Why is learning how to mow lawns like a pro important to your business? 

The success of your lawn mowing business depends on your delivering a perfect cut every time. To help you get started, we have a simple system that we follow that gives us great results. 

The number one aim is to do an excellent job and be consistent. 

Remember, a happy customer is a customer for life! 

How often should I mow the lawns?

The answer to this question depends on your grass type and the season.

In the spring, summer and autumn, we try to have our customers on a fortnightly mow all the way through. 

Some customers with thick, high-cut lawns will ask for a weekly cut at this time of year.

We also like to keep customers on a fortnightly mow in autumn to allow for mowing up the leaves. 

We will accept 3 to 4  weekly mows in the winter as the grass stops growing and does not need as much maintenance. 

Use the weed eater first.

Before you mow the lawn, make sure you trim all the edges first. When you edge with a weed eater, work in the opposite direction to how the head spins. This means you will usually work anti-clockwise. 

This will throw the grass clippings away from paths and windows back onto the grass where you can mow it up. 

Make sure that your blades are sharp.

 A dull mower blade will tear the grass rather than cut it, damaging the lawn.

Take time on a Saturday once a month to service your mower to keep it in good condition. Sharpen the blade while you are doing this. 

Set your mower to the correct height for the lawn. 

The general rule of thumb is to set your mower blade to about one-third of the height of the grass. Depending on the grass type, this will vary, but putting your mower blade too low can damage your lawn.

Some customers will always ask for a shorter mow. Avoid this, as cutting a lawn too short will encourage flat weeds and turn some of the lawn yellow. This looks horrible, and you can avoid this by cutting height. 

Do NOT start your mower on the concrete.

Always start the machine on the lawn. If you start the mower on concrete, you risk getting a green ring on the path or drive. These look terrible and are hard to remove. 

This is especially easy to do on wet days. 

Here is a link to a job that went wrong, and the contractor had major issues fixing it. 

What is the best way to mow my lawn? 

There are a few factors that you need to consider when determining the best way to mow your lawn. First, you need to consider your lawn’s size and shape. Second, you need to consider obstacles that you might encounter while cutting. Finally, you must think about the pattern you want to mow in. 

Using a mulching mower

If you are mulching, I use a slightly different technique. I do the first step, but instead of any patterns, I simply go around in circles following the shape of the lawns. You sometimes get more clippings on one side or the other with mulch mowers. 

If this is the case, face the side of your mower that creates the most clippings towards the uncut grass. This means that when I do the next circle, I mow over the clippings with the edge of the mower. 

Using a catch mower

1. Start by mowing around the perimeter of your lawn. This will give you a nice clean edge to work with as you cut the rest of your lawn. Sometimes I will do two circuits before I start any pattern. This gives me room to turn the mower. 

2. Mow in straight lines rather than back and forth in a zig-zag pattern. This will help you avoid missed spots and make it easier to mow in a straight line.

Sometimes I continue mowing around the perimeter of the lawn in diminishing circles until I finish in the middle. That depends on the lawn. 

With a high cut top-notch lawn, I change direction each mow using a simple system

• 1st to 9th Circles
• 10 to 19 Up and down lines
• 20 to 30 Across lines
• 31 Circles

This is easy to do and keeps the lawn looking good without you having to track your patterns in your diary. 

Emptying your catcher

Don’t forget to empty the grass catcher on your mower when it gets full. Otherwise, you’ll leave clumps of grass behind on your lawn.

Also, get in the habit of emptying your catcher BEFORE it overflows. Once this happens, your chute will start clogging up more often.

Another thing I do is to mow my way to the back of the property and then mow back towards the front. This decreases the distance you have to go to empty the catcher and reduces your time on the job. 

Overlap cuts.

Make sure to overlap each row of grass you mow so you don’t miss any spots. You do not want mohawks on the lawn. I usually find that a wheel width is more than enough room. 

Watch out for objects.

Be careful not to mow over rocks or other objects that could damage your mower blade or injure you. Be extra cautious around tree roots and when you mow a lawn for the first time. Especially overgrown properties, as there may be something hiding in the lone grass. 

Use a blower

When you have finished mowing, be sure to use a blower. Just blow any of your clippings off the paths or driveways. Don’t do a major leaf cleanup; otherwise, you will be blowing rubbish back onto the lawn. 

The object of using a blower is to blow any of YOUR rubbish off the paths, not to clean up a driveway. 

Now you know how to mow lawns like a pro. 

By following these simple tips, you will be well on your way to getting the perfect cut every time! Just remember to consider the type of grass you have, the size and shape of your lawn, and any obstacles you might encounter while mowing. 

With a little bit of practice, you’ll be a pro in no time!