Mowing the lawn correctly: 7 golden rules for May and June

Gardening
Mowing the lawn: seven tips that are important for the summer

Mowing the lawn may not be an art – but it is certainly more than just a quick dash across the meadow in shorts with the lawnmower. With these seven tips you can keep your garden green well-maintained through the summer.

No, the little green stalks really don’t have it easy. Small and large feet are constantly trampling on them. And as if that wasn’t bad enough: almost every week they are cut off by a more or less loud machine. And yet – or that’s exactly why the countless stalks hold together tightly and keep standing up. The result: a healthy, green and well-groomed lawn – for children and children.

Are you still a little unsure about the basics of mowing the lawn? We explain the seven most important rules:

1. Mow regularly

The first and most important rule. At least for everyone who cares about their lawn. High-quality, well-maintained stalks gain around two and a half centimeters on average – every week. And this is exactly what the mowing frequency is based on. It should be at least every seven days mowing machine So they were taken out of the shed and the meadow was trimmed. Frequent and, above all, regular cutting ensures that the grass blades branch out better at the base and the area remains evenly dense.

Tip: In May and June, the blades of grass grow faster than average. During this time, the lawn can be mowed every four to five days.

2. Pay attention to the (knife) sharpness

Attack the blades of grass in your allotment garden with the sharpest “weapon” possible. As a rule, so-called sickle lawn mowers are used in Germany. The rotating sickle cuts the grass horizontally. The following applies: the blunter the blades are, the more frayed the meadow will appear after trimming. So check the stalks at the cutting edge after you have finished your work. In addition to the sharpness of the blades, the performance of the lawn mower engine plays an important role. The rule of thumb is: the higher the speed, the faster the knife rotates and the cleaner the cut will be.

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November 19, 2021

3. Choose the correct cutting height

The stalks on the grass courts of the legendary Wimbledon tennis tournament measure exactly eight millimeters. With a normal lawn in front of the house or in the allotment, it can be a little more. About four centimeters have proven useful for a versatile meadow. This looks chic and pleases the stalks. For lawn mowers without centimeter (or millimeter) specifications, it is worth taking a look at the operating instructions. Here you should find an explanation as to which level (usually 1 to 5) corresponds to which cutting height. If in doubt, a short test mowing and a folding rule will provide the relevant information.

4. Don’t cut off too much

Blades of grass are more sensitive than many hobby gardeners assume. They are particularly unforgiving if you overdo it when mowing and cut them by half or more. Why? The growing point is about halfway up the blade. And this should not be removed if possible. If you cut grass at this or below this point, the plant needs a lot of time and energy to regenerate and sprout again. Ergo: annoying gaps appear in the lawn. In addition, prolonged dry periods cause the lawn to “burn” more quickly and turn brown as a result. The so-called “one-third rule” states that blades should be cut by a maximum of one third of their current length. If the cutting height is four centimeters, the lawn should be mowed at the latest when it has grown to six centimeters.

5. Do not mow when it is wet

What is still vital during and immediately after sowing the lawn should be avoided as much as possible when mowing the lawn. If the stalks are wet, the mower cannot cut them cleanly. Particularly annoying: the wet clippings clump together and stick under the lawnmower instead of flying into the grass catcher. In addition, regular wet cutting reduces the life expectancy of the engine.

Tip: The freshly cut stalks dry out very quickly under the blazing midday sun. The lawn should therefore be mowed in the evening if possible and then watered.

6. Use the cutting width of the lawnmower

Logical, but not self-evident. While the greenkeepers in the football stadium like to conjure up checkerboards or at least stripes in the green with a lot of patience, the lawn in the garden should look as even and uniform as possible after mowing. The lawn should be cut as quickly as possible, not just because of the background noise. The double whammy works when you use the full cutting width of the lawnmower To do this, the mower should roll exactly one wheel width along the already cut track.

7. Observe rest times

Most allotment gardeners are far from thinking about starting a fight with their neighbours over the garden fence or calling out the neighbours. However, there are always arguments when it comes to mowing the lawn. Mowing the lawn on Sundays and public holidays is generally taboo. Otherwise, the guidelines of the 32nd Federal Immission Control Ordinance (BImSchV) apply. According to this, petrol lawn mowers may only be used from 9 a.m. on Mondays to Saturdays. With the now widely available electric mowers, you can start mowing as early as 7 a.m., except on Sundays and public holidays. The hand mowers, which are rather rare because they make you sweat, are not only quiet, but can also be used at any time.

The usage times at a glance

Important: There is no legally regulated, nationwide rest period for lunchtime. In some federal states and municipalities, different regulations apply. If you would rather relieve stress than recharge it, you should put your feet up and put the lawnmower aside between 1 and 3 p.m. After all, that’s what this green gem is there for.

Sources:“mein-schoener-garten.de”; “rasen-experte.de”; “gartenjournal.net”

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