How to Mow a Lawn

Some people might ask – are you kidding? Surely, you know how to mow a lawn. Just crank up your mower and push! That is certainly true to an extent. However, let’s see what the experts have to say and copy their methods.

The first step that seems obvious, but is sometimes overlooked includes avoiding walking on grass that you are about to mow. When you walk on it, it will lie down and cause an uneven cut. The next thing you want to do is mow around the exterior of your lawn at least two mower widths. Every time you cut your lawn make sure to reverse the direction you go around the exterior.

Once you have finished the exterior cut, you may begin doing a normal across the lawn cut. When you approach any obstacles such as trees make sure to cut around in a circle before proceeding to your normal cut practice. You will need to alternate directions on these cuts as well to avoid forcing the grass to grow in only one direction. Alternating your mowing patterns can make your lawn look picture perfect. You can imagine it as a layer of carpet on your soil. It really is that smooth.

You also want to make sure that you are using a super sharp lawn mower blade all the time. Dull blades will rip and damage your grass not to mention alter the uniform green color. You will likely need your lawn mower blade sharpened at least once a year to keep it in good shape. I normally recommend that a professional do the sharpening and balancing, but it can be done by a skilled do it yourselfer.

There is always the argument between which types of lawn mower cuts best. Is it a rotary or a reel mower that gets the job done better? Most people agree that a reel mower provides the greatest cut, but a well-maintained rotary mower that is operated properly can achieve very similar good results. They are so similar that you can hardly tell the difference between them. Follow these guidelines and you will be well on your way to mastering how to mow the lawn.