A beautifully mowed lawn is the cornerstone of a beautiful property. During the growing season, if you look around at the yards in your neighborhood, it is usually pretty easy to tell the lawns that look as though they were mowed by a professional landscape maintenance service from the ones that look as though they were hacked down by the kid who lives up the street. Whether you use a walk behind mower, or a ride on machine, this technique will work for you.

Here are 8 steps that, with a little practice and patience, are sure to give your lawn a professionally mowed appearance.

Before you begin, though, make sure that your lawn mower has been properly maintained, in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications. Make sure the mower blade is sharpened and balanced – replace if necessary, taking care to disconnect the sparkplug before reaching under the mower. Also, be sure to wear appropriate safety equipment like noise reducing ear-muffs, or earplugs, vibration absorbing gloves, and protective eyewear.

Set your mower to an appropriate mowing height of 2 ½” to 3 ½”, for most cool season grasses. To avoid damaging your lawn, do not cut more than one inch, or one-third of the total current length of the lawn, at any one mowing. Mowing your lawn every 5 – 7 days, with no bag, ensures relatively short grass clippings that will quickly dry up becoming unnoticeable, and eventually compost, nourishing the lawn.

Now you’re ready to mow the lawn, well, almost;

1. Using either a manual or power trimmer, proceed around the perimeter of the area to be mowed, trimming grass that would be difficult to reach with the mower. Trim the grass to the height you plan to mow the lawn – from the property line in about 4” to 6” should suffice. When the perimeter is done, continue trimming around trees, fence and lamp posts, islands and flower beds, drives and walks, and also around things like sprinkler heads and decorative rocks, making mental note to watch out for these obstacles when mowing.

2. Now, grab a trash bag and do a quick walk-about, picking up any debris and sticks, so they don’t get run over by the lawn mower. In your mind, divide the lawn into major sections for mowing.

3. Start your mower and make 3 complete passes around the perimeter of one of the major sections of lawn, allowing the grass clippings to discharge toward the center of the lawn. This gives you plenty of room to turn the lawn mower around without leaving patches of un-cut grass.

4. About half-way down one side of the section, turn so that you are facing the opposite side; with approximately equal amounts of lawn on your right and left.

5. Look across the section and pick a spot on the opposite side, directly across the lawn. Walk directly toward the spot you picked on the opposite side. Focusing on the spot, rather than the area directly in front of the mower, will help you make a straight line. Mowing in straight lines and proper trimming are the keys to a professional looking job. It is impossible to emphasize enough, though, the importance of bearing in mind the obstacles mentioned above. Pay attention and don’t run something over just for the sake of keeping a straight line.

6. Once you get across the lawn, carefully turn your mower around and look back at the line you just made. You can now see any places where the line varies from straight and, usually within the next pass or two, true it right up. Finish one side of the section, then the next, and then proceed to each section and repeat the process until the whole lawn is mowed.

7. When you are done mowing, take one more look at the important spots like entrance ways, walks and drives, and other places that draw your attention. If you missed any patches with the trimmer, or on lawn mower turn-around spots, now is the time to go back and get them. Paying close attention to the details is what sets the professional lawn care company apart from the kid who lives up the street.

8. Finally, use a broom or leaf blower to push stray grass clippings back on to the lawn. Beginning with the area around the primary entrance to your home, clean off the landing and steps, continue along the walkway and out the driveway to the road. Clean off any decks or patios you may have, or anywhere else that has collected unsightly grass clippings.

Here are three more things to keep in mind while mowing.

First, when using a power trimmer, like a line feed trimmer, the grass is ripped, not cleanly-cut, where it makes contact with the string. It is really easy to damage the grass, so be careful not to over-do – better it look a little less than perfect than you wind up whacking a hole in the lawn.

The next one applies when using a self-propelled mower, on turn-a-rounds. If the pivot wheel stops turning completely (or the power wheel loses traction), it will almost certainly tear up the grass, below. Always turn around slowly, but make sure that all the wheels of the mower keep turning, at least a little bit. This way you will minimize the damage done by the mower, on turn-a-rounds.

Finally, while you may have a favorite direction in which to mow your lawn, front-back, side-side, diagonal, or even something more unique, it is probably best to mow it a different direction, at least every other time. This, too, will help minimize damage to your lawn by reducing the frequency with which you turn around on the same spots.

