Lawn mowing keeps your grass healthy and vibrant. Even
though having a large yard comes with numerous benefits, caring for it can be
overbearing. You need to dedicate yourself and learn a couple of things about
lawn mowing, in addition to getting the right mower. Doing it right matters a
lot, especially if you care about the well-being of your lawn. To bring you up to
speed, we have compiled a couple of useful tips on the use of a garden tractor.
Know your tractor
Your first step to proper lawn mowing is to have an adequate
understanding of your garden tractor. Starting from how it works, the best way
of using it, all the way to the safety measures. The operator’s manual should
be your starting point. Read through it keenly and take note of every single
detail. Analyze all the parts, learn what they are used for, and how they
should be maintained. The blade should be a key point of interest because it
serves the most vital function. Have it sharpened occasionally if you want to
get quality results.
The grass
Lawn mowing is all about trimming the grass in your yard. Now, you can only trim it right if
you know the type of grass you are dealing with. Each type of grass is handled differently. There is the cool-season
grass, which is trimmed at three and one-half inches and the warm-season grass
that should not go beyond two inches.
Close mowing is bad for your lawn because of the negative
effects. On one hand, there is increased susceptibility to pests, diseases, and weeds, while on the other you get
reduced surface area of the blade and injury to the crown. When grass is cut so
close to the ground, weed seeds get a chance to penetrate into the soil and
grow. Before you know it, your yard is full of weed. This ends up impacting on
the health of the grass.
Still, on the grass,
you should also know that mowing dry grass produces better results than wet
grass. The dry grass has upright blades which do not clump when cut. Wet grass
on its part forms uneven patches when cut
and the heavy tyres of the tractor tend to produce ruts on the damp lawn.
The pattern used
There are numerous patterns you can use when mowing.
However, you can only achieve so much in this regard, especially when using a
strong and heavy machine like the garden tractor. Plus some patterns like the
spiral would be tedious and time-consuming,
hence negating the sole purpose of using a tractor. The only thing you should
consider when looking into the pattern is to alternate the direction when
mowing. It makes the grass grow in an
upright position and prevents ruts from
appearing.
The safety measures
Safety should always be a key priority when mowing. To avoid
any risks, start by picking up any stones and debris in the yard. Pets and children should also be kept far away from
the vicinity whenever there is work going on. You ought to focus on the task at
hand and not worry about whether or not your kid is running around chasing the
tractor.
As long as your lawn mowing is done correctly,
your yard will be in good shape at all times. Fortunately, most garden tractors
are extremely versatile. They come with several useful features which make work
easy. Apart from trimming grass, they could also serve the purpose of tilling
and mulching at the same time. This helps to save time and cost.
