6 Mowing Techniques for a Beautiful Lawn

Some things always look better when you call in a professional.

Those meticulously designed, frosted cupcakes that look like little works of art, for instance. Or an oil painting that makes a landscape scene come to life. Even a haircut would be on this list.

What about lawn mowing? Professionally mowed lawns always look so neat and tidy, right? And proper mowing is actually about more than aesthetics – it can impact the overall health of your lawn. 

If you try to cut your own hair, those results are on you. But if you want to mow like a professional, we have some tips for mowing the lawn that might help you feel more like a pro.

7 Best Ways to Mow the Lawn

Northeast Ohio is a great place to live, and the summer is the best time. Everything is blooming and there are green shoots and new blooms all around you. 

And this vibrant growth means mowing your lawn is a necessity. 

Just like anything, there are right and wrong ways to go about mowing your lawn. Mow correctly, and your grass rewards you by growing thicker and looking healthier. Mow incorrectly, and you could damage your lawn to the point of no return. 

Follow these tips for mowing your lawn to ensure success. 

1. Mow Tall 

When mowing a lawn, if you mow too short, it actually hurts your grass.

When you mow, you’re removing a portion of the leaf surface. And that leaf surface is what creates food for your grass through photosynthesis.

Take off too much, and your lawn starves. Take off more than one-third of the grass blade at any one time, and your grass will become stressed. Also, when you mow too short, the soil heats up, helping pesky weed seeds to germinate. 

So how much is too much? To properly mow a lawn, no more than a third of the grass blade should be removed during each mowing, and ideally your grass should be 3 to 4 inches tall after mowing.

2. How to Mow a Lawn Professionally? Change Your Mowing Patterns 

When mowing a lawn, grass tends to lean in the direction you mow. 

So it’s a good idea to change it up a bit and switch directions each time you mow. That encourages the grass to grow straight up instead of leaning in one direction. Plus, it’s more fun for you, too. 

3. Keep Your Mower Blades Sharp

Mowing a lawn like a professional means using sharp mower blades. 

Dull blades damage your grass, leaving a jagged edge that invites pests and disease. But a sharp blade makes a nice, clean cut, which also helps the grass heal faster and stay greener.

It’s similar to the feeling of cutting lettuce or a tomato. A sharper blade definitely does a cleaner, better job. 

4. Best Way to Cut Grass: Pay Attention to Weather

You probably don’t love mowing a lawn when it’s really hot or raining, and your lawn doesn’t like that either. 

Mowing when it’s really hot stresses your grass, and mowing when it's raining or very wet isn’t the best for your grass either. 

In fact, mowing wet grass makes it easier for lawn diseases to take hold and doesn’t create a sharp cut. Wet grass clippings can also clog your mower and cause it to toss out clumps of wet grass.

5. Recycle Your Grass Clippings 

Mulch it or bag it? For the best lawn health, you want to leave your grass clippings on your lawn to return nutrients and nitrogen to the grass. This is one tip for mowing the lawn you don’t want to forget because it’s a simple step that really benefits your lawn.

Bagging your clippings not only takes time, but also costs money to trash. Plus, your back may thank you later when it’s not sore from picking up all those grass clippings. 

The only thing you want to avoid is clumps on your lawn; even if you’re mulching your clippings, picking up clumps is important in case your mower accidentally hits a wet spot. 

6. Maintain Your Mower 

Your hard-working lawn mower gets a real workout during the busy mowing season. 
We already mentioned the importance of a sharp mower blade, but your mower needs other maintenance, too. 

The best way to mow the lawn means making sure the tires have air. Keep the oil changed. Stay on top of these tasks each month to get the best performance from your mower. 

Lawn Care Help is Only a Call Away 

We hope these tips for mowing the lawn help you better care for your beloved grass this year. 

Give one or more of these tips a try and let us know how they work for you. We have seen them work well over the years on many Northeast Ohio lawns through our experience. 

If you want to ask some questions about lawn mowing tips or want to dive deeper into other lawn care strategies you should be doing, give Turf Pride a call. We offer professional services based on years of lawn care experience and can help you solve your lawn issues quickly and simply, so you can spend time enjoying your lawn instead of constantly thinking about what you should be doing to it. 

Take back your weekends and make memories this summer; your lawn makes the perfect backdrop for good times.

Need some help with lawn care or some lawn maintenance advice? We’d love to help. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we’ll prepare a customized plan for your Northeast Ohio lawn so you can make an educated decision.