We often inherit lawns that have been either neglected and so have developed problems thanks to the lawn being too long, or lawns that have been mown terribly short and so are very stressed.

I suppose it makes sense, many plants like regular, but gentle “pruning” and bush out and thrive as a result of not getting too leggy, and conversely if they are cut back harshly and is very little leaf for photosynthesis then the plant will not be able to recover.

Here are our 6 top mowing tips for a great lawn:

1. Never cut the grass lower than 2.5 cms (1 inch). This length is particularly great for creating those all important stripes with a mower that has a roller on the back.
2. Never cut off more than 1/3rd of the growth at a time, as this can shock the grass plants.
3. Mow at least once a week during the season from March to October and longer if circumstances dictate. Long grass tends to lead to a thinner sward and weak grass plants.
4. Alternate the direction in which you cut the grass, this stops the grass getting used to growing in one direction, which can create additional thatch and also stops tram lines from wheeled mowers.
5. Always keep your mower blades sharp. This helps the grass plants to resist disease and avoids the ends of the sward having an unattractive ripped brown edge.
6. If you can, avoid mowers which have no height adjustment. Scalping is sadly often the result in mowers that do not allow the flexibility of raising the blades especially if your lawn is uneven. This rather unforgiving nature of the mower leads to long term brown/bare patches so these mowers are best avoided all together.

The growing season for lawns is stretching into the winter now with lawns needing to be mown well into November and even have once a month haircuts from December to February. Even if the weather turns autumnal, the grass will keep growing until the soil temperature drops below 5 degrees C. (Our mowers cope well with wetter lawns so let us know if you think that we can help you keep your lawn in trim.)

It is very important to keep on top of the lawn over the winter – letting it grow long will encourage moss and a thinning out of the lawn meaning more repair work in the spring.