How to cut the grass properly with a lawnmower

Lawn mowing: How to cut the grass properly

Every gardener can be proud to have an emerald, velvety lawn if it is well looked after. Regular cutting is an important step in keeping the lawn in good condition.

Regular cutting of the lawn promotes the growth of the grass, which then builds up a dense sward resulting in fewer weeds that are literally forced out by the young shoots, but also extends the growing season and prevents plants from becoming exhausted. Thus, with the mowing procedure, you can solve several lawn care tasks at the same time.

When to start mowing lawns

Young lawns may enjoy their first emerald sprouts when they are not quite mature yet, when more than 4 weeks have passed since they were planted. If the seedlings reach 8-10 cm in height, the first cutting should be considered. The main rule of initial lawn care is not to cut too short.

Thin-leaf grasses will become exhausted, and the lawn may have gaps that will eventually fill with weeds. Leave at least 5 cm, then the mowing height depends on the grass composition of your lawn.

Lawns are mowed in dry weather, but the ground itself must be moistened to prevent the young shoots from pulling out. Mowing wet grass can cause clogging of the mower and if the soil is too wet there is a high risk of damaging the grass cover.

Gasoline grass mower device

• 2-stroke engine;
• fuel tank;
• air filter
• stop;
• starter
• boom;
• handle;
• protective cover;
• gearbox;

The weight of the entire unit is about 8 kg, which is hard enough to hold in your hands. That’s why an unloading backpack strap with protective cover and regulators is included with the mower itself.

Lawn mower is designed for mowing grass and small bushes in domestic plots.

As you know, the grass can be mowed in different ways. folding it into swaths or simply mowing. In addition, grass varies. soft or coarse, with thick stems, brushwood.

Types and construction of trimmers

Depending on the power source for the engine, grass trimmers are divided into gasoline and electric. The first type is equipped with a tank for fuel and lubricant, the second operates on electricity or battery.

The design of the gasoline grass trimmer

All elements of the apparatus are mounted on a long metal bar. At its upper end, there is a gasoline tank, an internal combustion engine and a starter for starting it. At the lower end is a spindle that turns counterclockwise. A spool of fishing line or sharp knives (discs with teeth) made of steel or plastic is put on it. Inside the rod, which is a hollow tube, there is a rigid or flexible shaft that conveys the rotation from the motor to the tool.

Just a side note! If the bar is straight, it has a rigid shaft that connects to the gearbox above the spindle and transmits torque to it from the drive. If the boom is curved, there is no gearbox, and a flexible shaft is used.

In the middle of the boom is a handle-holder, which can be D-shaped or bifurcated, similar to a bicycle handlebar. Asymmetrical folding handles (as Husqarna brushcutters) are very handy. Buttons and levers to control the trimmer are located on the handle or boom. The motor, control elements, and reel/disc are connected by a flexible cord. Bogie bars are solid, collapsible and telescopic. The length of the last two types can be changed to suit the height of the individual. On some models, there are belt bindings for the waist straps. The blade or spool (bobbin) is covered with a shield to protect the person cutting the grass.

Cutting tool is a spool with a trimmer line (cord, string) with a diameter of 2-3 mm wound inside it. In some models, the line for the trimmer is wound with a reserve, and with a light impact on a hard surface, it automatically emerges from the bobbin. In other trimmers, a section of cord is inserted into the spool and the excess length is cut off against the sharp edge of the guard.

In addition to the fishing line, some brushcutter’s standard equipment includes a disk with sharp serrated edges. The shape of teeth can be different. For cutting branches and bushes use a blade-head or a cutter similar to a circular saw disk.

Just a side note! Some trimmer models can be supplemented with other attachments: a brush, a chain saw, a cultivator for the soil.