As you can see, mowing to achieve that ‘professional look’ takes a bit more attention to detail, strategic planning and time than you may be used to spending on your lawn. With some patience and practice, though, your efforts will pay off, and your lawn will look as though it has been mowed by a professional landscaper.

What’s best will depend on your wants and needs. Gas-powered rotary lawn mowers can be divided into two categories: walk-behind rotary mowers and riding mowers lawn tractors.

The walk-behind rotary lawn mowers can further be classified according to whether they’re push-type lawn mowers or self-propelled. Purchase price varies greatly between these types of rotary lawn mowers, with riding mowers / lawn tractors being the most expensive, followed by self-propelled mowers. The push-type mowers are the least expensive because they require you to provide the muscle to make them move.

Self-propelled rotary lawn mowers require the operator to squeeze a bar to engage the mower, which causes the machine to take off — all you have to do is control the direction in which it goes. If you release your grip on the bar, the mower blade stops spinning.

For the higher-end self-propelled rotary mowers, the drive system does not shut off when you release the bar – a convenient feature, in case you’d like to transport the lawn mower from point A to point B without cutting grass along the way.

The difference between riding lawn mowers and lawn tractors lies in the location of the cutting deck. Lawn tractors have a mid-mounted cutting deck, while for riding lawn mowers the cutting deck is located under the front of the vehicle. The front-end location of the cutting deck on riding lawn mowers makes these machines more maneuverable. Maneuverability becomes an issue when, for instance, a lawn is dotted with shrubs and trees.

With both riding lawn mowers and lawn tractors you can make use of accessories ranging from brushes for spring cleaning to snow-removal attachments.

As with all lawn mowers, caution must be exercised when operating riding lawn mowers and lawn tractors. While providing them with a “vehicle” may seem like a great way to get the kids to mow the lawn without complaining, only those mature enough to handle heavy equipment should be allowed to operate riding lawn mowers and lawn tractors.

Choose a mower that’s in your price range that meets the needs and standards that you have assigned to it. Go for comfort, though – in the long run, you’ll be glad you did! Now that you’ve got the equipment, you’re ready to put it to work!

Proper mowing, along with proper watering, can be the most critical factor in the appearance of a lawn. Good mowing techniques not only enhance the appearance of the lawn, but also increase the turf grass vigor.

There actually is a right and wrong time to mow. Most people just look at their lawns and decide if it’s long enough to warrant a mowing, but you are going for that professionally landscaped look, so you need to pay heed to the expert’s advice.

Lawn mowing should not be done when the grass is wet (under which conditions disease can be introduced, plus you incur the risk of slipping and getting injured).

Also, lawn mowing in the evening puts less stress on the lawn than lawn mowing when the sun is pounding down in the afternoon. Mowing during the heat of the day during hot weather may cause the lawn to brown. It is best to mow during the cooler part of the day.

Mowing frequency will change throughout the year with different weather patterns. Cool season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass may require mowing twice a week in the spring, but only every 7-10 days in the summer. Warm season grasses such as Bermuda grass may need more frequent mowing in the summer than in the fall or spring.

Aesthetics aside, there’s a good lawn-care reason not to wait longer in between mowing, each time simply mowing the lawn when the grass is higher and reducing the overall number of mowing. Sure, such a policy would reduce time spent on lawn care. But you get out of lawn care what you put into it.

It may come as a surprise that mowing the lawn is about more than just keeping your lawn’s height under control. If done properly, mowing stimulates the grass of your lawn to lushness and better health, just as pinching a garden plant can improve its appearance. Proper mowing technique is an important aspect of overall lawn care.

So what is a proper mowing technique? Generally, you should alternate the direction in which you mow each lawn mowing session. You will thereby prevent your grass from “getting into a rut” (literally).

If your lawn mower wheels pass over the same area in the same direction each time you mow, they’ll form ruts over time. Switching lawn mowing patterns also wisely avoids having the lawn mower blade beating at the grass in the same direction at every mowing.

Novices will just set the mower at the lowest setting to cut the grass as close to the ground as possible thus cutting down on the frequency of needing to mow. This isn’t a good practice.

Certain grasses need to mown to a certain height to promote growth and healthiness. A general rule of thumb for almost all grasses is to mow to between 2 and 3 inches in height.

