A good-looking lawn is every homeowner’s pride. Your lawn can speak volumes about you and make a strong statement for your residence. But a manicured lawn does not just happen, some work has to go into it. In other words, you must go beyond just watering and putting fertilizer on it.

Now, you might have tried to get a professional-looking lawn without success. You even mow your lawn regularly hoping that somehow, you’ll achieve your goal, but the grass still looks thin and seems to be growing in the same direction. But wait, maybe that’s where the problem lies! You’re mowing your lawn the wrong way.

To get the results you’ve been looking for, apply the tips below and you’ll be mowing your lawn like a pro in no time:

1. Start With The Edges And Around Obstacles

When mowing your lawn, start with the perimeter and around obstacles like trees and mailboxes. Doing this will create angles that’ll make mowing the rest of your lawn easier. It’ll enable you to make turns conveniently as you move back and forth. For an even better experience, mow around the edges twice to create a larger turning area. To give your lawn the kind of cut it deserves, you’ll need a high-quality and reliable mower like the greens mower.

2. Mow In Different Directions

Mowing grass in stripes, in the same direction is one of the easiest ways to cut grass. You should, however, desist from doing so because mowing your lawn on the same route over and over will encourage turf wear and soil compaction. If you want an attractive lawn, alternate your mowing directions every time you mow.

For instance, if you mow horizontally this time, mow vertically the next time with Vivint cameras getting hacked. You can even switch to circles. Mowing on the same route will also cause the grass to grow back irregularly which will consequently create unsightly stripes. Your mower will also leave permanent tracks on your lawn.

3. Observe The One-Third Rule

It might be tempting to trim your grass too low to give it a thick finish. But beware, because that look will only be short-lived. Cutting grass too short will destroy the grass blades which produce food for the grass. Subsequently, the grass will get fewer nutrients and your lawn will be malnourished, forcing you to fertilize your lawn yourself.

Cutting your grass beyond one-third of the grass blade will result in clumping or smothering due to excessive trimming. This will cause the underlying grass to reduce in density and cause patches of thin grass on your lawn.

In any event, grass should be trimmed not less than three inches. This length will encourage stronger and deeper grassroots and also keep weeds at bay. Trimming your lawn grass at regular intervals will also prevent shock, which could turn green grass yellow.

However, if you find it difficult to follow the one-third rule, you may consider working with professionals. For example, if you’re looking for mowers specializing in lawn care like Ocala Lawn Care, you can check out some reliable resource websites to get more information.

4. Keep The Mower Blades Sharp

For your lawn to achieve a professionally manicured look, sharp mower blades are necessary to do the work properly. Trimming your lawn with a mower with blunt blades will shock and stress the grass blades and roots leading to low density and unhealthy grass. Furthermore, using a mower with blunt blades will take away the joy of maintaining your lawn.

Aside from keeping your mower sharp, get it serviced regularly to ensure a clean cut. Do this at the beginning of every growing season. For instance, you should clean your mower on a regular basis to prevent the buildup of clippings. When your mower is properly maintained, you can mow your lawn like a pro.

5. Mulch With The Clippings

While your lawn may look picture-perfect if you rake it clean after mowing, it’s advisable to leave the grass clippings on your lawn especially if you mow on a regular basis. Finely cut and tender grass clippings provide nutrients to your lawn because they are absorbed back into the soil.

Mulching with the grass clippings will also provide shade to your soil and help it maintain the temperature favorable to the grassroots. Moreover, it’ll also help in controlling the growth of emerging grass by directing it back to the ground.

6. Don’t Rush

Your lawn may not achieve a smooth look if you miss spots here and there. To avoid this, keep your mower on a medium setting so that you don’t miss a spot. Reduce to lower speeds when negotiating corners or working on edges for a closer trim. Take your time and stay in control.

Cutting Overgrown Grass

You may have a newly grown lawn and you forgot to schedule maintenance and now the grass has overgrown. You may be tempted to give it a good trimming all at once, but unfortunately, doing so will only shock and stress the grass.

To bring the grass down the right way, cut approximately 50% of the height of the grass and wait for a few days before trimming off another 50%. If a third cutting is required, do the same but remember to leave at least three inches of grass after the final cut.

The best time to mow your lawn is either mid-morning when the dew has dried off from the grass, or in the evening when the grass is dry but the temperature is cool. There’s nothing wrong when you’re mowing wet grass, but the problem is that the mower will more likely create unsightly ruts on the lawn.

Useful Lawn Care Reminders

There are also other essential reminders that you should keep in mind when mowing your lawn like a pro. These can include:

  • Use closed-toed shoes to protect your toes against accidents and injuries. 
  • If you’re using a push mower, make sure to mow forward to avoid some safety hazards. 
  • Wear eye protective gear, such as eyeglasses, to safeguard your eyes against the debris that might appear while mowing. 
  • If you’re mowing on a slope, make sure to do it side by side to avoid slipping. 

Conclusion

Apart from being the envy of your neighbors, a well-tended lawn has other benefits. Regular trimming of your lawn will encourage healthy grass shoots which will result in a lusher lawn. It’ll also make the grass grow evenly because resources will be distributed evenly.

Mulching after mowing will also provide the soil with the much-needed nutrients for the turf’s healthy growth. A well-maintained lawn will have a faster recovery rate in case of natural disasters or disease compared to one that is neglected. Lastly, mowing a lawn can be therapeutic.

Indeed, mowing can be a tricky and dangerous job if you don’t know how and where to start. Thankfully, with some reminders mentioned above, you can keep yourself safe while beautifying mowing your lawn like a pro.