Whether you are a professional or just a homeowner with a yard to mow, you’ve probably at one point wondered what is the best method to mow tall grass now. If you find lawn maintenance to be a pain when your grass is tall, there’s probably a better way to be doing things that can reduce stress for you and ensure that your lawn is kept up and looking nice.
This guide will walk you through step-by-step the best way to mow tall grass to cut down on frustration and improve the appearance of your yard.
Hazards
If you haven’t been practicing proper technique when mowing tall grass in the past, you’ve probably experienced some problems when trying to maintain your yard. One of the most common things that happens when trying to mow tall grass without taking precautionary steps is that your mower can become bogged down by the clippings. This leads to more wasted time as you have to shake loose the clippings from your deck so that you can continue.
This problem is easily addressed by taking precautionary steps before you start to mow and by using proper procedure while mowing. No longer will you have to put your hands and feet near the blades of your motor to shake out the clumps of grass.
Steps to Mowing Tall Grass
Raising the Deck
Before you start to mow, it would be a good idea to raise your deck so that you have a little bit more room to work with. Most standard push mower decks cut at a height of about 4 inches. This could be way too low, especially for grass that hasn’t been mowed in a while. Try raising your deck to the highest setting that it will go to for a better experience while mowing.
Slow Down
Another thing that you can do to increase your effectiveness when learning how to mow tall grass is to slow down. We get it–mowing is not the most fun chore in the world. However, you can’t speed through overgrown grass and expect to be able to cut it effectively without problems. Slow and steady is the way to go when you are mowing your overgrown lawn.
Blade Selection
Your blade selection for your mower is a very useful consideration if you are going to be mowing in less than ideal conditions, like an overgrown lawn. You should consider getting mulching blades if you find yourself cutting overgrown grass frequently. They are more effective at mowing down thick foliage.
Other Methods for Cutting Tall Grass
If you are in a particularly tough situation with some very tall grass that has been tough to tackle, you might consider partially cutting it down in length using a weed whacker (string trimmer). This is undoubtedly more time consuming than just being able to mow the lawn as usual, but if the circumstances call for it, that’s the best way to deal with it. After a preliminary trimming, it should be easier for your mower to get through your lawn.