Do Mowing Patterns Actually Make A Difference For Your Yard?

When you think of your outdoor space, you might look for ways to landscape your yard with flowers to increase its aesthetic appeal. But keep in mind that your grass likely takes up the majority of your property and can play a huge part in your landscaping picture. Trying out popular mowing patterns on your lawn is an interesting way to add visual appeal, but does it make a difference beyond just aesthetics? Well, not if you use the same pattern every time. The benefits of mowing in patterns lie in alternating between different patterns. The fact is, every time you mow your lawn, you're creating a pattern, whether it's a fancy and aesthetically pleasing one or not. While mowing in intended patterns looks beautiful, changing those patterns regularly can increase your lawn's health and hide any imperfections that could take away from your overall look.

Mowing in the same pattern has serious drawbacks. Your lawnmower's tires can compact the soil, which can lead to bald spots, weed growth, and stunted grass in those areas. In addition, the amount of light each grass blade receives is directly tied to how it lays on the ground, impacting its even growth. Cutting your lawn the same way each time ensures that the blades left with more surface area facing the sun continue to receive more light than those with less exposure. By changing up the mowing patterns, you can promote even growth, improve airflow, and increase the movement of nutrients within the soil while creating a professional-looking and beautiful lawn.

In the interest of avoiding the mistake of mowing your lawn in a repeated pattern, you might wonder what popular mowing pattern homeowners and landscapers use. Creating stripes, a checkerboard, or circles are all possibilities, but the one that will make the most difference in your yard is a pattern that introduces a different design from what you usually provide. Remember, the magic is in the change. For instance, if you typically mow in a straight line along the same path in one direction, maybe choose a striped pattern starting in a different area of your yard and cut in the opposite direction or on a diagonal. Your goal is to increase the aesthetics of your lawn while encouraging your grass to grow upright and even and keeping it as healthy as possible.

While each pattern has its technique, here are a few universal tips that apply across the board. Before mowing your pattern, run your mower around the perimeter of your yard a couple of times to create a border within which you'll work. When cutting, be sure to overlap your rows a bit to prevent impacting your soil, and mow at a consistent pace to keep your lines uniform. To get the most benefit from mowing patterns in your lawn, change direction each time you mow your lawn. Doing so will not only loosen the soil, promote healthy growth, and bring visual appeal to your lawn but also perhaps make your outdoor space the talk of the neighborhood.