Mowing the lawn is a basic step for caring for your landscaping. Despite being a chore that needs to be done regularly, it is easy to neglect some of the best practices that should be followed when cutting grass. This can lead to some mistakes that may negatively impact the health or appearance of your lawn in ways that you may not have originally anticipated.

Using Dull Blades to Cut The Grass

To be effective, the blades of your lawnmower will need to be fairly sharp. If the blades are dull, they could leave the edges of the grass ragged, or it may even fail to cut all of the grass that it passes over. For individuals that go years without changing these blades, it is likely that they will find that it gradually becomes more difficult to mow the lawn to a uniform length. Most modern lawn mowers are designed so that this blade can be removed and replaced with little effort on the part of the owner. However, if you are needing to replace this blade, it is necessary to be diligent when putting the new blade in place to make sure that it is properly aligned and secured to the motor.

Cutting the Grass Too Frequently

Cutting the grass in your yard too frequently can be damaging to it. This is due to the fact that this may cause the grass to be cut too short, which can limit its ability to use sunlight. While it can be tempting to set a particular schedule for when you mow your grass, it is more effective to evaluate the length of the grass itself to determine when it is time to mow. Otherwise, you may find yourself mowing the grass too frequently during times of drought or not frequently enough when there has been plenty of rain in the area.

Not Varying the Mowing Pattern That Is Used

As you are moving the lawnmower across the lawn, it may be beneficial to vary the path that you are taking. Individuals that develop the habit of mowing the lawn using the same path or pattern can inadvertently damage the grass as the wheels and vibrations of the lawnmower may lead to the soil along these paths becoming compacted. A simple way to vary this pattern can be to alternate the areas of the yard where you start mowing. While this may not seem like an important factor, it can lead to noticeable lines in the lawn over the many times that you will have to cut the grass.