Height is important because the grass uses the extra length to absorb the sunshine it needs to grow and develop into a healthy plant. Never remove more than 1/3 at any one mowing. This may mean you’ll have to mow more often during prime growing times (usually spring and early fall).

Turf grass stressed by mowing too low is more prone to disease, weed invasion, drought and traffic stress. Removal of most of the leaf blade limits food production. Limited food production decreases root, thizome, and stolon growth. Plants with limited food production and a limited root system will not have vigorous growth.

A vigorous, dense turf grass area is one of the best defenses against weed invasion. Weak grass plants with a limited root system are more prone to drought damage. It is particularly important to mow high during dry weather. Mowing height varies for different turf grass species:

Many turf grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass should be cut at 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Bentgrass and bermuda grass should be cut at 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Determine the type of turf grass in a lawn before recommending mowing heights. The grass should be mowed so that no more than 1/3 of the leaf blade is removed. If the desired height is 3″, mow the grass when it has grown to 4″.

If you let the grass grow too long and then mow it too low, scalping will occur on your lawn. When you do this, excess leaf blade tissue is removed. Such “scalping” of the lawn can cause severe visual damage.

More importantly, scalping shocks the grass plants and growth slows or stops, limiting the vigor of the turf. A scalped lawn may dry out quickly from drought, or may develop unusual weed and disease problems.

You will also want to make sure your mower blades are sharp. A dull mower blade shreds the tips of the grass blades. The shredding opens the ends of the leaf blades for increased moisture loss and potentially provides a site for disease invasion. Lawns cut with a dull mower blade may have an overall white appearance from the shredded grass blades.

Don’t get me wrong, maintaining a high quality lawn does take some effort, but with a few simple tips on mowing you can have a lawn that will make your neighbors envious.

First, never mow your lawn when it’s wet. A wet lawn can allow grass clippings to clump together more easily. This clump of grass can smother the grass beneath it leaving a dead spot or create a spot where weeds can take root. Wait for a day or two after a rain storm and avoid mowing right after you’ve watered the lawn.

Tip number two is to never cut more than one third (1/3) of your lawns height at any one time. Most well maintained lawns are between 2 to 3 inches in height, so they should be mowed before they reach 4 to 4 1/2 inches in height. How frequently that occurs depends on your climate of course. The reasoning behind never cutting more than 1/3 of your lawns height at once is to avoid stressing the turf.

The third rule of mowing is to keep you lawn mower blades sharp. Most people use a standard gas powered rotary mower that cuts grass like a machette. The sharper the blades, the more even the cut. A dull blade will tear the grass rather than cut it, and this can lead to brown tips at the end of the blade of grass. Lawn mower blade sharping is an easy maintenance task that can be done with a grinder (even a Dremmel will work), or you can have it done by a professional for approximately $20.

Forth, don’t mow in the same direction every time. Many people develop a habit when mowing the lawn and they mow exactly the same way every time. This causes the grass to develop a “grain” just like a piece of wood because the grass growing off to the sides does not get cut as evenly as the grass growing upwards. It is best to mow at a right angle to the direction the grass was last cut. So, for example, if you mowed your lawn from east to west last time, try mowing from north to south this time.

Finally, don’t bag your clippings. Grass clippings are an easy way to return nutrients to the soil and reduce the need for artificial fertilizers. If you mow your lawn before the grass gets too tall, you won’t notice the clippings anyhow. That and the fact that it’s less work to ignore the clippings makes this a winner of an idea!

So, now you have five easy tips that don’t add any extra work to week and possibly decreased your work load if you’ve been bagging your clippings. These won’t make your yard look as good as a golf course, but they will help ensure that your lawn stays green and lush without any extra maintenance on your part.

There’s nothing better than a lush green, weed-free lawn in your garden. A lawn can be used for so many things – sitting out on, playing games such as croquet or cricket on, as a soft area for children to play on and it also adds colour to your garden. Learn how to care for your lawn properly and you will be rewarded with a lovely dense green lawn.

Here are some tips on how to care for your lawn properly:-

1. Mow your lawn regularly – Nowadays, there are so many lawnmowers available and you can find one to suit any budget. If you have a large lawn, it may be best to use a petrol driven lawnmower so you are not restricted by electrical leads. You could even invest in a ride on mower. If you really don’t have time to mow your lawn then you could hire a gardener to mow your lawn regularly for you.