Operating a gasoline trimmer

On the drive there is a rotary knob that moves or closes the air damper. It is used as a quick starter, e.g. to warm up the engine when it is cold outside. Other controls are located on the handle-holder or boom of the device:

• throttle trigger. controls the carburetor choke to change the amount of fuel going into the actuator;
• STOP button. designed to interrupt the ignition circuit, stopping the engine;
• button to prevent unintentional pressure on the gas trigger. located under the stop button;
• Gas trigger lock. without it you have to hold the starter lever with your finger if you use the brushcutter for a long time.

Design of an electric grass trimmer

In general terms, electric trimmers are similar to lawnmowers: the rod is attached to the motor, handle, cutting element.

Also nota bene! The electric motor of the grass trimmer can be located on top, on the end of the boom, or at the bottom, above the cutting mechanism cover. The latter does not have a gearbox.

The power tool needs to be plugged into an outlet, so an extension cord is needed for mowing large areas. Whereas the working radius of a cordless electric mower does not depend on the length of the wire, but the batteries need to be charged and changed in time.

Instead of a starter, electric trimmers use an on/off button. On them, unlike gasoline analogues, it is impossible to regulate the number of spindle speed, so there are significantly fewer control buttons on the device.

Please note! Both types of trimmers have a cutting width with a fishing line of 22-42 cm. And when using discs or knives, this indicator is directly related to the diameter of the nozzle.

How often do you need to sharpen the blade of the lawnmower?

This is one of the most fundamental issues when using lawn care equipment. To answer it, it is necessary to say about some peculiarities. There are manufacturer’s recommendations for sharpening and replacing the blade. Usually this period is important for the validity of the guarantee. But this approach has its disadvantages. Firstly, it does not estimate the complexity and intensity with which the machine works, and secondly, this sharpening frequency of the knife does not always allow you to achieve perfect results. To ensure that the mower works with maximum efficiency you need to sharpen the blade at least once a month if you work more than 4 times a month. If you are satisfied with the performance of your mower, you can sharpen it less often, but at least once a season.

We recommend sharpening the blade before the start of each season.

Sand and stones get in the way of the lawnmower‘s performance. If you feel a bump, you need to stop the engine and check the condition of the blade and the tightening of the mounting bolt.

To inspect the blade, make sure the motor is not running, the blade will rotate for a while after it is turned off, wait for it to stop.

electric lawnmower must be unplugged by pulling the cord from the socket, the gasoline models are better to unscrew the starter to prevent accidental start.

How to mow the lawn before winter?

In autumn the number of mowings is reduced and the intensity of growth of the grass is slowed down. Mow the grass for the last time in autumn, before frost. Remember that grass which is too short or too tall is more vulnerable to frost. Winter mowing usually takes place in October when average daily temperatures drop to 10 to 12 degrees. Ideally, the lawn should face the winter and the first snow, with a cutting height of 5. 7 cm.

How to mow the lawn before winter?

In autumn the number of cuts is reduced, the intensity of growth of greenery slows down. The last mowing should take place in autumn, before frost. Remember that grass that is cut too short or too high is more vulnerable to frost. The last mowing before the winter usually takes place in October when the average daily temperature is 10 to 12 degrees below zero. Ideally, a lawn should face the winter and the first snow, with a mowing height of 5-7 cm.

What area is a good trimmer for grass? How to choose?

Trimmer for grass is suitable for sites with a significant slope, poorly leveled lawn surface. mole hills and tufts of unevenly grown grass, as well as for lawns with a large number of chaotically arranged bushes. Also ideal for mowing narrow paths between beds.

• Need to collect grass after mowing,
• The user must be physically fit,
• An inexperienced operator will cut unevenly and unevenly,
• trimmer line often tears, good only for soft grass, you need a grass trimmer with blades for an overgrown area.

