Lawn mowing is usually and quite literally a ‘straight forward’ routine job. However, it’s worth pointing out the basics along with a few additional touches to
green out the more arduous aspects. I've included some obvious tips (yet you may have overlooked them) and other skills too.
LINING UP THE MOWER
The first lawn mowing skill comes in cutting a straight line - a daunting task on a featureless fine lawn. You'll see the importance of this in the cutting pattern described below. This involves cutting some strips that are near, but not adjacent to previous cuts. When mowing straight it helps to pick out and aim for a distant marker. One tip is to line a marker on the machine up with a distant point on the nearby line. These jobs require concentration and practise.
Rotary machines with 4 side-wheels are good for lawn mowing in straight lines. Indeed they are more difficult to turn as you have to lift the front wheels. But the Gardena Easymove with front wheels controlled by steering handle that pivots on the machine, lawn mowing - especially around curved edges - is radically different. Check these links for the
Easymove 14-inch Rotary
or
Easymove 15-inch Rotary.
So lining up at the start of the run is very important. Before cutting strips, you will cut a balk occupying the start and end of your runs. If you ensure the inner edge of the balk makes a right angle to the strips you will have an invaluable guide for lineing up the front of the mower before begining each strip.
When cutting adjacent parallel strips, straight or curved, you need the machine to just overlap the previous cut. Fix 2 markers on the machine somewhere to help you line up both sides with the adjacent strip and ensure a perfect line and no uncut grass.
THE LAWN STRIPEING EFFECT
Lawn stripeing is caused when the machine roller bends the grass blades in the same direction. The grass looks brighter when the broad flat surface is facing you, darker with the narrow point facing you. The effect changes depending on which direction you view the grass from. Stronger stripe effects are achieved by increasing the cutting height.
See also
Mohon Designer Grass seed
. This seed mix contains two differently shaded grasses which can be used to give a permanent stripe regardless of cut or viewing angle.
Of course machines that don't have rollers such as hover mowers won't stripe the lawn. Traditional rotary mowers have 4 side-wheels, but they are now being introduced with a rear roller. Complaints about the side-wheels leaving tracks are due to the stripeing effect.
LAWN MOWING WITH HOVERS
There is a tendency to use hover mowers with a sweeping sideways motion, but take care as this can result in back strain. It should only be done on slopes and with light machines. Neither, use them with the action of a household vacuum cleaner. The proper most efficient way to use a hover mower for a good finish is to push or pull in a straight line. For a lower cut when traversing hollows, I sometimes rock the machine down on alternate sides.
EFFICIENCY OF MOVEMENT
Emptying the grass box is undoubtedly the most tedious part of mowing. You increase efficiency by selecting a lawn mower with a larger grass box, or one that compresses grass cuttings. Emptying may involve a long trip to the heap. So why not place a wheel barrow or large tip bag close by to collect grass cuttings. Wheel barrow extensions are useful to increase the load further and eliminate trips to the tip.
Another possibility is to tip the grass cuttings under a nearby hedge or around nearby shrubs like roses, or fruit bushes. Here the grass cuttings become mulch, retaining soil moisture in dry weather and feeding the roots. Don’t lay it too thickly or on shallow rooting plants like Azaleas.
You can eliminate the tedium of the grass box entirely during the main growing season by using a mulch mower. These finely shred cuttings and deposit them back on the lawn unseen. There they feed the lawn. Alternatively with fine lawns, if you are lawn mowing every 2 or 3 days in mid-season, you can leave grass box off.
Before starting to mow you should plan the cutting direction.
CUTTING PATTERNS BASED ON A RECTANGLE
Here you will mow in parallel straight lines. Narrow rectangles such as a grass path have to be mown in the same direction. But rectangles that are sufficiently wide can also be mown diagonally or at right angles. Lawn mowing in the same direction on every occasion can accentuate imperfections. So it’s best to change the main cutting direction between mowing sessions. Some gardeners mow twice on each occasion by making a second cross cut without using the grass box.
Decide on the orientation you will use for mowing. When you turn to begin a new strip you will want to avoid standing on flower borders. In some situations a hedge or fence will further restrict the turning space. Therefore, begin by cutting a wide balk at either end of the strip length. This means you will only need to cut along the lawn edge and never across it where you may damage border plants or run into a fence or hedge. Make the balk about 3 lawn mowers or more wide in order to turn comfortably and have space to move off down the next strip.
With push lawn mowers you may want to make a sharp U turn at the end of each strip. But with power travel or ride-on mowers and a good sized lawn, you could make a wide U turn at the end of each strip. Here, at the end of strip one make a wide U turn forward to begin the return on strip two, about 2 or 3 strips distant from the first.
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The skill comes in lining up the mower straight and parallel on strip two without guidelines - see above. At the end of the return, strip two, make a U turn back to begin strip three inside of strip one.
At the end of strip three turn forward again to begin strip four outside of strip two. The mower cuts a ‘running track’ outline which displaces one strip sideways with each run.
When the next out run strip is about to run-over a previous cut, make the U shape in the opposite direction, i.e. forward 2 or 3 strips instead of back. Again you need that extra skill to line it up straight and parallel without an adjacent strip for guidance. Then continue lawn mowing as above...
A square can also be cut by starting with a short cut across one corner, turning onto a diagonal, and making a cut ending close to the diagonal corner. Then cut back across that corner and turn back onto the diagonal aiming to finish where you started. Begin the next cut adjacent to and inside of the first cut. Subsequent cuts will all be along adjacent and parallel strips. When you're finished the whole square will have been cross cut in diagonals. If a striping effect is evident it will divide the lawn into 4 quarters. You might also design a diagonal cutting pattern based on an S or Z shape.
Finally, stick to organic gardening methods: don't overfeed the grass and recycle the grass cuttings.
Taking A Break - more help with mowing lawns
