Spring is just about arriving and temperatures are starting to rise which means we are starting to get the lovely smell of freshly mown grass wafting around as we carry out the first mowing’s of the year.
Mowing is the most important thing you can do to keep your lawn in top condition and, the more you mow, the better your lawn will be – it’s that simple. Regular mowing combined with a lawn care programme will eventually produce your ‘beautiful lawn’. One of the main reasons that top golf courses, bowling greens and football pitches look so good is because they are mown every two or three days, or in some cases, every day.
Why should we mow so often?
Mowing causes stress to the lawn so, if you mow regularly and remove only a few clippings with a sharp mower, it is not such a shock to the grass plants and they are less likely to be stunted or damaged by the process. When we allow our grass to grow long, say for more than a week during the growing season, we will cause shock to the grass plant when we mow which will cause it to deteriorate. Never mow more than a third of the height of the grass off at any one time as this will cause stress to the grass. Put simply, if your lawn looks as if it needs mowing you have probably left it too late!
What height should I mow?
Mowing height depends greatly on the variety of grass, undulations of the lawn and type of mower. Most domestic lawns mown with a pedestrian rotary mower can be mowed at a height of 25mm-50mm. Finer lawns mown regularly with a cylinder mower can be mown down to 10mm and rougher lawns mown with a ride-on mower can be mown up to 75mm. See our 10 Top Mowing tips feature for more information.
Should I collect the clippings?
Yes always collect the clippings when mowing.
How often do I sharpen my mower blades?
Always check that the blades are sharp and sharpen at least twice a year for rotary mowers.
Cylinder mowers require regular adjustment and need sharpening periodically.
