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How to mow a lawn properly

Mow each grass at its own height, never take off more than a third of the blade at once, keep the mower blade sharp, and finish every edge clean. A tidy edge makes an ordinary lawn look well kept.

Know the grass

• Kikuyu: bright green, with thick runners above the ground. It grows fast in summer, goes brown in frost and does poorly in shade.
• Buffalo grass: broad, blunt-tipped leaves. It copes with some shade and does not like being cut very short.
• Cynodon (kweek): fine and dense. It takes close mowing and wear, but needs full sun.
• LM grass: soft and fine, with good shade tolerance in warm, humid areas.

Many lawns are a mixture. Watch how the lawn grows over a season.

The one-third rule

Never cut off more than a third of the blade in one mowing. Cutting too short weakens the grass, lets weeds in and burns it brown in the heat.

If a lawn has grown long after rain or a missed visit, bring it down in two cuts a few days apart, or cut at the highest setting first. Scalping it in one cut leaves it brown and patchy for weeks.

In summer, fast-growing lawns such as kikuyu need mowing weekly to stay within the rule. In winter, mow every few weeks, or not at all where the grass is dormant.

Mowing well

• Walk the lawn first and clear stones, toys and hoses.
• Mow when the grass is dry. Wet grass clumps, tears and blocks the mower.
• Keep the blade sharp.
• Overlap each strip slightly.
• Change direction on each visit, so that the grass does not lean one way and ruts do not form.
• Empty the grass bag before it is full.

Fine, dry clippings left on the lawn feed the soil. Long, wet clippings must be collected.

Edges

• Edge beds and paths to a clean, even line.
• Trim along walls and around trees and posts, keeping the trimmer line away from tree bark. It strips the bark and can kill young trees.
• Cut kikuyu runners at the edge and pull them out of the beds.
• Sweep or blow every clipping off paths and paving.
• Take a last look from the street and from the front door.

Feeding and watering

Feed in the growing season, at the rate on the label, measured and not guessed. Spread half the fertiliser one way and half across it, then water it in. Do not feed in drought, in extreme heat or when the lawn is dormant.

Water deeply and less often, for example twice a week, so that the roots go deep. Water in the early morning. Most lawns need about 25 mm a week in summer heat, from rain and watering together. Keep to your municipality's water restrictions.

Compacted lawns

Where people walk a lot, water runs off and the roots suffocate. Push a garden fork in about 100 mm deep every 100 to 150 mm and rock it. Scarify kikuyu in early spring by mowing very low and raking out the dead layer, then feed and water. It looks bare for a few weeks.

Common problems

• Brown patches in summer: drought, scalping, a blunt blade, dog urine or lawn caterpillars.
• Thin grass under trees: shade and tree roots. Mow higher, or mulch the area instead.
• Weeds taking over: mowing too short. Mow higher and feed.
• Moss and wet patches: shade, poor drainage or compaction.
• Brown all over in winter: frost on kikuyu. It greens again in spring.

This guide is based on Chapter 4 of Garden Services as a Side Hustle, which includes mowing heights for each grass and a lawn care calendar.