Mowing Practices

What Are Good Mowing Practices? 

When mowing your lawn, it is important to vary your mow pattern to reduce compaction of the soil. Additionally, regularly changing the pattern in which you mow the lawn will allow you to experiment with creating an interesting stripe pattern. Everyone appreciates seeing a lawn with a beautiful pattern mowed into it! 

It is easy to create professional looking mowing stripes in your turf! Simply begin the process by mowing one pass around the perimeter of the lawn. (Envision yourself mowing a rectangular lawn). Next, begin mowing a straight line and turn at the end. Then mow the next line in the other direction, making sure to overlap the wheel line of the last pass. Repeat this process until you are done, and you will have beautiful mower stripes. The process simply lays down the grown the grass blades and the light that they reflect displays the pattern. Experiment and have fun! Try mowing again in the opposite direction for a checkerboard finish. Or rotate your mower to a diagonal line to create an angled checkerboard. The possibilities are endless. Envision a lush, beautiful stand of turf with a bull’s eye or long, sweeping curved lines! 

As previously mentioned, by varying the mow patter it prevents compaction. Riding mowers, while convenient, are heavy and they will continually compact the soil. Even for those who are push mowing, foot traffic can result in compaction. In less compacted soils, turf roots grow deeper and are less susceptible to heat stress by allowing water to penetrate deeper in the root zone. Virginia Green recommends deep, infrequent watering. In compacted soil, water does not absorb well and can simply runoff or pool at the surface. This will cost money and increase disease pressure or heat stress during the summer. Broadleaf weeds and problem grasses favor compacted soils. Poa annua, or annual bluegrass is a common problem grass favoring compacted soils. Inevitably some degree of compaction will occur. Aeration during the fall works well to alleviate compaction. Heavy clay laden soils are more susceptible to compaction. The simple practice of changing the pattern in which a lawn is mowed will have a major impact on the health of a lawn! 

To maximize the gain from your hard work put into mowing your lawn, using our lawn care service will provide you with a lush and healthy lawn that you will be proud of. Contact us for more information and a free estimate.