Lawn Mowing Tips

Lawn mowing is an often underrated activity; it can give you a great workout; it can be relaxing, and lawn mowing done right can be one of the cornerstones of successful lawn maintenance. Build a great relationship with your mower, and your lawn will thank you for it.

The right kind of lawn mowing can help your lawn thrive. Keep the following tips in mind, and both you and your lawn will be happy.

Tip #1

Never Forget Lawn Mowers Can Be Dangerous

If you've been pushing around a lawn mower for years now without incident, the idea of a lawn mowing injury might seem far fetched. It's not. Wear shoes, move rocks and sticks out of the way rather than mowing over them, and stay aware.

Tip #2

Do the Right Kind of Damage Control

Let's say you let your lawn go nuts and grow willy nilly for weeks on end. When you decide to pull the mower out of the garage again, you might be tempted to cut it back to the proper height with one quick mow. Don't give into the temptation. At most, you should be cutting one third of the height of the grass per lawn mowing session. More can traumatize your lawn.

If your overgrown lawn is six inches, you can cut off two today. Then, put away the lawn mower for a few days while your lawn recovers before bringing it back out and cutting off another inch or so. If you cut your lawn too short, give it plenty of water and watch closely for weeds, which crop up readily in a scalped lawn.

Tip #3

Mow When Your Lawn is Dry

Ever wonder how that lawn fungus spreads so quickly, or how those grubs got from here to there before you knew it? Your lawn mower may be the culprit. While lawn mowing can spread fungus or insects even if your lawn is dry, it's much more likely to happen when your lawn is wet.

Schedule your lawn mowing sessions for the late afternoon or evening, when your lawn has had plenty of time to dry from morning dew or watering, and you can skip out on this problem.

About the Author

Dawn West B.A. holds a B.A. in English from Harvard University and teaches writing at Oregon State University.