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5 Lawn Mowing Patterns Techniques

5 Lawn Mowing Patterns Techniques

Are you looking to change up your lawn mowing routine into something more fun and aesthetically appealing? You’ve seen all those gorgeous photos of perfectly mowed lawns with striped, checkered, or spiral patterns, and you wish you could have that same look on your own property.

Lawn mowing patterns might seem difficult to create, but they are actually very simple. You do not need a special type of mower or have advanced mowing techniques. If you already know the basics of mowing, you can quickly use the different lawn mowing pattern techniques to create a visually exciting look in your yard.

Keep reading. We’ll show you how to mow patterns like a pro.

Advantages of Lawn Mowing Patterns

Besides adding a little fun to mowing and visual appeal to your yard, using mowing patterns can have real benefits for your lawn’s health. For one, the patterns, whether it is basic stripes, spirals, or checkerboard, can help with covering up weeds. If you haven’t yet come around to weeding your lawn, even a simple grass-cutting pattern will do an excellent job of hiding those pesky weeds.

Another benefit of lawn mowing patterns is that you can avoid over-mowing any one spot on your property. When you cut the same way all the time, you risk creating bald spots, which give way to weed growth.

Also, mowing in different directions prevents the grass from flattening and hardening. Grass blades that are not hardened or lying flat into the soil allow enough air to flow freely, which is good for grass growth.

Now that you’ve learned of the benefits of lawn mowing patterns, let us take a look at a few techniques you can use to cut lovely patterns on your lawn.

5 Lawn Mowing Pattern Techniques To Try

The techniques for mowing lawn patterns in your yard are pretty easy to master. In no time, you will be creating grass patterns like an experienced lawn care specialist. We always recommend starting with the basic stripes pattern before learning the more advanced designs.

1. Simple Lawn Stripes Pattern

Simple Lawn Stripes Pattern

Follow these easy steps to mow a gorgeous striped pattern on your lawn.

  • Step 1: Mow the perimeter first

The outskirts of your lawn are where you will turn your mower as you cut your preferred grass patterns. Starting with the perimeter is a brilliant idea because it just makes your work easier. You won’t have to deal with pesky grasses as you turn, and you will have more space to turn as you make your lawn mowing pattern.

  • Step 2: Use a landmark to cut your first line

Mowing that first line can be intimidating. After all, it will set the pace for the rest of the yard. To make the job less scary, use a landmark as a guide. This can be a driveway or sidewalk, flowerbeds, or any straight edge that you can align with the mower’s wheels.

  • Step 3: Create the next stripes

Once you cut the first stripe and get to the other end of the lawn, slightly lift the mower’s deck and make a 180 degree turn around the edge of the yard. Now, one of the mower’s wheels will line up with the first line you made. Mow in the opposite direction to create your second stripe.

  • Step 4: Repeat the process

Keep mowing the stripes as described in step 3. Cutting the grass in alternative opposite directions creates attractive striped patterns with some lines looking darker than others.

This is because of how the sun reflects on the bentgrass blades. Once you are done, tie the entire look together by mowing around the edges of the yard to get rid of any undesirable turn marks.

2. Checkerboard Mowing Pattern

Checkerboard Mowing Pattern

The checkerboard pattern takes your mowing game to the next level. This is a play on the stripes pattern. Start by mowing the basic stripes as we have described above.

Then, change direction and, using the same technique as before, start mowing other stripes at a 90-degree angle across the first mowing. This will create beautiful boxes in your yard.

Finish off the look by mowing around the perimeter of the yard to smoothen out any turn marks.

3. Circles Mowing Pattern

Circles are a fantastic mowing pattern for highlighting flowerbeds, trees, and other hardscapes on your lawn. Instead of starting to mow from the edge of the yard, start from the middle and mow outwards.

If you don’t have a circular flowerbed or hardscape in the middle of the lawn, you can substitute it with any large enough circular item. Use this as a guide to mow your first circle.

Mow the second circle in the opposite direction to achieve a pronounced circular effect. Use the first circle as a guide. One wheel of your mower should align with the first circle’s outer ring. Continue to mow in circles in alternating opposite directions until you get to the edge of the lawn.

Each time you finish a circle, turn outwards to start on the next circle. This ensures that you avoid any unevenness and incomplete circles. Here is a great video to help you learn how to cut beautiful circles.

4. Converging Arches

For a more sophisticated look, try the converging arches. To get started, mow a half-diagonal line from one edge of your lawn to the center. This will form a kind of an obtuse angle.

Then, from where the half-diagonal line ends at the center, make a 90-degree turn and mow another diagonal line to the opposite edge to form an arch. Duplicate this first arch by cutting in alternating opposite directions until you reach the edge of the lawn.

One-half of your lawn will now have arch patterns. To create converging arches, start from the edge that you begin with when mowing the first arch. Now, mow a half diagonal line toward the center of the lawn, then make a 90-degree turn and complete the arc by cutting another diagonal line to the edge.

Mow the second arch in the opposite direction and the third one in the opposite direction to the second one. Continue with this lawn mowing pattern until you reach the edge of the lawn.

Finally, go over the yard’s edges to clean out any turn marks and give your lawn a nice, finished look.

5. Diamond Pattern

The diamond pattern is stunning and easy to create. It is a variation of the checkerboard pattern, only this time, instead of crisscrossing straight lines, you will mow diagonal lines.

To get started, mow around the edges of your lawn to give it a symmetrical form like a square or rectangle. Then, cut along a diagonal line from one corner of the yard to the other.

Once you get to the end of the line, make a turn and mow the second stripe. Mow along the lawn’s outer edge to return to the corner from where you started to mow the second stripe.

Now, mow another stripe in the same direction as the second, and then once you get to the end of the stripe, make a turn and mow in the opposite direction. Repeat this process until you complete that half of the lawn.

To mow diagonal stripes on the other half of the lawn, start from the first diagonal stripe you made. Once you get to the end of this stripe, make a turn and mow the second stripe in the opposite direction. Continue like this until you get to the edge of the lawn. Diagonal lines will now cover the yard.

To make diamond shapes, crisscross the current diagonal stripes. First, mow a long diagonal line starting from one corner of the lawn (the corner opposite the one from where you began drawing the very first diagonal line above). Use this line as a guide to mowing other stripes crisscrossing the initial strips. If you need a visual, check out this one.

Tips for Achieving the Best Lawn Mowing Pattern

  • Start with a thick, well-watered lawn for easier mowing and to create more pronounced patterns.
  • No matter how long your grass is, do not cut more than 1/3 of the grass blades. Cutting your grass too short is not only unhealthy for your lawn as it can easily result in bare spots; you will also not achieve a visible pattern.

Remember, the patterns form because of bending grass in one direction and then again in the opposite direction. Light reflects differently in either direction, causing the designs to show.

  • Consider how you will view your lawn. This is known as the line of sight. For a more dramatic effect, you should mow patterns parallel to your line of sight.
  • If you are particular about the appearance of the patterns and want to make them more intense, consider investing in a lawn roller. The roller, which you hook to your mower, will flatten the grass in the mowing direction, resulting in bolder stripes.

Summary

We hope this article has demystified lawn mowing patterns for you. As you can see, other than a bit of forethought, it doesn’t take much effort or any special equipment to mow stripes for visual appeal.

For the best results, start with a healthy lawn and use a sharp blade to cut your grass. Here’s to beautifying your yard with those mowing patterns!

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