Having a ride on mower is essential for both agriculture and large scale landscaping. A ride on mower is a type of lawn mower in which the operator is seated when operating the machine rather than pushing or towing the mower. The machine looks similar to a quad bike but is designed for mowing the perfect lawn. In this article we explore how to use a ride on mower effectively to mow grass perfectly, if this is something that interests you, continue reading to find out more.

 

Mowing Your Lawn The Right Way

 

Ride on mowers can be used for both large scale landscaping and by home owners. The size of the mower would depend on the amount of land you wish to cover. In either context the following tips should be followed to mow the perfect lawn. When trying to grow a beautiful lawn, mowing is an effective way to promote growth and a way to keep your grass healthy. When using your ride on mower to trim the grass these following directives can help you get maintain an immaculate lawn:

 

• It is imperative to mow properly to achieve a great looking lawn. You can cause damage if you mow too often, infrequently, mow with dull blades or cut too much grass at a time.
• When mowing, you shouldn’t cut too much grass off at a time. Short grass clippings can be left on the lawn and will quickly break down and nourish the soil.
• A lawn should not be wet when you are mowing and you should change the direction which you mow each time you cut the lawn. In other words, you should not always follow the same pattern when taking on the task.

 

However lawns are more complicated than that, there are still more tips that you can follow while using your ride on mower to achieve even better results while staying safe, let us review a bit more detail to help you achieve the most beautiful lawn for your landscaping:

 

• Before you start mowing the grass be sure to clear the lawn of any debris. Pick up any branches, rocks, toys and pet waste that might be caught in the mower. Things could get caught in the mower which might damage the blades.
• Make sure your pets are away as you are mowing and you would not want them to get in the way. With a ride on mower, you also need to ensure that children don’t hop on while you are not watching as they may injure themselves.
• Mowers can also eject rocks and debris as you mow which might shoot at someone so while you are mowing make sure that no one is around as they might get hit, but it is best to clear debris before you mow.

 

 

Scalping And Why You Should Avoid It

 

A ride on mower should be set at the highest setting to only cut one third of the grass at a time. This avoids cutting too much of the grass off at a time, it might mean that you’ll have to mow again the following week but longer blades of grass can grow and support more roots. A deeper root system will result in grass being able to gain more nutrition and absorb more water. This can also lead to a fuller lawn.

 

Cutting too much grass is referred to as “scalping”, when you scalp the lawn you make it more prone to weeds growing. There are many ways to prevent scalping even while using your ride on mower. As you will see in the section below:

 

• You shouldn’t cut the lawn too short is because longer blades of grass shade the soil which keeps it cooler and further prevents weed seeds from sprouting. Weeds thrive in warmer conditions and can make the lawn prickly and unpleasant. Further, taller and fuller grass is softer so be sure to not cut too much off.
• When you plant fresh grass seedlings, wait a while before your first mow. New grass should get to the height of around 8cm before it is mowed and remember to only cut one third off. A harsh cut may shock the grass and stunt its growth. New grass should not be cut too often as it will slow down the speed of growth. Grass should not be cut shorter than 5cm when it is new for the first few times that you mow.
• Grass should not be wet when you are mowing. Wet grass clippings can cause clogging in mowers which is not ideal as you’ll have clumps of wet grass smothering growing grass. This will delay your mowing process as you’ll have to rake it up. The grass also won’t stand evening as you mow as water can be heavy on parts of the lawn, this will result in an uneven lawn and could cause brown spots. To avoid mowing wet grass, you should embark on the mowing task in the early evening or late afternoon. In the morning, dew sits on the lawn which makes it wet.
• When the weather is hot, high temperatures can stress both the lawn and the mower. The beating sun may not be ideal for you as well. If you wait till the afternoon, it may be cooler and the morning dew would have evaporated. Of course, if it is raining or has rained you will need to wait until the grass has dried.

 

Avoid The Rut Try Patterns

 

You can avoid forming ruts in your lawn by varying your mowing pattern. Each time you mow you should do it in a different direction than you did previously. When you cut the lawn in the same direction each time your grass will begin to lean in the direction that you mow as it learns the direction of the mower. Grass will stand up straight when you switch up the direction of mowing.

 

Another tip relating to patterns is that you should not mow on a specific schedule. Some people try to stick to a schedule such as mowing every Saturday afternoon, but that should not be the case. It is better to mow the lawn when the grass is the correct height. For example, if you are wanting your grass to be at a height of 5cm then you should wait till it reaches about 8cm to cut one third off to achieve the desired height. So plan according to the grass length rather than sticking to a schedule, this also avoids cutting the grass too much unnecessarily.

 

Grass growth varies according to the seasons, in spring it grows more frequently which means it will need to be cut more often but in summer when it is warmer it grows a bit slower.

 

After mowing the lawn, leave the clippings so they can bring nutrients to the soil. Grass clippings break down easily and can benefit the lawn. If you choose to rake up the clippings bag them up to create your own compost. Remember if you choose to leave clippings on the lawn as you mow, you shouldn’t be cutting off too much grass at a time otherwise, you will leave too many clippings on the grass which leaves piles of longer clippings that don’t break down as quickly which can result in the grass being smothered and brown patches can develop.

 

Remember that mower blades should be sharp and clean when you mow the lawn. Dull blades will tear the grass causing ragged edges. Dull blades can also cause grass to weaken over time making it more susceptible to weed growth, insects and dryness. Generally, a ride-on mower only needs its blades sharpened once a year. After using your mower be sure to clear it out to prevent blockages within the mower itself.

 

 

Why A Ride On Mower Can Benefit Your Lawn

 

Using a ride on mower is an efficient method of cutting grass. It is far quicker than other methods of mowing. It can save you time and energy as you don’t have to manually push a mower or tow the mower across the landscape. There is also an aspect of enjoyability as the mower enhances the lawn maintenance experience, adding to the leisure of gardening.

 

As noted, to cut your lawn you should adjust the level on the mower relative to the amount you would like to trim. A ride on mower is more precise when it comes to this as opposed to push mowers. There is an array of accessories that can be added to ride on mowers such as a catchment attachment which will collect grass clippings. A cover can be added to the front of the mower which assists in clearing debris from the lawn before you mow.

 

It may seem intimidating to hop on a ride on mower, but they are very easy to operate and manoeuvre, more so than push mowers. Although the machine is big, it is precise in more ways than one. They are easy to control due to the steering wheel which means that there will be no issue when trying to achieve neat edges on your lawn. Because you would be seated on the machine above ground level, you would have a better view of the garden and where exactly you would like to cut. This makes it easier to go up to flower beds, bushes and trees with precision.

 

For landscaping and design, ride on mowers are essential tools in ensuring precision and efficiency. For large gardens, these kinds of mowers make the job far more efficient. There are no electrical cables or leads that you’ll have to extend to reach the outer edges of your garden, you simply hop on and mow. Not allowing your lawn to become over grown is essential to having a healthy lawn. Overgrown grass is both unpleasant to look at but also impacts the health of your lawn. Both watering and mowing grass is vital to having a healthy lawn and ride on mowers make having a healthy lawn easier.

 

Gardening and landscaping require tools to get the job done. It can be laborious without efficient tools which might make you more reluctant to complete the tasks

 

 

BS Power: Home To The Premium Ride On Mower

 

Luckily, BS Power has the perfect solution for all your mowing needs. The ride on mower range at BS Power, have a variety of sizes and models from you to choose from. We stock mowers which are suitable for small to medium-sized gardens and others which can cover large sports fields and even golf courses.

 

Chat with one of our experts who can help you evaluate the kind of ride on mower you may need or visit our online catalogue to take a look for yourself.