A Lawn Mowing Guide for Beginners

For young professionals moving from their city apartment into their first slice of suburban bliss, a comforting slight of their new home will be the front lawn, a luscious and dewy slice of the green neighborhood which belongs solely to them.  However, like many already established homeowners, the care and attention which you provide for this slice of a lawn will determine the level of envy experienced across the neighborhood.

Taking care of your lawn will enable it to develop a luscious emerald color, even in texture with no alternate colored patches in sight.  The way that you mow your lawn is a prime factor in lawn care and can dramatically impact the results which you experience. But, how exactly do you look after your lawn and mow your lawn correctly?

Here at Best of Machinery, we have developed a detailed guide for you which explores the art of lawn mowing in the pursuit of achieving the greenest lawn in the neighborhood.  We will guide you through the best type of care for your lawn and help you to attain enviable results, ensuring that you understand every step which you need to take in order to achieve this.

Your Lawn Mower

The type and condition of your lawn mower will impact significantly on your lawn results.  The kind of lawn mower you choose to purchase and use will depend upon your preferences as well as the size and shape of your lawn.  The most powerful lawn mower tends to be a gas-powered lawn mower which provides the strength and resilience to tackle large lawns and outdoor spaces.

There are other choices, however, for the more environmentally conscious individual, with electric lawnmowers providing a very good level of power than previously, and is a perfect choice for the average sized lawn.  If you want to take extra care with your lawn, however, then perhaps a push lawnmower could be a good option for you, allowing you to take your time and treat each blade of grass with love and attention.

Your Lawn Mower Blades

Whichever type of lawnmower you choose for your outdoor space, the sharpness of the blades is a vital consideration.  Blunt blades can rip and tear the blades of grass within your lawn and cause a considerable level of damage which may be challenging to rectify.  Sharp blades will slice the blades of grass precisely and with care, looking after their overall health and longevity.  Some lawn mowers enable you to replace blades once they become blunt, while other lawn mowers allow you to sharpen the blades manually.

Simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions which came with your lawn mower, or take your machine down to your local gardening store who may offer a blade sharpening service.  Furthermore, ensure that your blades are set at a higher position, as cutting blades of grass close to the roots is an additional damaging factor and can make your grass unhealthy.

Before Mowing Your Lawn

When mowing your lawn, be careful, and recognize that you are using a machine.  Thousands of people each year become injured when using lawn mowers so ensure you follow basic rules and safety tips when using your equipment.  First, read the manual which accompanies the lawn mower and ensure that you are aware of all of the safety features.

Check that the lawn mower is intact before using it.  Additionally, check the lawn area which you will be mowing, picking up any stones or items of trash.  Wear the correct type of clothing, such as long pants, to protect your legs from any pieces of debris.  You may also find it useful to use either earplugs or earmuff protectors when using such equipment.  Furthermore, never leave the lawn mower running or unattended, and never leave the lawn mower turned on when crossing non-grass areas.

Mowing Your Lawn

The best method of lawn mowing to use in order to achieve the best results and take real care of your grass is to mow frequently yet to only cut a moderate amount of length from your blades of grass each time.  The biggest mistake which homeowners make when cutting their lawn is to allow the blades of grass to grow to a considerable length and then to cut away a great amount at once, shocking the blades of grass and reducing the healthiness of the lawn.

When a lawn is less than healthy, the level of green which envelopes the outdoor space reduces and patches of yellow or a lighter green may appear.  Ensure that the height of the blades has been set accordingly, this is at a higher height in order to properly look after your lawn.

A good rule to follow is to ensure that you never cut more than one-third of the length of the blades of grass at a time.  Furthermore, grass which achieves a length of around 3-inches will look better and will be much healthier than grass blades which are too short.  Longer grass blades ensure that your lawn possesses a more in-depth root system and is capable of preventing weeds from growing.

Attempt to mow your lawn in straight lines, taking your time in order to ensure that blades of grass are not torn or ripped rigorously.  Attempt to mow your lawn in alternate directions in order to ensure that soil compaction is prevented and avoided, keeping the grass as healthy as possible.

Aim to vary directions and patterns every time you mow your lawn in order to achieve the best results.  Furthermore, be careful when you turn your lawn mower around as a sharp turn can damage that area of grass.  If you have a driveway next to your lawn, use that area to turn your lawn mower around gently, preventing scalping of the grass blades.

Additionally, mow your lawn as early as possible, such as in the mid-morning.  Mowing your lawn at this time of day allows any morning dew to dry effectively while still enjoying the cooler temperatures, helping you to achieve a crisp, precise cut.  Mow your lawn slowly and carefully, ensuring that every area is covered and so that you are in full control of your machine.  Alternate the speed of your lawn mower in order to achieve tailormade cutting on borders and corners.

Caring For Your Lawn

In order to keep your lawn green and luscious, you should take additional precautions during the summer months when the weather outside is much hotter as this type of climate may dry your lawn and patches of yellow or even brown may appear.  To combat this, water your lawn early in the morning before the sun achieves its hottest temperature.

This will ensure that your lawn is well hydrated before the sun attempts to evaporate the water.  Carry out this task at least three times per week and ensure that plenty of water is used in watering your lawn, being careful not to drown your blades of grass.

Additionally, ensure that you fertilize your lawn during the growing seasons, which varies on the type of grass which you have.  Warm-season grass should be fertilized through the months of spring and summer whereas cool season grass should be fertilized during the autumn season.  Ensure that your fertilizer is distributed evenly through using a calibrated spray nozzle, or a spreader tool for your garden.  Furthermore, use a mulch to prevent any potential weeds from receiving sunlight and growing.

Conclusion

Looking after your lawn effectively is easy to do, although regular and frequent care and attention are required.  Being aware of your outside temperatures will ensure that you provide water for thirsty grass blades when they need it most, or allow you to be cautious of the impact of heavy rain or flooding for your lawn.

Watering your lawn early in the morning, most mornings, is key, in addition to cutting your lawn frequently although only cutting a small amount from each grass blade each time.  Using sharp blades is a necessity as is taking your time and slowly operating your lawnmower.  Mowing your lawn in lines and alternating the directions used is also an excellent method to use, taking extra care and attention when turning corners.

With our inclusive guide to lawn mowing, you should now understand what exactly you need to do in order to cut your lawn effectively and to achieve and maintain a luscious, emerald lawn outside of your home.  Mowing your lawn does not merely involve cutting all of the height from your grass blades one time per month in the aim to keep your grass blades as short as possible.

Adopting the correct level of care and slowly, yet regularly, cutting a small amount from each grass blade is the best method to employ in order to achieve a lawn which is the green envy of your neighbors.