Would you like to learn how to mow a lawn properly? It’s a task that you have to do even if it is tedious. You have to learn how to do it the right way for it to become easier.
Most adults prefer to give lawn mowing tasks to younger members of the family as they are more energetic. Some children even think that mowing the lawn is fun.
The Right Equipment
Most people own electric or gas powered lawn mowers these days. Some still use the traditional human powered ones to save on fuel. Here, I will tell you all about gas powered mowers.
Some lawnmowers act like those automatic vacuum cleaners that crawl through your house constantly. These kinds of lawnmowers are more expensive and very hard to maintain.
Checks You Need to Do on the Lawn Mower
Check that you have the right amount of gas. Pull out the dipstick while the mower is turned off and the engine is cold.
Do not pull out the dip stick while the engine is hot. You might get a wrong reading and fill up the tank with too much or too little fuel.
Check your blades for sharpness. A dull blade will not cut the grass properly.
When to Mow Your Lawn
The best time to mow your lawn is when they are dry. Water and dew weigh down grass which makes them lay flat.
Dry grass more often sticks out and stands erect. This makes it easy to trim with the lawnmower.
Wet grass can also damage your blade. The water can cause rust to the blades of your lawnmower.
Mow your lawn late in the afternoon or early in the morning. This is so that you won’t have to do it while the sun is blazing hot.
Just make sure that your neighbors aren’t sleeping in after a long week at work or have a baby that needs plenty of rest. Be considerate.
Also, try not to let the grass grow too high before you mow it. Mowing taller grasses adds strain to your lawnmower’s engine. Bits of tall grass could also get lodged in the machine.
The Mowing Process
Start at the farthest corner of your lawn and work your way to the opposite end. Mow your lawn in a forward motion instead of multidirectional motion.
When you reach the edge of the row that you are mowing make a semi-circle and row right beside that row. Continue the same process until you finish.
To ensure that you don’t leave wheel marks on your lawn change up your direction every time you mow the lawn. If today you mowed moving forward, the next time you mow the lawn start mowing on the opposite side.
Mowing the edge of your garden can be tricky. Don’t get too close to hard rocks and boulders or you might hit them with the blade. This might damage your blade.
For uneven surfaces, trim as close to the edge as possible without the wheels falling on the lower surface. This could again damage your blade.
If you truly want a closer trim you can use a string trimmer to clean up the edges. You can also do it manually with a cutter.
What About the Trimmed Parts of the Grass?
Some lawnmowers have a bag attached to the lawnmower itself. These collect the trimmed grass.
You can use the excess grass later on as compost. Some gardeners don’t use bags and simply leave the trimmed parts on top of the cut grass.
Grass left on top of the lawn ends up as fertilizers. They enrich the grass so that they grow healthy.
A bag attached to the lawnmower ensures that the lawn is kept clean. It also means no particles will come flying to your face while you are mowing the lawn.
Empty the bag on a wheelbarrow for easy transport to the compost pile. You can also carry the bag directly to the compost area if you can.
How to mow a lawn is a skill that everyone needs to learn. Try the steps outlined in this instruction material and see how easy all these steps are. If you have more questions, let me know your comments.