One thing that attracts us to a home is the curb appeal of the lawn. A lush, beautiful lawn makes people look with envy. Most likely though, the homeowners did not move in with that lawn, they had to work for it. Here are some tips that will help you obtain the same beautiful lawn you envy so much.
Before you Mow
Before beginning you should inspect your lawn. Make sure there are no rocks or sticks that are hiding deep within your lawn. Rocks can dull the blades of your lawn mower as well as be thrown through a window or hurt an innocent bystander. Remove anything that could be thrown by your mower and pick up any paper or plastic that may have landed in your yard from nearby streets. If you have any furniture that needs to be moved, you may want to move it to a patio or on a sidewalk. Allowing your mower to sit in one place while you move furniture can damage that patch of grass.
Maintain your Mower
Once all the debris is removed from your lawn, you will need to check your lawn mower to ensure it is in proper working order. If there is any clumps of grass from your last mowing session, remove them and dispose of them in a garbage can. Check the blades to make sure they are sharpened and balanced. If they are bent, you should replace them with new blades. Fill the fuel tank with fuel and wipe away any spillage that may have occurred. Set your mower to the appropriate height before beginning. It should be set so that you are only removing the top one third of the growth.
Trim Before you Mow
Any areas of your lawn that need trimming with a weed wacker should be done before you begin mowing. Many times these trimmings are left on the lawn creating a straw like debris that can damage your lawn. Trimming before you mow will allow the mower to pick up any trimmings that were left behind. Only trim as far away from fencing and patios as the lawn mower will miss, this is usually about three inches or so.
Mowing your Lawn
You are finally ready to begin mowing. You can mow your lawn in any manner you see fit such as diagonal, horizontal, or sections but never mow in a circle or spiral. This throws all the cut grass into the middle and creates a large pile of dried material that will damage your grass. Let’s suppose you are cutting in a diagonal. Begin with the longest line first which is normally in the center of the lawn. Once you reach the end of the first line, turn either way and begin overlapping the second line with the first going in the opposite direction. Reaching the end of each line, you will turn and overlap, mowing in the opposite direction. When you have completed one section, move to the next and continue in the same manner.
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