10 Tips for Mowing Your Lawn

Lawn Service
13June
adminmowingperth

If you want a healthy and blooming garden, it’s inevitable that mowing the lawn is going to end up taking up much of your time – especially during growing season. 

 

It doesn’t seem to matter how much upkeep you manage throughout the winter months, when spring and summer roll around your lawn can look a little worse for wear. 

 

Mowing is an essential part of keeping your lawn healthy, blocking out weeds and encouraging it to grow back thick and healthy, and it can sometimes become a time-consuming activity. 

 

Unfortunately, regularly mowing doesn’t guarantee a perfect, lush lawn, so it’s important that any time you do dedicate to it is spent well. From the lawn mower you choose to the frequency of which you mow – everything you do become a factor. 

 

We've been lawn mowing in Perth for years so here are 10 tips for transforming your lawn into a healthy green paradise. 

 

Choose the Right Mower for You

 

A one-size-fits-all-gardens approach to mowing isn’t going to be effective - if you only have a small lawn, there’s no point investing in a huge ride-on mower. 

 

There are so many different mowers on the market with specific features that it’s worth doing your research and testing out a few models before you actually take the plunge and buy one. 

 

Get Your Mower Regularly Serviced

 

A good worker always takes care of their tools and it’s the same with your mower. At the start of spring take it for a service to make sure it’s in top working order. 

 

Otherwise, it’s not going to give you that quality cut. Chipped or blunt blades can damage the grass and cause it to grow straw-like tips – not exactly the sight you want to see after spending hours mowing. 

 

When you’re using it regularly, make sure you clean it down after every use. Mowing can be a messy business and grass clippings can make their way into the mechanics and really cause some damage. 

Don’t Mow Too Short

 

You might want your grass to resemble a cricket green, but rush that cut and you’re going to end up damaging your lawn. When you mow, try to stick to a rule of reducing the grass by only one third. 

 

Any more and you could be preventing the grass from growing healthily. 

 

Mowing Frequency 

 

Another pitfall to avoid is mowing too much. In early spring, you should keep your mowing to once every two weeks to give the lawn time to cultivate and grow. 

 

Growth is slower at this time of the year so it doesn’t need a weekly cut. You can increase the frequency as we get closer to summer and it starts growing quicker. Growing will peak in late spring during the warmer weather and at this time it’s best to mow once a week. 

 

If you leave it any longer and due to how quickly the grass will be growing, you might break the rule about over-mowing. The 

 

Grass Height

 

When it comes to the length of your grass, it’s not a case of one-size-fits-all. To find the optimum height for your lawn you need to consider what you use it for and how quickly it’s actually been growing. 

 

The average height of a lawn is around 2.5cm to 4cm. However, if you use it a lot, have children or pets that are on it frequently, you might want to keep it a little longer to protect the grass from damage. 

 

Sun exposure is also going to have an effect too. Grass in the shade won’t grow as quickly as it won’t receive as much direct sunlight, so consider leaving this to grow a little higher. The same can be said for the blade height. 

 

Raise it a little at the start and end of the season, to leave longer grass. The extra moisture will help keep the soil healthy and help the grass grow back thick and lush.

Don’t Get Stuck on Autopilot

 

How often you mow and the height of the grass is really unique to your lawns needs. For a healthy lawn you should inspect it before you take the mower out so you can judge how low you should be cutting it or even if it needs it at all. 

 

Weather and use can all have an effect on how your lawn grows so don’t just assume it needs a trim just because you haven’t mowed for a week – actually make an effort to check it thoroughly. 

 

Don’t Mow When It Rains

 

Keep your mowing days to when the sun is shining and it hasn’t been raining. Mowing when the soil is damp and soft will only damage it and clumps of wet grass clippings could find their way into the mechanics of your mower and cause damage. 

 

There’s no point putting yourself through that, so save your mowing for when the grass and soil is dry.  

 

Let New Grass Grow

 

If you’ve recently sowed a new patch of grass, give it time for a healthy growing period before you turn your mower on it. Once it gets to around 12 - 18mm you can start to include it in your mowing, but don’t do it before. 

 

It will only cut back the healthy growth and may cause thinning. 

 

Use Your Clippings 

 

Your grass clippings always come in handy so don’t throw them away. You can use them to create compost to re-use in your garden or, when it’s especially hot, use to sprinkle over your lawn. 

 

The blades will help your lawn retain moisture and prevent it drying out. 

 

What About a Ride-On?

 

Mowing the lawn can be an arduous task, especially in the sun. If you have a large area of lawn you need to look after, why not consider getting a ride-on mower? They might be a large investment but it will be so much quicker to do a quality cut that it may be worth it.