If you have a limited purchase budget, you can buy an electric grass trimmer for a thousand and a half, but low-power. only 350 watts, and the width of mowing such a trimmer for grass too will not please. only 25 cm. Although it will do the job of trimming the grass around flowers and along fences. For a lawn with an area of more than one hundred acres, you still need a more powerful device. The power and the type of cutting element of the grass trimmer are the most important parameters of choice. If the lawn is well groomed, and weeds with thick stems are not on it, you can take a grass trimmer with a fishing line. However, if your task. to keep in order the area with weeds, then fit trimmer for grass with power not less than 1 kW and circular knives, which will serve as a shrub trimmer. It can even cope with overgrown old raspberries. The location of the engine also matters. Gasoline trimmers have the engine only at the top, and electric trimmers can have both bottom and top location. If it is mounted on top, you can mow even wet grass, but then the engine needs more help to eliminate losses in productivity on the transmission shaft. Thereby the weight of the grass trimmer increases to 5. 10 kg, it becomes more difficult to work with them, but they overheat less. Grass trimmers with a bottom-mounted engine are the lightest, from 1.7 kg to 4 kg.

The shape of the boom also affects the weight of electric grass trimmers. A flat bar, of course, is convenient, but the device is weighted because of the design features. there is a steel shaft-rod inside the bar, which reduces vibration and increases productivity.

Inside the bent bars is a metal cable, such grass trimmers are not designed for long-term load, especially if they are electric. However, you can find quite lightweight units with a curved boom and on a gasoline engine, such can work longer.

If your height is not standard, it is better to take a trimmer for grass with a telescopic boom, then you can adjust its length for yourself. Grass trimmer handle may be D-, J- or U-shaped, similar to a bicycle handle. The last type is suitable for treating abandoned areas with high grass.

For the ruthless destruction of overgrown or even brushwood, the J-shaped handle is a good choice because it provides extra leverage.

If you have a lot of shrubs and flowers on your lawn, the D-handle is also good. Grass trimmers with such a handle are more maneuverable and suitable for working hard-to-reach places, although they have less power.

There are also cordless grass trimmers that are ideal for trimming grass around flowers and bushes after basic mowing with a lawnmower.

What to do with the grass clippings?

When buying a lawn mower, do not forget about such a useful function as mulching. Mulch is finely chopped grass that the mower scatters over the ground. Why mulch? Mulch is used as an available fertilizer. But it’s not always useful. Lawn mulching with a lawnmower must not be carried out in wet weather. Prolonged rain causes the mulch to rot and infects the grass with bacteria and fungus.

Even if your mower does not have this feature and just collects the grass in a special compartment, you can benefit greatly from it. Put it under different plants or flowers. Mulch is great for cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage. It stores moisture and holds back weeds.

How to choose a grass trimmer for your lawn?

Lawn trimmer is a mechanism, which consists of cutting tool, motor and boom. It can only be operated by holding it in your hands. Grass trimmer is designed for mowing areas with high grass, uneven terrain, in hard-to-reach places and near plantings.

A better and more beautiful mowing on a flat area will provide a lawn mower. Lawn trimmers are essential for large areas of dense grass. Equipped with a knife it can cut even thin trees and bushes.

Grass trimmers are electric, battery-powered and gasoline-powered.

Electric grass trimmers are good for mowing small lawns near your home. It is connected to the 220V mains with an extension cord. This grass trimmer is lightweight and can be handled even by a woman. As a rule, electric grass trimmers are inexpensive and have low power. But they are very convenient for mowing paths near the house, benches, small lawns surrounded by flowerbeds, areas near trees or shrubs. The disadvantage is that the grass clippings will have to be collected manually, as well as in the cord (extension cord), which creates some inconvenience when working.

• environmental friendliness (no exhaust fumes)
• low weight
• No gasoline and oil required
• low-noise
• easy way to start

Cordless Lawn Trimmer. These grass trimmers are battery operated. They have no cord, but their battery capacity is limited and they can only mow a small area at a time.

With a gasoline engine. Gasoline grass trimmers (brushcuts) are more powerful because of the fuel tank and weigh more than their electric counterparts. To work with them, you have to expend more physical effort, and start the gasoline grass trimmer at the first time can not everyone. To fill the trimmer for grass, you must learn to mix the correct proportion of gasoline and oil (for trimmers with a two-stroke engine). The power requirement is very low and the noise level is high. But it often happens that only a gasoline grass trimmer can do the job.

