Regular lawn mowing strengthens your lawn and ensures permanently thick grass. Learn what is important when mowing and for healthy growth.
Lawn Care with The Lawn Mower
Lawn mowing is not just a question of aesthetics, but an essential care measure that ensures the growth and vitality of the green. Regular pruning ensures that the grass forms new side shoots, thereby growing densely and evenly and displacing weeds.
Also, you can learn here about grass catcher that is essential for lawn mower. A grass catcher is a device that is attached to the side of a lawn mower. It is used to collect the grass that is cut by the lawn mower.
The grass catcher is usually made of mesh material so that the grass can be easily collected and then emptied.
The Optimum Lawn Height for Utility Lawns
A well-maintained lawn should be about three to five centimeters high. Too high a lawn makes the soil susceptible to weeds and overgrowth. Blades of grass that are too short, on the other hand, can no longer protect the soil from diseases.
A short lawn can be fatal, especially in sunshine and hot periods: the grass burns and the soil dries out due to a lack of water. That’s why you should leave the green carpet up to five centimeters in the summer and when the temperatures rise so that the floor underneath can stay nice and cool.
By the way: Depending on the season, the weather, and the seed, lawns grow back irregularly. So set your cutting height before each mowing.
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Decorative Lawn May Be Shorter
Two to three centimeters of cutting height apply to an ornamental lawn. If it is not stepped on or otherwise stressed, it can also withstand a shorter cut.
However, the higher the temperatures, the higher the grass should be: In the dry and hot summer, we recommend a cutting length of five centimeters.
Exception: Shade Lawn
A shaded lawn can and should grow taller. Keep the stalk height at five to six centimeters all year round so that the grasses have more space to absorb the much-needed sunlight.
When sprinkling, you should also make sure that the lawn gets enough water. Surrounding hedges, shrubs and trees often compete for resources.
Boys Mowing the Lawn
When you lay a new lawn, you want to be able to enjoy a lush, green carpet before long. But the new planting requires patience: while the grass is germinating, the lawn needs adequate watering and rest.
A young lawn can only be mowed for the first time when it has grown to a height of eight to ten centimeters – this allows the grass to spread out and ensures a dense scar.
It should be noted here that the cutting height is five to six centimeters and thus slightly higher than in mature lawns. Only mow with sharp mowing blades – blunt lawnmowers often pull out the delicate blades again.
Mow Wet Lawn
Avoid mowing wet lawns. Your lawnmower will thank you if sticky grass doesn’t smear it and the lawnmower blades don’t become blunt. If wet shaving cannot be avoided, please note the following points:
- If possible, do not step on the lawn before mowing, as wet grass only straightens up slowly and is therefore not caught by the mowing blade.
- The lawn must not be mulched. The wet clippings weigh heavily on the ground and would choke the grass. So think about your catch basket.
- Empty the half-full grass catcher. Even the lawn mower weighs heavily on your lawn. Avoid the extra burden by emptying the grass catcher more often.
- Use sharpened knives. Anyone who is already struggling with a dry lawn need not even try it on a wet lawn. The knives continue to dull and the blades of grass fray from an unclean cut. After the wet cut, however, the knives must be sharpened again.
- Pay attention to the cutting height: Leave the lawn longer than usual (approx. six centimeters) and mow a second time at a shorter distance when the lawn is completely dry.
In our guide, we have also summarized how to properly clean your lawnmower.
Can I Mow My Lawn After Fertilizing?
The lawn should be given enough rest between fertilizing and mowing to absorb nutrients. If the granules are still on the ground, the mowing date must be postponed. At best, mow two or three days before fertilizing so that the nutrients can get into the soil quickly.
If you want to scarify your lawn, we recommend first fertilizing the lawn and then waiting about 2 weeks. Now mow the lawn to two to three centimeters before you reach for the scarified.
When to Mow the Lawn?
As soon as the lawn begins to grow in the spring, you can make the first cut and then regularly use the lawn mower during the gardening season (between March and November). However, make sure the lawn is dry. You are free to choose the time of day as long as the temperatures are normal. You should only mow in the morning or evening when it is very hot.
