Want to have a healthy, weed-free and greener lawn? Want to know how mowing can play a very large part in this? Then read on for our guide, packed with expert mowing tips that will help you maintain your lawn in all seasons. Say goodbye to your overgrown lawn with our tips for all levels of knowledge.

Regular mowing of your lawn is an important part in ensuring that it looks attractive, contains no weeds and stays healthy. Regular mowing helps promote thicker growth by encouraging strong root development while also acting as a natural weed preventative measure.

Mowing is the first step to a good lawn care routine, so lets get into our lawn mowing tips.

Grass Health

Maintaining a healthy lawn requires regular mowing and the amount your lawn is mowed will depend on the time of the year and how quickly the grass is growing. We will get into this more later but for now here are a few tips and tricks for maintaining the health of your lawn.

Avoid mowing wet grass as this can cause the grass to be dragged up which may clog your lawn mower and cause bare batches on your lawn which will lead to you having to overseed these patches.

You can start mowing in different directions, to encourage the grass to grow in all directions.

Ensure to keep your mower blade sharp, as chipped or blunt blades can cause damage to the tips of your grass blades. This will lead to a jagged cut and a yellow lawn.

Follow the one third rule for optimal grass health: never EVER cut off more than one third of your grass regardless of the grass height. Adjust the mowing height accordingly and take it down over a few cuts.

Weed Prevention

Regular mowing is also essential to help reduce weed growth. When cutting you should decide on a height that suits your lawn (this will vary in the year) - you will need to ensure to mow the tops off any weed before they have time to flower and spread their seeds which will breed more weeds.

Regular mowing also helps to create thick, lush grass growth meaning that the grass will be able to outcompete any weeds trying to take hold of the lawn.

Choosing the Ideal Mower

Finding the right lawn mower to fit your lawn size and preferences can be quite a challenge with so many options available on the market. From push mower, self-propelled, riding or now even robotic mowers. Each type is designed for different terrains according to user requirements. When choosing the perfect mower for your needs, consider factors like your budget, the specific requirements of your environment, and of course, your personal preferences!

To sum up, there are rideable ones ideal for large lawns while standard hand pushed tools do just fine when dealing with more commonly sized lawns. Or if you struggle with regular maintenance then maybe a robot mower is for you (welcome to the future). Lets learn more about the types of different mowers to choose from in the next section.

Cylinder mower or rotary mower

The key to those lawn stripes you see are a cylinder mower, much heavier than a rotary mower and often have a front and rear roller. You'll want to work in a straight line to achieve the desired look. The quality of the grass cut due to the scissor style cutting action will be much higher than a rotary.

Rotary mowers are great for larger volumes of grass and when the lawn is getting cut less often so if your mowing frequency is less often then this is a great option for you. It also has no issues with longer grass.

Push Mower

Push mowers are usually the cheaper option for your lawn, commonly used on smaller lawns as they require the operator to move rather than relying on mechanics. Let's have a look at some of the pros and cons of push lawn mowers.

PROS

• Lightweight, meaning it is easy to manoeuvre.

• Cheaper than mechanical counterparts and require no plugging in or fuel.

• Quiet, in fact virtually silent (the neighbours will love you).

CONS

• Can be harder to sharpen meaning you may have a dull blade and this will cause damage to your grass.

• You will have a real problem getting this through long grass, so if you forget to mow or go away then taller grass is going to cause you a real problem.

• May take more than one pass meaning you may have to do the same section more than once to for properly cut grass.

Self-Propelled Mowers

For those with larger lawns or impaired mobility, self-propelled mowers are the ideal solution. These machines provide propulsion by themselves and thus do not require physical exertion from their users like regular push mowers do. They come in three varieties - front wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, as well as all wheel drive – to accommodate diverse size of land areas and varying terrain conditions.

Although pricier than other types of cutters for grass, these powered models make cutting your garden much more comfortable while still giving you control over how much activity is needed during this chore.

PROS

• Better for those with less mobility

• Easy to change the height of cut

• Can get through all types of terrain

CONS

• Much louder causing noise pollution

• More expensive

• Requires maintaining itself

Riding Mowers

Ideal for those with a large lawn (and big bank). A riding mower can range between £1,500 and £10,000. These are definitely something we see more in America, or on extremely large plots of land.

PROS

• Best for large plots of land

• Fast and reliable

CONS

• Requires maintenance

• Expensive

• Can take a lot of getting used to

Robot Mowers

Lawn mowing of the future of modern mowers, great for those who haven't got the time to use a mower regularly.

These little machines continually cut the grass, unless it is wet and will put itself back to charge. We've found that the constant mowing of the lawn actually promotes a really thick effect, and while you won't be able to have stripes you will always have a lush lawn that looks like a carpet!

PROS

• Great for those will less mobility

• Encourages thick, lush growth

• Puts itself back to charge

CONS

• If it rains a lot it likely won't go out meaning it could leave your grass uncut for sometime

• Can miss small sections

Mower Maintenance: Keeping Your Equipment in Top Shape

Keeping your mower in good shape is a must to ensure its efficient performance and prolong the lifespan of this device. There is no point spending a small fortune on one to not maintain it (much like your lawn). Here are some ideas on maintenance you should bear in mind:

1. Constantly clear away clippings and debris from your machine.

2. Stick with the manufacturer’s instructions for servicing, such as oil replacements or air filter checks regularly..

3. Sharpen blades constantly so that there will be an even cut every time it runs over the lawn’s grasses - and for a good lawn.

Blade Sharpening

Mower blades that are regularly sharpened will lead to cleaner cuts and in turn healthier, thicker grass. Unsharpened tools can cause fraying or tearing, leaving the lawn looking dull and brown - you will noticed these frayed tips on closer inspection.

Keeping up with regular blade sharpening not only benefits the look of your garden, but it reduces strain on its engine also.

Storage

Store your equipment in a dry spot such as inside an outdoor shed or garage where air circulation is good so there’s no chance for moisture build up which would otherwise lead to corrosion problems later down the line.

By following these simple instructions you can ensure both longevity and peak performance when keeping up with lawn maintenance!

Mowing Pattern

Maintaining your lawn in a healthy state requires changing up the mowing pattern you use. Moving back and forth over the same area repeatedly can cause grass to lean one way this will take away from the lawn and it will keep your lawn neat. To avoid these issues, mow the lawn and alternate between different patterns of cutting such as striping, checkerboard, circular direction or criss-cross each time you go out there with a blade for optimal growth and evenness appearance wise. It may be harder to achieve this will small lawns however finding a routine that works for your lawn will be worth it. This is one of the reasons the robot mower is a great option as it constantly changes pattern meaning your grass grows upwards and not in one direction.

Cutting Height

When it comes to the maintenance of a lush and healthy lawn, setting your mower’s cutting height according to grass type and season is essential. This can be achieved by following the one-third rule: never cut more than a third of the grass length in one go. The ideal cutting heights for domestic lawns differ depending on when you’re mowing. 13-25mm (12-1in) during summer months. Up to 40mm (112in) come spring or autumn. Whilst finer turf should stay at 6-13 mm(14– 12 inch).

We hope you have liked our lawn mowing tips, if you have any questions feel free to get in touch!