A GARDENING expert has revealed the seven mowing mistakes to avoid for a healthy, luscious lawn – so, how many are you making?
Mowing should be the simplest task when looking after your lawn, right?
Here Carlos Real, Lawn Care Expert and Managing Director of TotalLawn, has revealed the most common mowing mistakes you probably don’t know you’re making…
Using the wrong lawn mower
“Is your lawn even? Do you have objects to navigate around? The answer to those questions will determine the type of lawn mower you should be using," says Carlos.
"Cutting your lawn with the wrong mower can be detrimental to its health."
He notes how there are two kinds of lawn mower – the rotary and cylinder.
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"A rotary mower is the most common and is the best choice if you have lots of objects to navigate around, if your garden is uneven, or your grass is long," the lawn expert explains.
"That’s because it has a big spinning blade underneath a chassis, which creates a hoover-like effect, sucking the grass up before chopping the tops off."
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“The other option is a cylinder: a cylindrical shaped set of blades with a roller in front."
The quality of the cut is generally much better, as the blades spin while chopping off the top of the grass, all while creating stripes your lawn with the roller."
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"They are the ideal option if you want a low mow, which is why they are the chosen mower for professional sports pitches and bowling greens, however, they are no good on uneven lawns or long grass. ”
Running the mower at half speed
Carlos urges homeowners to always opt for the optimum speed for your mower as he claims it will result in a "much better cut."
He adds: "Some mistakenly believe that cutting at full speed damages the mower’s engine and shortens its life, but the truth is all mowers have been created with full speed for a reason – it’s best to use it!”
Cutting with dull blades
The gardening pro says it's also important to cut your lawn with sharp blades.
"Dull blades have a tendency to pull up portions of grass rather than chop it at the desired height," he notes.
"This will inevitably kill some of your grass, causing it to appear yellow or brown – not the aesthetic you’re hoping to achieve!”
Not mowing regularly enough
So, just how often should you be mowing? Well, according to Carlos, the answer is simple…
“In the main growing season, the extra sunlight means you want to be mowing every two or three days, or at least once a week if your schedule is tight," he explains.
Your grass will grow quicker in the summer, and it’s better to cut little and often than all at once.”
Cutting grass too short
Carlos says there's a general rule when it comes to the perfect legth of grass.
"In general, you shouldn’t take off more than one third of the height in a single mow, as this will put the plant under unnecessary stress, and it may discolour if you overdo it," he says.
Remember to adjust your blade height as necessary, and if you have a desired height, it’s best to be patient – it may take a couple of mows to get there!”
Mowing in a straight line
Carlos explains: “Everyone wants that beautiful striped lawn but varying your mowing pattern is good for your lawn over time as it means you’re not repeatedly forcing the grass to bend in one particular direction.
"Instead, one week start at the top of your garden and finish at the bottom and alternate it the mow after."
He goes on to say that this will make the stripes appear visibly different but adds that it results in "stronger and more resilient grass over time."
Not cleaning your mower properly
While it can be tempting to leave your mower for a while after you’re done with your lawn, Carlos warns that the longer you leave it, the harder the grass clippings are to remove.
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"A build-up of clippings will result in your mower overheating the next time you cut, which can cause it to breakdown – an expensive mistake to make for something that would only take you a couple of minutes at the end of each mow!” he explains.
“Mowing your lawn should be a regular job in the summer months, and with these simple steps you should have a luscious, healthy lawn in no time.”
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