Lawn mowing tips

 

How long can I cut my grass

This will depend on a couple of things such as how long is the grass at the moment. The rule of thumb when cutting grass is to take no more than one-third off at one time. So if you've got long, unruly grass, and you want to get it down to a short-kept length, then you need to work in stages. Maybe cutting it once a week and dropping it down a third each time. You want to avoid cutting too close, and too short, so that it scalps the lawn.

How often do I need to cut my lawn

It depends on how you've treated your lawn. If you're weeding, feeding and watering your lawn on a regular basis, the growth is going to be more. Remembering that rule of thumb of only taking a third off, it may mean that you need to cut it maybe three times a week. However, if it's not grown that much or particularly fast because it hasn't been watered or fed, then maybe once a week, maybe even fortnightly, will be fine.

How to avoid scalping my lawn

To avoid scalping the lawn, firstly, don't cut the grass too low. If it's your first time cutting, start on the highest setting and then work your way down to something you feel comfortable with. Also when you're doing the edge around a flower bed, if you have a four-wheeled mower and the wheel was to drop off, there's a chance the mower could drop down and scalp the edge. If there's any undulations in the lawn and they're quite sharp ups and downs, particularly on a bank as you go over the top there's a good chance that as the front wheels go over, it's going to ground out a little bit and that could cause the mower to ground down.

What is the best time to cut my lawn

Best time of day to cut the lawn is when the dew has been removed. That may be just waiting for the sun to come up and burn the dew off, or that may be removing it yourself. You could try using a large broom or a bamboo or a besom broom to just sweep the dew away. One of the problems with the dewy lawn is that it can clump all the grass together and it can make a mess. Also, as you turn to come off of your lawn if you had a nice driveway, you could carry that grass over. If you had a a nice white painted house and you were strimming, the grass will stick to the house and it could stain it. So, wait for the dew to be removed or remove it yourself.

Can I cut my lawn in the wet

The answer to that is yes you can, within reason. There's a massive difference between cutting the lawn in a drizzle and in a torrential downpour with standing water. You'll get to know your lawn and you'll get to know your lawn mower. Does it collect when the grass is moist or does it leave a mess behind? In which case, you probably wouldn't want to cut if the grass is wet.

Do I need to remove leaves from my lawn

Yes, remove leaves from the lawn as quickly as you can because leaves on the lawn can starve it of oxygen reducing the lawn's vigure but also letting moss take control in just a couple of weeks. I actually keep on mowing. Sometimes when the grass isn't growing that long I'm actually just mowing purely just to collect the leaves and mulch them up. As soon as you see leaves have fallen, try and clear them as quickly as you can.