The Common Lawn Mistake You're Probably Making When Mowing The Grass

You have probably tried several methods for mowing your lawn more efficiently, such as mowing in stripes or a rectangular pattern. Following this pattern is not enough to ensure maximum efficiency and benefits to the grass, though. You need to start in the right place. Do not begin mowing in the middle of the yard. Starting there and working out toward the perimeter is one of the mistakes everyone makes when mowing the lawn. If you start in the middle, it can be more difficult to see where you have already cut, especially if the grass is not very long, which could cause you to crush the grass plants under the wheels of the walk-behind or riding mower.

The best option is to start by mowing the perimeter of the lawn first. If you are using a walk-behind mower, make one pass around the exterior of the lawn. When using a riding mower, consider making two passes around the perimeter. You could use one pass if you have a zero-turn mower, which allows you to make turns with precision. The garden tractor-style riding mower cannot turn as sharply as the walk-behind or zero-turn, so having a wider perimeter gives you more room to make turns. Once you cut the perimeter, select whatever pattern you want to use for the rest of the yard, whether it is stripes or spirals. 

You probably know leaving grass clippings on the lawn delivers benefits and nutrients for your yard. The direction you mow plays a role in helping to manage the clippings for the greatest level of nutritional benefit. If you decide to mulch the clippings and leave them on the lawn, you may need a mulching kit that includes a removable plug for the discharge opening. The mulching plug forces the clippings to stay in the cutting deck. This allows the blades to strike the clippings a few more times to make them smaller before dropping them onto the lawn. A mulching mower might have a built-in panel that blocks the discharge chute and performs the same function as the plug.

When deciding which direction to mow, pay attention to the side of the mower that contains the discharge chute, which almost always will be on the right side of the machine. Place the side of the mower with the mulch plug toward the interior of the yard and go around the perimeter. As the grass clippings drop out of the deck near the plug, they will not go into garden beds or sidewalks, making cleanup easier. After mowing the perimeter, you can continue with your desired pattern. Make sure the new line you are mowing is slightly overlapping the last line. After mowing the perimeter, alternate patterns on the interior each week to help the grass blades grow upright.