Our five tips for better lawn mowing will help you bring your grass to the next level, giving it better visual appeal and making it healthier!

Do your lawn mowing at the right height

Lawns have lots of different purposes – sometimes they are for family and friends to run wild on, and other times they are just for show. For example, it's better to mow busy lawns at a higher height than fine lawns. This is because they won't recover quickly from the extra footfall when you mow them too short. For a lawn that gets a lot of use, you should aim to mow at 20-40mm. If your lawn is fine and doesn’t see much traffic, you can cut it shorter at 10-20mm if you wish. This will help you achieve the bowling green look – and if you mow it with a mower with a rear-roller, you can get those standout stripes too!

… And adjust it when needed

Recommended mowing heights are a great guide for in-season mows, but for the first mow of the season (Spring) and the last mow of the season (Autumn), regardless of what type of lawn have, you should always mow on the highest setting of your lawnmower. This also applies when the weather begins to get hotter, as longer grass can tolerate warmer temperatures.

Stay sharp

Blunt mower blades will ruin your lawn mowing and can also leave damaged grass even more vulnerable to disease. You may notice that your mowing is uneven in height or even some yellowing with blunt blades. It's a good idea to have your lawn mower serviced annually, keeping it in good condition, but do not attempt to sharpen mower blades by yourself.

Know when to not be mowing your lawn

Sometimes the best sign of good lawn care is knowing when to stop! We love a freshly cut lawn as much as the next person, but it's best to leave your mower behind when there is a drought or heatwave. Likewise, knowing when to wind down your mowing in winter can make a real difference to the health of your lawn. Towards November time, your grass growth will start to slow down considerably – so there is less need to mow your lawn, if at all. Aim for your last mow of the season in mid-to-late October, depending on where you are in the UK.

Collect your clippings

This can be quite the job if you have a large lawn, but you should always collect the clippings from your lawn. In some instances, lawn clippings may be used to naturally feed your lawn, but unless you are a professional – we’d recommend removing these entirely. If too many clippings are left on the lawn for too long, they can do quite the opposite of making your lawn look better and can instead encourage disease and fungi. You don’t have to get rid of them entirely. However, you can add them to a compost pile if you have one or use them as mulch for your other garden flora.

We have more information on how to mow your lawn here.