Mowing regularity depends on the time of year and the growth rate of your lawn. You need to mow it regularly enough so that you never cut more than a third of the height in one mowing session.

2. Cut your lawn correctly – Your lawn should be about 4cm (1 and a half inches) when mown. Cutting your lawn to the correct height will keep it healthy, more resistant to disease and weed seed germination and will keep it green. Keeping the grass this long will also cut down on water evaporation, help the lawn to feed itself and keep the soil shaded. If you cut your lawn too short you may end up with a brown lawn – not a good look!

3. Keep edges tidy – However good your mowing, your lawn will look scruffy if you do not tidy the edges. Use a strimmer or edging tool to keep the edges neat.

4. Rake your lawn – Use a wire rake to remove dead leaves and to scarify the lawn so that sunlight can get to the grass. You can buy an electric scarifier if you have a large area.

5. Aerate the lawn – To aerate a lawn is to add air to it. You can use a garden fork to make holes in your lawn and you can even buy special forks or machines which remove cores/cylinders of soil to introduce air into the lawn. You need to make holes at regular intervals – every 10cm or 4 inches is ideal. Aeration helps to prevent soil compaction and enables oxygen and water to get to the roots of the grass.

6. Water your lawn – Water regularly with sprinklers, if you can, to keep your lawn healthy.

7. Feed your lawn – Grass needs nutrients such as phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium so feed your lawn with a good quality lawn feed. Follow the directions carefully.

8. Renovate – If you lawn is in poor condition, you may want to seed it. First, you need to aerate the lawn, then you should scarify it. Make sure that you remove all leaves and moss by raking them up or using a leaf blower. After this, you can see your lawn. Scatter grass seed thinly and consistently over the area and brush into the aeration holes with a brush or broom. If you have seed left over, go over the area again. You can then top dress with some soil if you want, making sure that this is also well brushed into the holes. Cover the whole lawn with fertilizer and make sure that you water the lawn regularly.

9. Cheat and use artificial grass – Some artificial grass can look very realistic and is great if you don’t have much time to spend on caring for a lawn.

10. Enjoy your lawn – It’s pointless having a well-manicured lawn if you never enjoy it!

Lawn Mower Maintenance

The Importance Of Lawn Mower Maintenance



Yards today have a profound significance in the daily life of individuals. Besides representing social condition, by bringing appeal and elegance to homes, they serve as refuges of harmony, meditation, rest, diversion and union to life. The effects of a vital, booming and harmonious garden are reflected on the homeowners’ conduct, drive and wellbeing.

A basic instrument to maintain your garden is a lawn mower, and the care you provide to it can either support your work or make it a complete calamity. There are different types of lawn mowers, and some of the care they require depends on the type you get. Nevertheless, there are shared lawn mower maintenance suggestions that concern any type of lawn mower.

Whatever sort you select or are counseled to buy, lawn mower maintenance is a must to conserve it in good shape and make it operational for maintaining your yard healthy and ravishing. Besides being adjusted to set off on the first pull, it has to be set to get in contact with the grass.

Lawn mower maintenance should occur prior to, during and after employing the tool.

Prior to utilizing, make a thorough checkout to seek for loose nuts and bolts which require tightening, rusty structure which needs smoothing, readying and painting or/ and old or loose wires in need of replacement or adjusting.

Assure, also, that you clean the spark plugs every season. When they seem creaky, do not bother cleaning them; change them instead. Change or clean the air filter, whatever is needed for your lawn mower. You should learn if your mower uses a paper or a foam air filter and proceed accordingly.

Lawn mower maintenance is important for a growing lawn. Lawn mower blades have to be sharp for a steady maintenance routine, as mowing the grass with straight cuts by sharp blades guarantees its flourishing growth. Dull blades tear the grass instead of cutting it straight, turning grass reactive to illness. While you mow the grass, you are essentially creating lesions that could capture illness.

Lawn mower maintenance while on mowing season implies cleaning the lawn mower’s deck about two times to enhance the instrument’s execution and bring down the scattering of illness.

