By Rachel Brougham, The Family Handyman
You want your lawn to look good, but you don’t want to spend a lot of time mowing. When it comes to lawn care, there is a right and wrong way to mow the grass.
You want your lawn to look good, but you don’t want to spend a lot of time mowing. When it comes to lawn care, there is a right and wrong way to mow the grass.
Conquer Edges First
First, take care of your yard’s edges. To do this, Cardinal Lawns, a full-service lawn and landscape company in Ohio, recommends taking two passes around the outside edges (three if your yard is surrounded by a fence). By doing this first, you’ll have room to turn the mower around, which will make the job go faster with less hassle.
Pick a Pattern
One of the most common and easiest patterns to mow the grass is with stripes. You’ll do one pass, then make a 180-degree turn to make the next pass, slightly overlapping the first pass. Do this until the lawn is mowed.
Cardinal Lawns recommends alternating directions each time you mow, so if you mow vertically one week, go in a horizontal pattern the next.
Lawn experts note circling is probably the easiest and most efficient pattern when mowing your lawn. After mowing the edges, just keep making passes in a circular pattern until you make your way to the middle of the yard. This is an efficient method for most lawns, as it cuts down on all the sharp turns you’d make if you mow in rows.
Cardinal Lawns recommends alternating directions each time you mow, so if you mow vertically one week, go in a horizontal pattern the next.
Lawn experts note circling is probably the easiest and most efficient pattern when mowing your lawn. After mowing the edges, just keep making passes in a circular pattern until you make your way to the middle of the yard. This is an efficient method for most lawns, as it cuts down on all the sharp turns you’d make if you mow in rows.
Mix it Up
No matter what pattern you chose, mix it up each week. This will prevent grass from growing in one direction, which not only makes your lawn less attractive but it makes mowing more difficult.
Helpful Reminders
When you’re ready to mow, Scotts, a lawn care service company, says you should only cut off the top 1/3 of the grass blades at any one time. Doing so will help grass blades develop a deeper root system to find water and nutrients in the soil.
The best time of day to mow is in the early evening when the lawn is usually dry and the sun isn’t as intense, which gives your lawn time to recover before the next day’s heat.
Finally, keep your lawn mower’s blade sharp and leave grass clippings on your lawn. The clippings will add beneficial nutrients to the soil.
The best time of day to mow is in the early evening when the lawn is usually dry and the sun isn’t as intense, which gives your lawn time to recover before the next day’s heat.
Finally, keep your lawn mower’s blade sharp and leave grass clippings on your lawn. The clippings will add beneficial nutrients to the soil.
