Have you always wondered how patterns and stripes are mown into lawns? In this blog, we’ll walk you through how it is done and show you how to create a few different patterns as well.
A healthy, thick, and lush lawn will be able to show better stripes and patterns than a thin and sparse lawn. So, the first step is to ensure your lawn is in good health. If you are in need of some tips on getting your lawn on the mend, check out our blog here.
It is also worth checking your mower blades and ensuring they are nice and sharp for a cleaner cut. The cleaner the cut – the nicer the lawn will look. If you are using a cylinder mower, you may need to look at backlapping your mower to sharpen your blades. For more information on how to do this, check out our backlapping blog here. For a rotary mower, depending on the condition of your existing blades, you can look at either sharpening your mowers blades or replacing them – more information on sharpening and replacing mower blades here.
Usually, a cylinder mower with an inbuilt heavy roller is usually the best way to achieve stripes in your lawn. As cylinder mowers provide a cleaner cut compared to other mowers, they will cut the leaf rather than tearing it. The heavy roller will be able to bend the leaf of your grass. If the leaf is bent towards you, it will look darker and if the blades of grass are bent in the opposite direction it will appear lighter.
Stripes and patterns can also be achieved with a rotary mower, but a roller attachment to your mower will be required to bend the grass. Using a roller attachment like the Toro Lawn Striping System is ideal.
Now we are on to the fun part! We are going to take a look at how to mow three different patterns: stripes, checkers, and crisscross’.
To mow stripes, start off by mowing your first stripe along the edge of your lawn. When mowing your first stripe, try to mow in a straight line as this will be used as a guide for the rest of your lawn. On your next line, mow in the opposite direction along the edge of where you have just gone over. Repeat this process and continue to change direction.
Once you are finished, if you really want to help get your stripes to stand out, do a few passes over the lawn (known as double cutting or triple cutting) to push the grass right down and give it a really high-quality cut. Repeatedly mowing your lawn in the same directions should also help make your stripes more vivid over time. Just be sure to mix your mowing directions up from time to time when you are not striping to ensure ruts don’t develop in your lawn.
The first step to mowing checkers is to mow stripes from left to right across your lawn. After this is completed, mow stripes going up and down across your lawn to create the checker effect. Follow the numbered steps for mowing stripes followed by the below letters.
For a crisscross pattern, instead of mowing up and down, you will need to mow diagonally across your area. Firstly, follow the numbers outlined below, then the letters. It can take a bit of practice to get your stripes straight. However, once you nail it, your lawn is sure to stand out on the street.
If you are wanting to take your lawn to the next level and mow a diamond pattern in your lawn, check out this video by Big League Lawns on YouTube.
For more lawn care tips and advice, make sure you check out our other lawn care blogs here, or get in touch.