After mowing season is over, the next phase on lawn mower maintenance starts. Assure you empty the fuel tank by keeping the mower running until it stops. Hold the tank empty until the subsequent mowing season, or, the worn fuel which has stayed inside the tank for so long will originate moisture and become gluey, making accumulations in the gas lines and carburetor, killing the motor. Likewise, ensure you drain the old oil on the tank and put in new oil.

If you are serious about a pastime, you search for flawlessness. A planned and rigorous lawn mower maintenance routine will assure you savor your passion and the returns completely.

Now that October temperatures are falling into the 60s during the day, and the 40s during the night, it is time to think about lawn winterizer. Winterizing your lawn consists of just a few basics that will make all the difference for you next spring.

Fall Lawn Winterizer Fertilizer

The first thing to consider is your lawn’s root health in regards to nutrients. I always recommend a final application of fertilizer around October or November. The fertilizer you choose should be a mix contain some nitrogen, but more concentrated with potassium and phosphorus. These last two elements strengthen the lawn’s root system which does most of its thickening in the cooler fall months. A good analysis will look like this: 20-20-10 or 15-15-15. You may not find those exact analysis, but get something similar.

Fall Lawn Aeration

Aerating the lawn is very important also and should be performed on healthy lawns, as well as thin ones. Aeration loosens up compacted lawn soil and allows the nutrients from your winterizer fertilizer to get to the root system. It also helps break down the thatch layer that accumulates during the hot summer.

After your aeration, it is a great time to put down some fresh grass seed. Many people are confused about what type of grass seed to use. If you are unsure, you can take a sampling to your local university extension for proper identification. Otherwise, you should buy good quality bluegrass and perennial rye grass mix for summer areas, and fine fescue for shady areas. These general seeds will mix with most lawn types just fine.

Final Lawn Mowing

Everyone wants to know when they are done mowing for the year and what they should do for that last cut. It’s simple: your last mowing should be when day time temperatures are consistently in the mid-40s. In addition, you should mow your lawn 1 inch lower than normal on the final cut. This is because snow will pack down on it and if it is too long, the blades will die and leave heavy layers that you will have to rake out in the spring.

Lastly, you should consider buying driveway ice melter and snow melter early this year. I have been in touch with my suppliers, and they are already predicting a shortage. You should never use too much ice melter on your driveway or sidewalk because it can harm the grass. Always follow the labeling. Most safe deicers and snow melters with calcium chloride will be best for you grass, trees and shrubs and concrete surfaces.

Don’t forget to perform these lawn winterizing steps before the first snowfall. A little extra attention now will definitely pay off for you in the spring of next year.

Smart lawn care means including safety checks in you lawn care and maintenance routines. Safety checks are especially done when in the mowing process. But what every homeowner should consider is the safety checks done before mowing the lawn. Pre-mowing routines are just as important as any other lawn care and maintenance procedure. In fact, safety checks before lawn mowing are recommended to avoid any future lawn problems.

The first and foremost pre-mowing check you have to do is to go over your lawn and remove any objects on the lawn surface. This includes twigs, stones, toys, and even pet droppings. One reason for this is to ensure safety for the people around when the lawn is being mowed. Lawn mowers can throw stones and other objects in various directions and can cause cuts, injuries, and maybe even broken bones.

Another reason to clear up the lawn is to avoid damage to the lawn mower. The lawn mower blades and other parts might get damaged because of stuck stones or other hard objects.

Clearing up the leaves or pet droppings from your lawn may not seem all that important because they are not hard objects and will not cause considerable damage to either you or the lawn mower. However, they will be scattered on your lawn by the lawn mower weight. It could then cause lumps or bumps on the lawn surface, which will block the *********** of sunlight. It could be the reason for the grass underneath to die or wither.

You should also check for waterlogged turfs or parts on the lawn surfaces. They will be compacted by the weight of the lawn mower and will be further pressed down. The outcome of this will be ugly depressions, markings, and tracks on your lawn.

Brushing your lawn with a besom broom is also a good idea. The broom will prevent the grass from lying flat and help you cut them thoroughly as you mow them. Brushing the lawn  will also disperse any worm casts that may be there on the lawn surface. It can also remove and remaining dew from the grass, which is important because mowing the grass when wet is not good for your lawn.

