How to achieve a perfectly striped lawn
For the keen gardener, there is nothing quite like the sense of satisfaction of looking at a perfectly striped lawn. The good news is that this is not as hard to achieve as it may first appear.
The right equipment
A lawn mower with a rear roller is the key piece of gardening equipment required. These are mostly found in rotary lawn mowers.
The whys and the wherefores
Stripes appear in lawns by bending and flattening the grass. This also changes the angle of light reflection, which makes alternate stripes appear lighter. If you want dark stripes, bend and flatten more.
Questions, questions
Before you begin, ask yourself in which direction you want your stripes – horizontal or vertical? Do you want a light or dark stripe to begin with? Make sure your lawn mower is in full working order – you can buy Briggs and Stratton parts from stockists such as https://diyengineparts.com/ – and you are ready to go!
All in the preparation
It may be worth cutting around the edge of the garden for an even look, especially if it is hard to turn the mower at either end. Make sure you are at right angles to the edge when you begin.
Top tips
If you are a regular mower, alternate the mowing direction. If you don’t, this may result in lawn growth looking uneven, which is something to be avoided if you are after a perfectly striped lawn.
Overlapping the previous stripe a little is a good tip when adding new stripes; in this way, you won’t miss any patches of grass. Missing bits of lawn can make for untidy patches and result in a less than perfect grassed area.
It is important to use the same overlap distance for each and every stripe; in this way, the end result will be that each stripe is the same width.
If you want to add a slightly wider stripe to your lawn, mow the second stripe twice in the same direction as the one you mowed before. This will ensure the grass blades are bent in the same way.
A lawn grown from top-quality seed and combined with careful and regular management will remain beautiful for many years and will be a source of pleasure for you, your family and your visitors.
