The top 5 tips when mowing your lawn in Melbourne
Tip #1 – Don’t mow your lawn too short
The leaf is the powerhouse of the lawn, taking in sunlight and converting it to energy for lawn growth. Cutting the leaf too short will stress out your lawn and reduce its energy production, leaving it more susceptible to weeds and pests.
Tip #2 – Reduce Mowing height gradually
If you’ve left it too long between mows, for example if you’ve been on a summer holiday and come home to an overgrown lawn, start by mowing the lawn on the highest setting and gradually reduce the height with subsequent mows.
If the highest setting still takes off more than one-third of the leaf your lawn may go into shock, so you’ll need to give it some additional care. Apply a granular fertiliser as well as a liquid fertiliser/wetting agent such as Lawn Solutions Lawn Rescue, and increase the frequency of watering until the lawn begins to recover, this could be for 2 – 4 weeks.
Tip #3 – Mow at the right height for your grass type
There’s no one correct lawn height, as the ideal height varies with lawn variety and time of year. As a rule of thumb, it is good to keep your lawn height at the higher end of the below ranges during the height of summer and the depth of winter.
We recommend the following mowing heights:
Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo 30–50 mm
Tif Tuf Bermuda 10–25 mm
Eureka Premium VG Kikuyu 30–50 mm
Sir Grange 10–50 mm
Tip #4 – Mow your lawn regularly
Avoid long periods between mowing and never cut off more than one-third of the leaf at a time. For more information on how often to mow, see our blog post ‘How often do I need to mow my lawn?
Tip #5 – Keep your lawn mower blades sharp
Always keep your mower well maintained. A good time for routine maintenance is the start of spring, around September. This is a good opportunity to freshen up your mower after its winter hibernation. Sharpen the blades, change the oil, and ensure all is running well.