Mowing Fundamentals Part II:

Types of Mowers

Two main types of mowers exist: reel and roy. There many versions of these two types such as electric, gas, push, and riding.

Reel-type mowers give a cleaner cut than roies, but h a hard time cutting weeds and tall grass. They cut by using a scissorlike motion of spinning bes against a bed knife. Reel mowers come in rear (most common) and front throw models. Since they manual mowers, they less expensive, quieter, and best for smaller lawns.

Roy-type mowers the most popular type because they y to maintain and h good maneuverability. Roies also work quicker, cut at many different hets, and most models h mulching capabilities. The drawbacks to a roy mower they 't cut effectively at lower hets (below 1"), don't cut as cleanly as reel mowers, and they will scalp the grass in unn as.

Armed with basic knowledge of mowers and what your needs should make it very y to select the mower that is rt for you. I personally own both types. I like the best cut possible during peak growing son when weeds and debris scarce. Otherwise, my roy mower is tough and handles weeds, les and other debris when I need it most.

Keep Mower Bes Sharp

Dull mower bes your lawn's worst enemy. They le your grass open to all sorts of undesirables. If you notice a brownish, gray complexion to your lawn a day after you mow, check the grass bes. The tops of the bes will probably be torn, jagged, or a little stringy. This means you need to sharpen your mower be. Reel mowers need to be sharpened at a lawn mower shop, but sharpening a roy mower be is an y DIY job. All you need is a file, vise, wrench and a be balancer that you get at just about any lawn and garden store.


Mowing Etiquette

Mowing etiquette is mostly up to your own disgression, but you should h a certain ll of respect for your nebors when you performing lawn maintenance tasks. In other words, you shouldn't wind up your gas blower at 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning when your nebors sleeping. Also, don't blow your les and clippings into the street or onto your nebors' property.

How to Mow

The goal of mowing your lawn is to h an nly cut, attractive lawn. Follow these rules to help achi that goal:

1. Remove any sticks, stones or other debris in your lawn before mowing.


2. Make sure the mower is set to the correct het and change if necessary.


3. Mow header strips at the ends of your lawn, around trees, and other obstacles.


4. Cut strat rows in between the header rows and overlap each row to ensure good coverage.


5. Avoid mowing when it's wet. It cause unn mowing and the clippings mat and suffocate the grass.


6. Change the direction that you mow ry time. Mow at a 45 to 90 degree angle from your previous job.


7. Mow in the ning so your grass doesn't h to suffer through the heat too.


8. Avoid sharp turns with the mower which cause unn cutting. Make wide turns or use sidewalks or driveways to turn.

Tip: If you h lots of shade on your lawn, you cut your grass 1/2" her than suggested to capture more sunlt to improve photosynthesis of the lawn.


Maintenance Secrets

If you do this, you signifitly incre the life of your equipment. Always keep your gas tanks full. Rt after you finish mowing, trimming or blowing fill each gas tank to full. This will prnt condensation from forming and polluting your machine. At the end of the son, run your equipment until it's dry or syphon out all the gas. Doing these two things will signifitly improve your sts. The last thing you want is slow sts or no sts :)

Finish the Job

Now that you h mowed your lawn, it is time to make the finishing touches. At the beginning of the son, you use an edger to cut strat lines along sidewalks and driveways. Then you use a trimmer to keep the line for the rest of the son and get hard to reach bes around trees and against buildings. Finally, use a blower or pushbroom to put any remaining grass clippings back onto the lawn. The finishing touches make all the difference between a mediocre lawn and a great lawn.