Mowing the lawn isn’t just pushing or driving a machine over your grass to cut it. It’s a dedicated practice that helps keep your grass trim, your yard clean, and your lawn healthy. This is why knowing the best lawn mowing pattern is important.

The Best Lawn Mowing Pattern

Whether the lines are horizontal, diagonal, striped, or simple, the pattern is an important part of the mowing practice. It’s best to use a different pattern every time you mow so that:

• the repeated tire track path doesn’t wear out and kill the grass,
• the grass doesn’t become compacted,
• and grass doesn’t start to lean in a certain direction and form ruts.
• Switching it up helps grass stand up nice and tall.
• Mowing a different pattern into the grass can also help hide weeds.

Before learning the basic patterns, it’s also key to remember that when using a push mower, always push in a forward direction. If your lawn is on a hill, you also want to mow side to side to decrease the risk of slipping up or down the slope.

Basic Lawn Mowing Patterns

There are a few simple lawn striping patterns to try. See which one works best for you. Here are a few to start with:

• Simple stripes
• Straight diagonal lines
• Checkerboard pattern
• Criss-cross diagonal pattern
• Diamonds

Some of these may seem fancy, but they are just variations of the simple lawn striping pattern. It’s all in the direction you mow. As you pass over the grass, the blades bend in that direction. Then when you go the other way, the grass bends in that direction. Light reflects off of the grass differently in each direction, which makes the lines appear. Mowing the grass taller by raising the blade height will make the stripes more clear because longer grass bends more than short grass.

Striped Lawn Mowing Pattern

Any lawn mower will create the pretty lawn stripes. Here’s how:

1. Mow around the outside edges of your yard. Turn your mower as you’re cutting the grass—a few feet of turning space makes it easier to make straight lines.
2. Make your first stripe using a hardscaped guide to keep it straight—like the edge of a sidewalk or garden bed.
3. Turn your mower around on the outside edge of where you already mowed. Line your mower up so that the wheel is on the edge of the mowing line you just created. Follow the line to create your next stripe.
4. Repeat across your lawn, lining the mower up after each turn. Each new stripe should be in the opposite direction of the last stripe.

If you want a more finished look, once you’re done creating stripes, go back around the perimeter of the yard to get rid of any leftover turn marks.

Professional Lawn Mowing

If you pay to have your grass cut, the contractors should already be aware of different lawn mowing techniques. If you notice the grass is being cut the same way each time, suggest they switch things up. Contact Cardinal Lawns for more lawn tips and tricks, and if you’re looking to switch up your lawn mowing company.

---