How do I make my lawn look professional? This is a question many garden owners ask. We look at the methods used to create a perfect looking lawn.
Have you ever wondered how your neighbours seem to create immaculate stripes in their gardens with such ease?
If you find yourself with garden-envy, look no further than this page. We will get you up to scratch with how to give your lawn stripes that look professional, classic, and well-kept.
We have a section later on in this blog for tips and tricks for striping your lawn, so make sure you read everything before putting mower to grass!
How to get stripes on my lawn?
If you don't know where to begin to create a bespoke striped lawn with beautiful stripes, we suggest that you prepare your garden.
To do this, you will have to remove any weeds and invest in grass seeds to restore any empty grass patches.
The ideal colour of your grass should be a deep dark green for truly prominent results. Trim any unruly edges of your lawn.
You will need to plan where your stripes are going to be. You can do this by drawing a diagram of your garden shape.
This sketch will help you mow in the right direction that gets you the results you want. If your lawn has a rectangular shape, this will be a pretty straightforward process.
However, if you have an irregularly shaped lawn, you will need to pay extra attention to the corners.
Prepare your lawnmower and begin the process by mowing the perimeters of your lawn at 90° angles to create a clean border to frame the following stripes.
Next, you'll want to focus on lining your mower in the direction you want your first stripe row to be. Walk down and turn 180° to repeat the process for the rest of your lawn.
Before you know it, you've gone and created a striped lawn.
Stand back and take a look at the work so far. If your stripes require more definition, go over them using your lawn roller with the engine off or double-cut the grass. Last but not least, pat yourself on the back for your hard work.
Tips For Striping A Lawn
If you're looking to create stripe patterns on your lawn to look like a professional has done it, we've got the latest tips, tricks, and advice to make those perfect finishing touches!
Always cut your grass when it's dry and tall enough so that the blades of grass can better reflect the sun and create a more effective stripe pattern. If you cut the grass too short, you risk making it look like an ordinarily cut lawn. To avoid this, simply set your mower to its highest setting.
Ensure that your mower has clean, sharp blades. The best way to judge this is by taking a look inside before you start mowing anything.
For better results, we highly recommend that you use cylinder mowers rather than rotary lawnmowers. This is because a cylinder mower comes with a rear roller which is crucial to bend grass in the desired direction. Cylinder mowers have up to 12 blades that cut grass very cleanly, whereas rotary mowers have only a single blade and don't always come with a rear roller. If you find yourself lacking a roller, you can buy a striping kit attachment.
Regularly keep your lawn clear of grass clippings and empty the clipping box of your mower to prevent the mower from clogging.
For those tight corners or boxed areas of your lawn, we recommend using a strimmer.
Benefits of Creating Mowing Patterns
Creating mow patterns can carry many benefits to your grass other than just for aesthetic charm.
Bending the grass in different ways directs the airflow, allowing for a healthier lawn. By mowing different creative patterns and only cutting the grass when it's tall, you avoid creating repetitive tire tracks from showing.
Changing mowing patterns also make an overall difference to its health, as it stops the grass blades from becoming damaged and compact.
A dry patch or small area of diseased grass on your lawn is a very common occurrence. However, creating a pattern results in a distraction to these issues.
Forming neat and orderly stripes creates the illusion that your lawn has been expertly maintained. Mowing the grass when it's tall bends the grass and creates the desired effect of stripe patterns.
By continuously creating these patterns, you significantly reduce the number of times you mow the lawn because the grass must be tall enough to bend. Mowing stripes less saves a lot of fuel, and therefore money, in the long run.
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