or local lawn care professional.

Avoid Mowing When Wet

Avoid Mowing During Droughts

Return Clippings to the Ground

Change Mowing Directions

Allow Late Summer Dormancy

Keep Your Equipment in Good Repair

By Ellen Brown