However, take into account the legally prescribed rest periods in the device and machine noise protection ordinance. Loud motor lawn mowers may only be operated on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. and between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
This also applies to noisy brush cutters and lawn trimmers. Quieter devices such as the STIHL electric and cordless lawnmowers and the STIHL electric and cordless brush cutters, on the other hand, can be operated between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays.
In addition, however, stricter rules may apply in Germany from municipality to municipality. To be on the safe side, please check your municipality’s website, for example.
How Often Should I Mow the Lawn?
You should mow the lawn at least every seven days, but in the spring that may not be enough. If your lawn grows faster than an inch per week, you even have to mow twice a week.
You can also go by the type of lawn: A resilient playing lawn is mowed once a week during the season. Decorative lawns can be mowed every four to seven days if they are growing quickly. The same rhythm is sufficient for the shaded lawn as for the play lawn.
Proper Lawn Mowing With the Right Equipment
Mow Tall Grass
If you haven’t mowed your lawn in a while, there are a few things to keep in mind so that your lawnmower isn’t overwhelmed. A well-functioning lawnmower with high mowing performance and easy adjustment of the cutting height is the be-all and end-all – even when the grass is too long.
The 1/3 Rule
It is not always advisable to immediately cut back an overgrown lawn to four centimeters. If you come back from vacation or haven’t tended the garden for a long time, a radical pruning can weaken the grass rather than strengthen it.
Therefore, shorten a high lawn gradually in several passes and make sure that you never remove more than about a third of the upper stalks. In this way, you follow the natural growth of the grass and do not damage the vegetation point. This is about halfway down the culm.
Lawn Mower for Tall Grass
You can also mow long grass up to a maximum of 15 to 20 centimeters with a STIHL lawn mower, a STIHL ride-on mower, or a lawn tractor – depending on the model and lawn condition and according to the 1/3 rule.
However, if your lawn has already grown to a height of 15 to 20 centimeters or even higher, we generally recommend using a brush cutter.
Brushcutter for Tall Grass
If you are dealing with very tall grass, i.e. a lawn length of more than 20 centimeters, a brush cutter is the better choice.
If the grass is very tall, it is best to mow the brush cutter in two directions: first to the right for the upper half of the stalks, then to the left for the lower half. You swivel the device in a semicircle from right to left and the grass stays on the left side.
With a little practice, the right mowing technique, and the use of the basic technique with high grass, you can achieve a clean cut with the brush cutter or brush cutter.
For larger, flat areas, we recommend the square method: divide the area into several squares and work your way inside each square from the outside to the middle. This is how you keep track.
Maintenance and Use of Lawn Mowers
The lawnmower is your most important companion in the garden if you want a well-groomed lawn. If you use your lawn mower properly, your lawn will thank you too.
We recommend that you always use the lawnmower in accordance with the instructions for use. Then you will enjoy your device for a long time. We have put together what is important here.
Sharp Knives
Sharp knives are not only the key to clean cuts in the kitchen. Lawn mowers must also have sharp blades so that the grass is evenly caught and cut to the desired length.
Optimum mowing performance can be achieved if this process is always carried out after 20 to 25 working hours. In addition, the mowing blades must be sharpened before or after the season.
Mow Uneven Surfaces
If you are struggling with a very uneven lawn, the lawn mower can be an additional burden. Therefore, we recommend pushing the mower left and right rather than up and down the hill.
Across the slope, your effort is reduced and it is easier to swim evenly. This variant is also safer: In the event of a fall, the risk of your lawn mower is able to roll over you is reduced.
Tip for Optimal Height Adjustment on the Mower
If the optimal cutting height of the lawn is to be measured, the following trick is efficient: Place a piece of thin cardboard on the lawn and measure with a meter rule. The height adjustment on the mower can then be set sensibly.
Lawn Mowing Tips and Tricks
Mowing the lawn properly is a simple but demanding task. Once you get the hang of it, you can enjoy a beautiful and healthy lawn. We have compiled the most important tips and tricks for efficient lawn care for you here in compact form.
Use the Entire Cutting Width of the Lawn Mower
In order to achieve a streak-free and even surface, you should always drive in straight lines. Therefore, make sure that your lawnmower protrudes consistently by one wheel width into the track that has already been drawn.