• no connection to power supply, hence highly mobile
• You can mow wet grass
• high power, long motor life
• Cope with tough tall grass and shrubs
• Low probability of engine overheating

Types of engine in a gasoline grass trimmer. Gasoline grass trimmers can be equipped with different engines. two-stroke or four-stroke. Each has its pros and cons. The presence of a certain type of engine does not directly affect the class of grass trimmer and its power. Grass trimmers with two-stroke engines are most popular with customers because of their low price.

Type of engine	Two-stroke	Four-stroke
Filling	Need to mix gasoline and oil in a certain proportion	separate containers for gasoline and oil
Noise	strong	weak
Exhaust	many	little
Cost	low	high
Design	simple	complicated
Weight of grass trimmer	easy	heavy
Motor life	small	big

Choosing a grass trimmer cutting system:

• fishing line for trimmer. The most common variant. The line for the trimmer can be of different thicknesses and sections. When choosing, it is better to be guided by the manufacturer’s instructions. A line for the trimmer is wound on a special reel at the bottom of the grass trimmer. Suitable for mowing lawns with soft grass.
• Knife. The presence of the blade can be the main or additional function. The blade will do a good job with coarse, thick stems. Choose a blade if your lawn is overgrown with weeds and tall grass.

Choosing a lawn mower

The choice of lawn mower is one of the most important components, which will further affect the appearance of the lawn grass, so let’s briefly consider the nuances of choosing this technique.

• It is better not to spare money and buy a quality mower with durable hardened steel blades, which will need to mow not so often
• When deciding between the electric lawnmower and the petrol mower, you need to consider the extent of your lawn work first.к. Gasoline lawn mower has more power and capacity, designed for large areas.
• Pay attention to the components of the mower: grass container should be fabric and the wheels should be wide (so as not to leave cutting marks on the lawn)
• Based on the size of the lawn, choose the optimal width of mowing, so the process of caring for the lawn is not delayed for an entire day
• Make sure you get a mower that has an adjustable cutting height. If there is no such a device, the technique is unlikely to classify as reliable and of good quality.
• If you have a small patch of lawn grass is better to save money and buy a trimmer for the grass, the correct work with which also will provide a beautiful view of the lawn
• Choose a low-noise mowing machine because.к. Working with loud mowers is out of the question
• Pay attention to the body material of lawn mowers: it is recommended to choose the technique, lined with aluminum or plastic.

You are here: Landscaping Elements Lawns Mowing the lawn with your own hands: tips for the first and subsequent mowing of the lawn with a quality mower

The first mowing of your lawn

It may never have occurred to many people that the aesthetic appearance of the yard is only one reason to mow the lawn. In fact, if you do not mow your lawn regularly, it will, by its nature, poorly compact and build up additional shoots. So after the first mowing, you won’t be able to stop.

Attention! The first mowing of your lawn is very important, so make sure to follow expert advice

The height of the grass at 8-9 cm and the formed third leaf is a signal for the first mowing of the lawn. Try not to miss this time so that the grass shoots do not overgrow and the lawn becomes unattractive. As the first cutting of the grass should be sparing, do not cut the lawn too short so as not to provoke the appearance of gaps with your hands. You can leave 5 cm and subsequently mow to the height your lawn requires.

Height of mowing the lawn and the required frequency of mowing

How to properly mow the lawn for the first time we have already discussed, but what about the subsequent? It’s as simple as that: All future mowing should be at the same height. Incidentally will say that different types of lawn (depending on their purpose) height will be different.

For example, if we are talking about parterre lawn, then in our climatic conditions it is necessary to leave 3-4 cm height of the grass. Despite the fact that the standard height of this type of lawn is 1-2 cm somewhere north of. The purpose of ornamental and functional lawns is to leave 4-7 cm as much height as possible. For a sports lawn and also for parade lawns 3 to 4 cm is enough.