Before mowing your lawn, you also have to plan on which direction you want your stripes to go. It is recommended that you aim to make the stripes at right angles to the stripes you created on your previous mowing. This change in the stripe directions helps avoid washboarding.

The last task for a homeowner to do before mowing the lawn is to check the lawn mower itself. This is to ensure that the lawn mower is up for the job ahead of it. For those using a petrol mower, check to see if there is enough petrol in the tank. Check other parts of the lawn mower and see that all parts are not broken or in danger of being broken when used. The lawn mower blades, which are practically the most important part of the lawn mower, should also be checked. Don’t forget to set them to the correct height, as the length of the grass cut is a factor in the growth and health of the lawn. 

These safety checks should be a normal routine for every homeowner who mows their lawn. Aside from preventing any accidents, these checks before lawn mowing also helps to provide your home a healthy and green lawn.

Green Lawn care is not a hard job. You should take care of few things. Green is the main color of the lawn. You have to keep the color intact. For green lawn care you have to follow certain methods and principles.

Mowing

Mowing will keep the lawn green throughout the year. When you mow the lawn at the crucial height, it grows with better health and remains green. Proper mowing helps the grass roots to become strong. Strong roots in turn helps in proper growth of the grasses and makes them green.

Fertilization

Fertilization ensures that your lawn grass is getting necessary nutrients and can grow better and greener. Fertilization at the optimum level helps the grass to grow well. The color, health, and vigor everything will be fine if fertilizers used are in the optimum dose. Do not use more fertilizers as it will make the grass succulent and will invite more diseases.

Use compost to create a pool of nutrients for future use. Compost also improves the soil condition and the physical condition of the grass. So, with the use compost the grasses will be healthier and will return you a greener lawn.

Aeration

Use aeration for better growth of the lawn grass. Aeration will help in reduction of the compactness of the soil. This helps in improved water, nutrient and air circulation to the grass roots. This will help the grass to grow better .Aeration also helps in removing thatch. Thatch is a bigger problem for the lawn. Aeration makes the grass better and helps them to retain green.

Watering

Watering is important to keep the lawn green. When there is a water stress the color of the grass turn brown or yellow. To keep the color green, use optimum water at the right time. To make the grass strong use water at the base and deep into the soil.

Excess of water will create problems thereby robbing the lawn off its greenness. Do not over water. Use water in the morning time only.

Weeding

Removing weeds is another important step for green lawn care. Remove weeds by mechanical means or by using pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides. Weeding is necessary for the lawn to maintain its health and greenness.

Pest and disease management

Your lawn should be clean and free of insects, pests and diseases. Use chemicals to treat and kill pests and diseases. Use mechanical and biological methods to kill and eradicate the pests. Pest free lawn will be a green lawn.

Having a great looking lawn adds to the appearance and appeal of your house. For some people the look of the lawn in front of the house makes or breaks the look of your house. To some extent this is true. Curb appeal is very important. If you don’t know how to care for your lawn, you might just give up or pay a great deal of money to have someone else do it for you. There is no need to pay a great deal of money to have a great looking lawn just by following these simple lawn care tips.

The key to a great looking lawn is proper mowing. There is a right and a wrong way to mow your grass. When you first lay grass, experts recommend that you leave it until it grows above your ankles before you mow it. This will give your grass time to take root and for the pieces to grow together. Cutting too soon will show the seams and the grass may die. When you do mow your grass from the first time on you should always keep the blade of the mower two and a half to three inches high, off the ground. Mowing the grass too soon after it starts to grow weakens the roots system. Gardening experts say that you should only remove two thirds of the grass blade.

Each time you mow your grass and especially for the first couple of times, you should mow in different directions and you should alter the pattern each time. For example if you decide that you are going to mow your grass in a circle pattern then do it opposite directions each time, the first time clockwise and the second time counter clockwise and so on. While maintaining the appearance of your grass you are also reducing soil compaction and turf wear from the wheels.

In order to mow your lawn correctly you need to make sure that you have sharpened your blades frequently. A general rule of thumb amongst gardening experts is to sharpen the blades at least once a year. While you may be able to leave it longer on newer lawn mowers if your mower is not used frequently you cannot do this on older mowers. When the blades are not sharp the grass will look choppy and uneven. This is because the blades are not really cutting the grass but rather they are tearing it.

