Regular mowing encourages dense and vigorous growth. Ideally mowing little and often is best but not too closely (see table below for guide cut heights). If you let the grass grow long and then cut it hard, the quality of the lawn will deteriorate.

Begin mowing in March and continue through until October apart from occasional light topping in winter when the weather is mild.

Brush off any worm casts before mowing as they will flatten and smother the grass.

Collect the grass clippings as they will encourage earthworms and worm casts and build up a layer of ‘thatch’. The exception to this in the summer when the clippings can be left as a mulch to conserve soil moisture.

Don’t waste the clippings, mix them into the compost heap except for the first few cuts after applying weed killer.

How Often to Cut

The frequency of cutting will vary depending on the lawn type, the weather, the soil variety and the time of year.

Grass grows faster in warm, moist conditions when a fine lawn may need cutting two or three times a week. For a utility lawn a weekly cut is usually sufficient as coarse leaved grasses do not tolerate close mowing.

In hot, dry weather, mow less frequently and allow the grass to grow longer than normal to conserve moisture.

Do not mow when the lawn is wet, frozen or during drought conditions in summer.

Cutting Method

For a rectangular lawn, mow a wide strip at each end for turning the mower then mow up and down in straight strips, slightly overlapping the edges of the strips.

For a curved or irregular shape, mow a strip around the edge first then mow a straight line up the centre. After this, mow each half the same as rectangular lawn.

If a mower jams while in use, unplug it or remove the spark plug lead before investigating.

Cutting heights

Generally, no more than a third of the grass blade should be removed at each cutting.

Vary the cutting height with the season – if the grass has grown long cut it back in stages raising the blade to the highest point and gradually lowering it for subsequent cuts.

Lawn Type	Winter length	Spring/autumn length	Summer length
Top quality lawn	15mm	8mm	6mm
Utility lawn	30mm	25mm	20mm

Types of Mower

Your choice of mower will depend on the size of your lawn and your budget. It should also be suitable for your type of lawn.

If you are choosing a large mower, make sure you can handle it and consider where it will be stored. If, for example, you have to lift up a lot of steps a lighter mower may be better suited.

Many mowers come with a grass box to collect clippings and/or use a mulching or recycling mower that chops them fine before feeding them back into the soil where they are quickly broken down.

We have summarized below the main types of mowers available and for which lawns they are generally used.

Clean the mower after every use , removing any grass and wiping with an oily rag. Read the machines instructions.

Keep the blade sharp or it will tear the grass. For a rotary mower - Use an oilstone, diamond sharpebner or file.  For a cylinder mower it is best to get them reground professionally.

Rotary mowers

Rotary mowers essentially work on blades that operate in a high-speed rotating action in a horizontal plane. They are excellent for utility lawns and coping with long grass.

Some have a mulching facility or a roller to leave stripes. Hover mowers are rotary mowers that ride on a cushion of air and require minimal effort and are useful for steep banks. Sharpen the blades regularly.

Cylinder mowers

Cylinder mowers have a number of blades arranged in a cylindrical layout and are commonly used for fine, striped lawns. For high quality finishes, invest in a model with 6 or more blades. They cut with a scissor-like action with the series of moving blades cutting against a bottom fixed blade.

Hand mowers usually have 4 blades and are ideal for small lawns as they are lighter and smaller.

Cylinder mowers usually have two rollers – the front one sets the height of the cut and the rear one gives the lawn stripes.

Service and regrind blades regularly.

Strimmers

Strimmers are useful for long grass and where the lawn abuts a wall and can be either petrol or electric powered. On some the head can be turned to trim the edges vertically. Try and avoid using close to trees because nylon line will damage the bark.

Electric mowers

Electric mowers are light and useful for lawns near the house and electric sockets.  They are quieter and easier to use than petrol mowers and are generally cheaper to maintain.

Electric mowers can be limited for large lawns due to cable length restrictions.

Always use a circuit breaker and do not mow wet grass.

Petrol mowers

Petrol mowers are heavier but have no trailing leads which makes them better for large lawns. They are generally more expensive to buy and maintain than electric mowers.

Petrol rotary mowers can cut damp grass and a good petrol mower should last a lifetime if serviced regularly.

Hand-driven mowers

Once, all mowers were hand driven but now these are mainly used for small lawns. They are less likely to go wrong, are quieter than other mowers and have no fuel costs.

Good quality, hand-driven cylinder mowers are used for finishing high quality lawns.

The disadvantage of these mowers is that they harder to use, especially if the grass is damp or overgrown.

Ride on Mowers

Ride on mowers are convenient for very large areas of lawn (usually over a third of an acre). You will need a secure place to store them with easy access to the lawn.

They cut large areas quickly and the chore of walking behind the mower is removed. However, they are expensive and difficult to use in awkward corners. Be carful on heavy and wet land, as they can cause excessive compaction.

Automatic Mowers

Robotic type mowers are the most recent addition and usually rely on a border wire being placed around the perimeter of the lawn to define the area that the mower has to cut. They can sense trees and other obstacles but generally do not have a grass box for clippings.