Mower Blade Tips To Keep Your Lawn Healthy

The look of a property is a source of pride for many of us. Shiny, well-kept grass, a beautiful landscape, and a peaceful ambiance. Now, what homeowner wouldn’t want to show that off?

However, getting to the point where you’re proud of your lawn can take time, dedication, and the knack for choosing the right equipment.

Eventually, you get the hang of it with time and dedication, but what about the gear? We are the experts you’re likely to need for that. After all, aside from the mower itself, lawn care and maintenance also revolves heavily around the state of commercial mower blades.

And, sure, it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but the height of your lawn and your blades also play huge roles. Let’s look at some quick and easy tips on how to make the most of your mower blades throughout the entire year.

Tip #1: Keep your mower blade sharp

Mower blades should cut through grass cleanly and efficiently, which means they can’t not be sharp. But not only that, but they also have to be kept sharp.

Dull blades won’t do your lawn much good. They can shred the top of grass instead of cut cleanly through it, resulting in a brown lawn prone to disease. Check those blades for damage before mowing the lawn. You could end up doing more harm than good if you don’t.

Tip #2: Lawn height varies on the type of grass used

“So I should mow my lawn so that it’s the same height as my neighbor’s, which looks really good.” Not so fast there, sparky. We get that you’re all excited to beautify your landscape, but there could be some things that require doing research.

The type of grass on your lawn, for instance, is an all-important tidbit that should shape how you go about mowing. Depending on the grass type used, mowing heights can range anywhere from half an inch to four inches. There are handy charts for figuring this out, though, so there’s nothing to worry about.

Tip #3: Learn the rule of thirds

If using a chart isn’t for you, don’t push it. You can still mow that lawn to pristine goodness by following the rule of thirds. That means cutting no more than a third of the grass at a time.

For example, if your lawn is six inches high and you want to trim it down to three inches, cut off two inches first and give the grass two days to recover before removing another inch.

Tip #4: Tall grass is good grass

Tall grass may not make your lawn look as great in your eyes, but it is healthy grass, and that’s what matters most. Of course, there does come the point when the grass is considered too tall and has to be cut.

But going back, taller grass has roots that run deeper underground and, thus, taps into more water reserves. That means even if you miss watering your lawn a few times, you won’t have to worry about your grass going dry.

Also, longer grass protects the soil from constant sunlight exposure, which dries the ground and makes it prone to weed invasion. So while super-tall grass is never the way to go, cutting your lawn super-short is even worse. Always keep to the length that’s healthy for your turf.

How Do You Sharpen Your Mower Blade?

From bench grinders and hand files to angle grinders and rotary tools, there are quite a few options for sharpening mower blades. Another good option for bringing the edge back to those dull blades is to use a drill with a specially designed sharpening stone.

Here are guidelines for sharpening mower blades that should work for most makes and models of lawnmowers:

• In some models, you can sharpen blades without removing them. However, taking the blades off does help you sharpen more thoroughly and reduce the chances of damage.

• Safety precautions are must-follows. Steps like disconnecting the ignition wire from the spark plug and removing the battery pack should not be overlooked. You mustn’t also forget to drain the gas tank to avoid fuel spills while sharpening the blades.

• Now that you’ve removed the blades, you may as well clean them and the mower. After that, make it a point to use a mower blade balancer to balance the blade. Remember that a blade that’s unbalanced can stress and eventually damage the mower’s motor.

How Often Should You Sharpen Mower Blades?

The general rule for sharpening mower blades is to do so once you notice the mower is no longer cutting grass as cleanly. Another excellent point of reference is to sharpen the blades after every day or two of using the mower.

For small, personal mowers, you may only need to sharpen the blades once or twice a year, while for large mowers used more frequently, once or twice a quarter would be a more realistic number.

Photo by Gaetano Cessati on Unsplash