Lawns are fantastic, they not only look great and give you space to have a bbq with friends they keep your home cool in the heat of summer.
Before you commit to a property with a lawn have a clear understanding of what you need to do to maintain and mow your lawn. If lawn upkeep is not included in your rental agreement, you will either need to pay for someone to maintain it or do it yourself.
If you or your housemate are keen gardeners are happy to commit to looking after the lawn – great!
If you choose to mow your lawn yourself you will:
- Save some money (hiring someone to mow the lawn will be around $40 per hour);
- Need to make a commitment to look after it (you can risk losing your bond if you let the grass die); and
- Get a little exercise in and a sense of pride.
Tips in how to mow your lawn
Give it some attention
A good lawn is all about regular mowing, weeding, fertilising and watering.
- Fertilise the lawn just before it’s about to rain so the water soaks the fertilizer in and you don’t have to waste water;
- Weed it regularly; and
- Don’t cut the lawn too short.
Choose your timing
- Wait for your lawn to be dry before moving, cutting wet grass can result in an uneven cut and also clog your mower.
- Mowing in the mid-morning (after any dew as dried up) or afternoon, mowing in the heat of the day damage or burn the grass.
Prepare
- Do your edges first with a whipper snipper or a hand edging tool, the mower will pick up the clippings; and
- Remove any twigs, rocks or anything that could dent the blades are you mow.
How often you need to mow
This will depend on the type of lawn, the weather and the quality of the soil etc. Generally, lawns need to be mowed every two weeks in summer and around once a month in winter.
If you go by length 30 – 40 mm in length is a good rule of thumb, or if you go by feel, when you walk on the grass barefoot, it should feel nice without you sinking into it.
Operating a lawn mower
Before you mow your lawn make sure you understand that operating a lawnmower improperly can cause serious injury including lost damage to eyes, fingers and toes so you must be mindful of your safety when using one. Always wear hearing and eye protection and tough, closed-toe shoes while mowing.
Have a someone show you how to start the mower, attach and detach the clipping catcher, how to fill up with the right type of fuel before you use one for the first time.
Once a year give your mower a birthday
- Wait until the engine is cold before you start any maintenance;
- Use a rag and a soft brush to remove any grass and dirt from the outside of the mower;
- Spray some WD40 on into the wheels and throttle (swipe away any excess WD40);
- Check the spark plugs, if they don’t need replacing, brush off any excess dirt;
- Give the air filter a brush to remove debris;
- Clean the clipping catcher with a brush or hose it out if really dirty;
- Tip the mower up and carefully brush away any built-up grass;
- Make sure if blades are not damaged, if they are – they will need to be replaced.
- Change the oil, if needed;
What happens if you don’t look after the lawn?
Aside from the place looking uncared for, if the grass needs to be replaced or repaired, you can say goodbye to your bond. So to avoid headaches down the track, make sure you are ready to commit to a property with a garden.