But whatever the purpose of your personal lawn, following standards blindly can lead to a loss of lawn. How? Suppose you mow your lawn at a certain standard height no matter what and it goes through a very dry summer. Then don’t be surprised if the grass on your green carpet mercilessly dries out. The thing is, not taking into account the composition of the seeds you sow and the weather conditions, you could unknowingly make a mess of everything. So sometimes it’s worth adding a couple of centimeters to the standard height to save your lawn.

But there is one rule you can trust in all situations: Do not cut more than ⅓ of the grass per cutting. Well, and do not forget to spare the grass with nutrition and watering.

What about how often you mow your lawn?? Again, the answer to this question depends on different factors: the type of crop you sow, the state of the soil, the climate, the fertilizer and the season of the year. In order to cut the grass not less and not more often than necessary, you should pay attention to the height specified for each type of lawn and take up mowing when the grass grows 2 cm longer than necessary.

The frequency of cutting depends very much on your lawn, the time of year and the weather

Everything grows very vigorously in spring, including lawns, so we need to mow them at least 1-2 times a week. In summer, the ardor can be slightly reduced to 1r/10decade. End of summer-autumn 1r/14days. You can see that how often you mow your lawn depends on a number of factors.

Lawn mowing in spring, autumn and summer basic rules

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How high should I cut the lawn??

• The optimal height for a parterre lawn is 3-3,5 cm.;
• Garden park lawns are recommended to maintain at a level of 4-4,5 cm.;
• The height of the sports lawn. 5-5,5 cm.

When to mow the lawn after the winter?

The same rule applies here as for the first mowing: as soon as the height is 1-2 cm too high., Mowing can be carried out. In autumn the grass is cut once the temperature reaches 10°C (daytime). In the conditions of a midland this period falls on the second week of October.

No matter how big or small your lawn is, after cutting the entire surface of it should be free of cut grass, otherwise it can cause yellowing of the grass, the appearance of uprooted areas.

How often to cut the grass?

The frequency of cutting differs for each lawn. The parterre lawn is mowed most often (at least once a week), followed by the garden lawn. Moorland and meadow lawns are mowed only twice a season.

The first mowing of meadow lawns should take place after the plants have set seed (in June). Allow cut bushes to rest in place for a few days for natural underplanting, then remove. The second mowing is done in September.

The care for the Mauritanian lawn is almost the same, only the first mowing is at the beginning of July (spring flowers by that time should give fully mature seeds), and the second. at the beginning of October, when the summer and autumn flowers blossom.

Problems in mowing the lawn

Uneven surface

Uneven ground with bumps can be a disservice when mowing lawns, as the surface of the hills create gaps that later wash out and turn into pits. Mulching low areas and a general increase in the length of the grass can help to level out the lawn. But it is advisable to take care of the leveling before sowing the lawn.

Mowers do not need to be pushed, pulled or turned sharply when operating them.

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The grass is torn, not cut

A frequent occurrence in large gardens and parks where mowing is done by not very skilled workers and gardeners. As a rule, they do not pay attention whether the mower blades are blunt or not, and it is the blunt blade of the mower/grass trimmer that causes the grass to tear rather than cut.

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To get rid of areas with torn grass, you need to wait for it to grow by 5-7 cm, and then go again with a good mower with sharpened blades of grass.

Brown grass tips

Turning the tips of the lawn grass can be a result of cutting in wet weather, over wet greens. There is also a chance that the blades of the lawnmower are blunt or the cylindrical part of the device is damaged.

Uneven mowing

Narrow strips of long and short grass are left perpendicular to the mower because of the slow rotational speed of the mower blades. Cause: either wet grass or an incorrect cutting height.

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It is also important not to confuse problems after mowing lawns incorrectly with diseases and pests. In some cases, the signs may overlap. Read about it in our separate article about lawn problems and pests.

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