Most of the mowers that you buy today will come with a bag attached that will allow you to collect the cut grass as you mow it so you don’t have to rake it up after. While this saves time it is not always a good idea for your grass. When cutting freshly lain grass you should always keep your blade high and then allow the cut grass to go back into the grass and the soil. This will fill in any open spots and it will help to improve the look and feel of your grass. Scotts lawn mowers are perfect for this as the cutter is open and no grass collector is fitted as standard.

Now that we are well into the 2009 lawn growing season, I’m sure you’ve got your turfgrass properly fertilized properly and looking super thick and pretty. You’ve toiled to foil the onslaught of invading dandelions, clover and other weeds; and you are on a regular watering and irrigation schedule to keep your investment alive and growing.

The final basic element involved is the cutting. This is my favorite part of the maintenance process.

The positives are not only for the turf grass, but for the homeowner as well.

Mowing benefits to the homeowner include:

First off, cutting the lawn involves a power tool, namely, your mower.

Secondly, it involves some form of exercise (for which my wife is appreciative).

Finally, it affords the operator a chance to get some real thinking done.

Let’s explore each of these benefits.

(1) The power mower: I use a variable speed, self-propelled 21″ Lawn Boy ’sense-a-speed’ mower, rear wheel drive. (Oh that sounds hot just to say out-loud!)

My lawn is only 8,000 square feet, so I am not in need of anything larger; besides, I run that puppy wide open!

(2) The exercise: It takes about an hour to mow my lawn including edging, weed-whacking and cleanup. That’s not bad really. I suppose if I wanted to increase the aerobic benefits in this process, I could lose the “self-propelled” mower option and push the thing, but I’m not really that fat! Ha!

However, one thing I am in favor of to increase the benefit in exercise is mow the lawn 2 or 3 times per week! This helps #3 come more into focus as well as benefits the turf itself: it’s a venerable cornucopia of benefaction!

(3) The thinking time: (this is a great one!) Ponder this: you are out for 1-hour doing a job that only requires one person to do, that no one else in your household really wants to do anyway (especially if you have teenagers like I do). This means it’s all yours; you own it … completely!

On top of that, your wife can’t bark or nag at you during this time because the mower engine noise drowns her out completely and she knows it! It’s just plain quiet time for you inside your head! That’s better than a hammock under a tree and a cold lemonade as far as I’m concerned.

Now let’s get down to the tips that benefit the lawn itself.

(1) Mowing height

(2) Mowing frequency

(3) Mowing direction

(4) Mulch or Catch

Mowing benefits for the lawn, by the numbers:

(1) The height: This one varies according to the type of grass you have. But who *really* knows their grass type? Chances are you have a mix of Kentucky BlueGrass and some sort of fescue or rye. With that in mind, I tell folks to set their mower on the highest or second-highest setting. You just don’t want to remove much more than 25% of the grass blade in any single cutting.

It’s like this: If I lose a finger-nail, I’m going to be just fine, but if I lose my entire arm, I’m in a world of hurt, …got it?

And on a side note, ya gotta have a sharp blade. A dull blade rips the grass blades instead of cutting them. Rips turn brown and rob the lawn of it’s color.

(2) Assuming proper irrigation year-round, the lawn needs cutting weekly. I’ve had people call me to complain that after cutting their lawns, they turned yellow. Upon further investigation, I found that they had not cut the lawn prior for a month! Now we’re back to the finger-nail vs the arm analogy. Please folks, be responsible and keep your turf trimmed regularly.

As mentioned above, I actually try and get people to mow twice per week, but that’s over-the-top for most.

(3) The mowing direction isn’t the biggest deal here, but you certainly don’t want to mow the exact same way all the time or you take a chance on developing ruts in the lawn. You also will literally push lines of turf down, and “train” them to lay down all the time … like people “train” their hair to lay a certain direction…this is not a good situation for turf-grass.

(4) Mulch or catch? Ford or Chevy?

Yeah, it’s like that. I do both depending on my mood. Catching has benefits in the end because you don’t have as many clippings to blow off the driveway. If you do mulch, make sure you have a quality mulching blade installed to grind up the cuttings into super-fine bits!

So next time you head outside to cut that lawn, be sure to review the benefits to you, as well as your nice patch of green grass.