There is more to mowing your grass than you might be aware. For example, you need to mow your yard in different directions each time you mow. This is important for two main reasons: First, it keeps the wheels of your mower from compacting the same area of the ground repeatedly. Second, it encourages the grass to grow properly. This is why many homeowners like to mow different patterns into their yard. Doing this not only completes the task of mowing in different directions, but it keeps your lawn looking good. Take a look at these four main lawn-mowing techniques to try out on your yard.
Shading Technique
The shading pattern gives the optical illusion that some strips of grass are darker than others. Obviously, your grass does not turn colors, but the way you cut it causes the light to fall on certain strips of grass differently, creating an illusion of dark and light grass. This pattern is simple because grass lies down in the direction that you are mowing. Simply alternating the direction you are mowing will achieve this pattern.
Stripe Pattern
This method is very similar to the shading technique. To achieve this pattern, simply start in one corner of your yard and move in a straight line until you reach the next corner. When you turn around, tilt the mower off the grass so that you don’t disrupt the pattern. Here is where the main difference between the stripe pattern and the shading technique comes into play. Overlap your previous line by three inches or more when you turn around. Continue doing this until you have completed the whole lawn.
Checkerboard Pattern
Unlike the first two patterns, the checkerboard is a little bit more elaborate. This is the same pattern that is often used in baseball parks. Start by mowing your yard in the stripe pattern above. When you finish your lawn, turn so that you are sitting at a 90-degree angle to the stripes you just mowed. At this new angle, re-mow your lawn to achieve the checkerboard pattern.
Harlequin Diamond Pattern
The harlequin diamond pattern is much like the checkerboard technique. Once again, you start with mowing basic stripes throughout your whole lawn. Once you finish, turn your mower so you are turned at a 45-degree angle to the stripes you just mowed. Now re-mow your yard, and you will have a harlequin diamond pattern.
Using these four different patterns, you can be sure that your lawn not only looks good but is healthy too. Try doing a different pattern every time you mow your lawn to achieve the maximum benefit for your grass. If you really like one particular pattern, you can use it every time, but try to reverse the pattern. For example, if you are using the shading technique, alternate which areas of the grass are dark and which areas are light each time you mow. If you do the stripe pattern, start mowing your lawn in a different corner to change where the stripes fall.
