An immaculate lawn requires regular and proper maintenance – including mowing.
Acing visually appealing lawn stripes doesn’t need to be hard; just follow these mowing tips from a landscaping expert!
Avoid cutting your lawn during the hottest part of the day to reduce stress on your grass and prevent clumping. Also try switching the direction you cut every time to help your lawn remain healthier.
Choosing the Right Mower
Selecting the appropriate lawn mowing South Australia for your lawn is of utmost importance, not only to its overall aesthetic but also in terms of effort involved with its care. There is a range of mowers designed to fit every budget, size of yard and fitness level imaginable; one should select according to square footage of yard as well as obstacles such as trees and slopes requiring special manoeuvrability.
Push mowers can be ideal for smaller yards as they’re easy to control and won’t take up as much storage space than lawn tractors. Plus, people with limited strength may find it easier to handle.
Grass clippings can be beneficial to your lawn, so select a mower with an easy way of disposing of grass clippings without bagging and bagging them yourself. Mulching can help bring back nitrogen into the soil; otherwise, if you intend on bagging or mulching grass clippings yourself then opt for one with an ample grass box capacity.
Mowing your lawn at the hottest part of the day can be both difficult and harmful to its appearance. Dew that gathers on grass makes cutting more difficult, creating clumps that clog the mower deck. If cutting wet grass must be done, try doing it either early in the morning or after 6 p.m. for optimal results.
Choosing the Right Grass
Your choice of grass can make all the difference between having an inviting lawn and one filled with weeds. Opt for one with low maintenance needs that thrives in your climate; grasses such as tall fescue, perennial rye and zoysia thrive in cooler environments while centipede grass and zoysia tend to do well in warmer areas. For lawns exposed to high wear-and-tear from people, pets or equipment choose highly tolerant varieties which recover quickly after damage occurs – tall fescue or perennial rye are ideal choices in these instances.
As a general guideline, aim to reduce lawn cuttings to remove no more than one-third of their total height during each mowing, in order to promote root health and resilience. Your
Consideration should also be given to the time of day you mow, particularly morning mowing as dewy grass can make for difficult cutting. Wet grass makes for difficult cutting conditions when trying to achieve a clean cut with wet blades. If you need help, your lawn mowing South Australia is flexible and can do that for you.
Wet grass clings to mower blades, making it more difficult to achieve an accurate cut. Furthermore, being exposed to direct sunlight increases your risks of skin cancer and heat stroke – neither are good options when working outside in extreme heat conditions.
Mowing Height
The height at which you cut your lawn is an essential component to its health and beauty. Cutting too short prevents photosynthesis from taking place, leading to shallow root growth that leaves weak grass prone to insects, diseases, weeds and environmental stressors like drought. Conversely, cutting it too tall creates thatch issues that provide a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and voles/mice.
Each species of turfgrass thrives best at certain heights. For instance, Bermuda grass prefers being cut at 1.5 to 2 inches while Zoysia and tall fescue need between 2.5-3 inches for optimal growth. When it comes to mowing grass it’s wise to follow the “1/3 Rule”, meaning never cutting more than one third of your lawn growth at any single session (this is why setting your mower to its highest setting is typically best).
An increased mowing height is also an effective way to combat crabgrass and other pesky weeds by shading the soil and preventing their germination. Furthermore, turf maintained at optimal mowing height requires less irrigation in times of drought than lawns with reduced maintenance requirements.
Mowing Pattern
Mowing patterns may seem unnecessary or complex, but they’re essential in giving your lawn an attractive finish and are an effective alternative to scalping. They also allow grass to grow correctly while decreasing chances of disease and fungus formation – though only with an appropriately maintained mower featuring sharp blades can you expect great results.
Whatever design you have in mind – be it straight lines or checkerboard grass patterns) or more intricate ones (diamonds and bullseye lawn stripes), being consistent is key when maintaining an artificial turf lawn. This will be possible if you hire lawn mowing South Australia. No more than one-third of existing shoot growth should be removed at each mowing; anything shorter may cause stress to the plant and result in brown patches which take days or even weeks to recover from.
At its optimal height, grass will present with a lush and healthy appearance while offering the ideal habitat for bees and butterflies. A recent study demonstrated that suburban yards that received two to three weekly lawn cutting had twice as many spontaneous flowering plants than yards which received weekly or more regular cutting.
To create a diamond or bullseye mowing pattern, begin by cutting diagonal stripes across half of your lawn. As soon as one stripe comes to an end, turn around and mow in the opposite direction to form another one – continuing this pattern until all areas of your yard have been mowned.