The grass doesn’t always have to be greener on the other side; it can also apply to your side of the fence
With the right set of lawn mowing techniques NZ homeowners just like you are keeping great-looking, green lawns year-round. Even when the rain comes down for days on end, or the sun beats down, you too can enjoy a fabulous lawn that remains inviting throughout the seasons.
But how?
Lawn care can feel a bit complicated if you don’t have much experience. Most of the time, however, it just comes down to consistency, care, and having access to the right healthy lawn tips.
So, from your friendly local experts in NZ lawn care, here are four techniques to aid you in your quest for a healthier, greener lawn.
1. Nail the ‘one third’ rule.
The first of our NZ lawn care tips is also the most important one. If you’re mowing your lawn down as far as it will go to stretch the number of weeks between mows, you’re actually doing more harm than good.
Grass, like any plant, survives by converting light and carbon dioxide into energy. That happens in the blades of the grass, which means if the blades are cut down to the nub, then your grass panics. It stops growing roots, diverts all of its energy into just surviving, and has no room to show up lush, green, and gorgeous.
This is why the one-third rule exists. Essentially, you should only ever mow up to a third of your lawn’s length down. Any more and you could completely shock the plant, even causing brown, dead patches. This does mean you’ll need to get the mower out a bit more often.
Despite that sacrifice to your Sunday morning, if you give priority to any of the healthy lawn tips on this list, let it be this one. It will pay lush, green dividends.
2. Go in with sharp blades.
Have you ever tried to cut a vegetable with a dull knife while cooking? It’s punishing and makes for an all-around mess.
The same is true for your lawn care, which is why the second of our healthy lawn tips is to sharpen those mower blades.
Blunt blades actually tear the grass; they don’t cut it. That invites nasties like fungal infections, brown patches, and wilting as the grass takes longer to heal from the injury. A clean cut from sharp mower blades is much easier for your grass to heal from.
Sharpening your blades is a bit of a chore, but it’s also one of the best lawn mowing techniques NZ lawn enthusiasts should know about. If you get out those blades twice a year and sharpen them – carefully – you’ll immediately notice an improvement in your lawn’s health.
3. Keep your grass longer in summer.
When the classic New Zealand summer heat hits, your instinct might be to cut the grass shorter so you don’t have to sweat as much behind the mower. Do the exact opposite: raise your mower deck.
This is one of those lawn mowing techniques NZ homeowners miss, simply because it seems counterintuitive. Shouldn’t shorter grass be easier to care for when the heat is on? In fact, the opposite!
Longer grass blades act like a built-in shade umbrella for the dirt beneath them. They block direct sunlight from reaching the soil, preventing your precious soil moisture from evaporating into thin air.
If you keep your grass at around 55mm (up or down a few mm), it will stay beautifully vibrant even when New Zealand’s sun sees fit to test it.
4. Avoid mowing wet grass.
Not all lawn-mowing techniques in NZ apply when it starts pouring with rain. This can make timing your mowing a bit of a pain, but the rule remains the same: never mow on wet grass. Leave the mower in the shed and wait for dryer days.
When grass is wet, the heavy moisture weighs the blades down, causing them to clump, lean, and mat together. Your mower will slide right over them, resulting in an incredibly uneven, patchy finish once the sun comes out and the blades dry and stand back up. The wet clippings can also clog your mower or dampen your lawn if you leave piles behind. Not ideal!
NZ lawn care aside, it’s also safer for you to wait until the ground isn’t soft and slippery. Lawn mowing is fundamentally a bladed activity with the potential for things to go wrong, so it’s important to do it in optimal conditions.
So, there you have it. Stick with a one-third rule, keep your blades sharp, go for a longer lawn in summer, and never mow in the wet. These four vital healthy lawn tips will have your neighbours side-eyeing your lawn with envy in no time.
Want a greener lawn without giving away half of your Sunday?
We can help. Paramount Gardening is your elite property care partner, specialising in top-notch NZ lawn care. We’re proud to keep lawns all over Auckland lush, healthy, and green year-round.
Get in touch with us today to establish a consistent lawn maintenance schedule.
