mowing

How do I mow my new lawn?

The Golden rule of mowing your lawn

The most important thing to know about mowing a lawn is that cutting too aggressively can weaken the grass plant, inhibit growth and sometimes damage the plant beyond repair, therefore the golden rule is to never cut more than a third of the length of the grass plant away.

Top tip: Always remember to check the height setting on your lawnmower before you start!

Mowing new turf Before harvesting, Quality Turfing choose turf has generally been kept to a mown length of 25mm. There isn’t a timeframe to adhere to for the first mow after you’ve laid your turf, as it is more dependent on how quickly the grass has grown, but if the weather has been particularly warm you may find that you need to mow your lawn as early as 10-12 days after laying.

Many people wait too long before giving their lawn its first cut. If you want to maintain a lawn height of approximately 25mm then you should consider carrying out your first mow once the grass reaches a length of 30-35mm; if you’d like to maintain a height of 35mm you can wait a little longer, until it is roughly 45mm long.

Important note: If you are using a rotary mower (one long blade underneath the mower that rotates at a high speed) rather than a cylinder mower, you should check that the turf has rooted into the soil below before starting to cut; this is because the speed of the rotary mower’s blade can lift the turf.

What length should the grass be mown to?

The length of the grass in your garden lawn is entirely your decision, but it’s unlikely you would want to mow your lawn any shorter than 25mm. If the ground isn’t perfectly level, any bumps or divots could cause you to scalp your turf when the cutting height is set any lower than this. The leafy green part of the grass plant can tolerate the sun fairly well, but the paler section of the plant near the soil is sensitive to sunlight, therefore cutting a height that is too short can expose this tender part of the plant causing it to turn yellow and perhaps eventually die.

Top tip: If you aren’t comfortable judging lengths by sight, you can leave your tape measure in the toolbox and use a 10p or 2p coin as a grass height guide; a 10p coin has a diameter of 24.5mm and a 2p coin is 25.9mm.

How often should I mow my lawn?

Your lawn will need to be mown when it has reached a certain height, rather than routinely.

You can decide the length you’d like to maintain the lawn and set your mower accordingly, just remember to never remove more than a third of the grass plants on each cut, as doing so can cause permanent damage.

You will need to mow the lawn more often in late spring and summer, as it will grow more quickly than in the cooler months. As temperatures drop again, typically from mid-late September, grass plants become dormant – meaning there is no further growth – and the lawn won’t need to be mown at all until the warmer weather returns.