Apart from keeping the lawn looking neat and tidy, mowing keeps a lawn healthy.
Regular mowing allows the underlying root system the opportunity to perform well, and sustain and nourish new grass forming above ground.
Method;
Circa Week 13; as the soil warms up and grass growth increases mowing can commence.
Make the first cut* of the season a high cut.
* Delay this task if the lawn/s is very wet or muddy.
If the lawn edges have become irregular tidy them up by cutting to a straight edge with a half-moon edger.
Weather permitting; mowing should now be done once a week.
Alter the cutting height on the mower gradually over the first few cuts.
For fine lawns, the cutting height may be as high 13mm (½”) and as low as 6mm (¼”)
For tougher ornamental lawns with coarser grasses, heights may vary from 40mm (1½”) to 13mm (½”)
After mowing; treat with a lawn feed to keep it green and luscious, and repair patches by sprinkling on seed.
Potential problems;
The lawn surface can be damaged in a variety of ways such as an incorrect mower set-up.
Scalping can occur when mowing on soft ground or if the height of cut is too low.
Tearing up of the surface is often due to blunt cutting edges, and/or the cylinder bottom blade being incorrectly set.
When operated at too high a speed, a cylinder mower can cause ribbing of the surface.
Frequency;
On average, mow twice weekly in summer and once a week in spring and autumn or during dry spells in summer.
Aim to remove up to one-third of the shoot at each cut.
During mild spells in winter, an occasional cut at a high setting can be carried out.
Quality;
Highest quality cuts are achieved by using cylinder mowers with a large number of blades.
Rotary mowers and hover mowers are suitable for tougher ornamental lawns rather than fine lawns.
Clippings;
Remove clippings except in spells of hot dry weather, when they may help reduce water loss.
Leaving clippings may also return nutrients to the soil, but can spread weeds, impede aeration and encourage worm casts and disease.
Otherwise deposit grass clippings on to the compost heap, remembering to mix them with coarser materials to speed up decomposition, this will also avoid dense/soggy layers forming in the heap.
Note; Fresh clippings from lawns treated with weed killers should never be used as mulch.