Most of us take the benefits of grass for granted and don’t think twice about keeping or maintaining a patch of grass. Most homeowners don’t realize the way noise and air pollution are reduced in most suburban areas because the grass ecosystem serves as a natural filter for the environment. At this time of COVID-19 crisis, we can understand more than ever the massive difference a lack of pollution can make – this is a warning from mother nature, together with an exhibition of a pollution-free, higher quality of life. We will surely survive this crisis, but this is not the end. If we don’t change our ways to create a balanced and symbiotic living situation with mother nature, a crisis direr than this can occur again very soon. So it is time we learn to maintain our lawns in an eco-friendly manner.

Why is lawn care important amidst COVID-19 crisis

Jim’s gardening says a healthy and well-maintained lawn is not only a natural comforter for everyone’s eyes, but they also improve the quality of your garden in a number of ways.

• They control the erosion of soil and keep other plants in your garden well-rooted.
• They are the nesting place for numerous micro-organisms which build the soil structure that helps crops grow successfully.
• They recharge and protect the quality of groundwater and provide flood control.
• They purify water for the aquifer, capturing and breaking down pollutants in it.
• They help entrap and biodegrade synthetic organic compounds.
• They absorb a substantial amount of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants.
• They cool down the environment around them.
• A neat and clean lawn provides an open green space which enhances the visibility for potential intruders like possums which can destroy your garden as well as reduces the spread of fire if there is a fire outbreak.
• There are studies that have shown that regular access to lawns or green spaces can increase your productivity, reduce stress levels, and generally improve your mood.

All these only mean that your lawn exists in order to protect you. As a matter of fact, if a lawn remains uncultivated for a year, it is less likely to have the ability to come back from the effects of adverse weather conditions as well as attacks from insect and disease infestations, which don’t care much about any crisis, fatal to humans or not. Moreover, if your lawn is disease-infested and rotting, it can very quickly spread to your entire garden, infecting all the plants. If there is even a tiny sighting of an infection in your lawn grass, this is not the time to procrastinate on the lawn services. It is still unclear when the society will be able to begin all activities at a normal pace again, so if you leave out lawn mowing and maintaining for as long as that takes, it might go, rogue, inviting danger to your garden as well as your household.

How to take care of your lawn at this time

Lawn care services have been allowed by the government of Australia, but they are limited to safety, security, sanitation, or essential maintenance purposes only. Also, every company including Jim’s gardening has fewer employees present at work right now and so it will be difficult for you to receive help with your lawn services right away. So it is important for you to learn to care for your lawn yourself, especially tend to emergencies. What is more, you need to avoid the trips to the service centre for your lawn equipment since those will certainly be closed. Not to worry, we have described how you can do that in details in this article.

Jim’s mowing says that the first rule of lawn mowing is to plan ahead and have a well-organized execution of the plan. Here is how you can easily have a well-maintained lawn :

• Start with obstacles while mowing your lawn:

  • Remove unnecessary obstacles: Rocks, weed, sticks, hoses, toys etc not only make your lawn dirty, but they can also get in the way of lawn mowing. So take these out before you start with your work.
  • Mow around the immovable obstructions: It is best to mow around the flowerbeds, trees, statues, walkways etc which cannot be removed, and then start with your usual mowing.

• Take care of your mower well:

If you don’t have a lawnmower of your own already, you cannot buy one in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, but you sure can borrow from your neighbour. However, Jim’s mowing warns you to make sure you get a good mower which is wide, reliable, and high-quality. It will save you a lot of time and your neighbour a lot of money on repairs. Whether it is your won, or your neighbour’s, it is important that you take good care of it before, during, and after mowing so that no one has to go for a servicing now or later.

• Keep your mower blades sharp: If your mower’s blades are dull, you will have to go over the same patch of grass more than once to trim it and destroy your mower in the process.
• Clean your mower soon after using it once: Always wash the mower blades and the discharge chute after one use. Procrastination in this may cause crusty grass accumulations which are really difficult to remove.
• Protect your mower before going in the field: Save time cleaning your mower by using cooking spray on the blades right before using it. In case your mower is the one where you have to turn it over to deal with the blades, remember to empty the gas tank prior to it, if you have one, to prevent gas spills.
• Prevent clogging your discharge chute: Keep your discharge chute facing towards the strip you just mowed to prevent clogging. Moreover, this method allows the grass clumps to be discharged in the garden itself, recycling them as great organic fertilisers.

• Have prior knowledge of the grass in your garden:

  • Mow a dry lawn: Let your lawn dry before you trim your grass in order to finish the task effectively in one go and leave only evenly cut grass.
  • Add variety to your mowing pattern: Change your mowing pattern every time to prevent the grass from leaning in one direction at the time of growth.

• Make patterns while mowing to do it efficiently:

Mowing in patterns saves you a lot of time, however, every lawn has a particular mowing pattern appropriate to it. Jim’s gardening suggests you try out a few patterns to find the one most suitable to you.

1. Row pattern: If your lawn has more length than width, you mow it lengthwise and if the width is more, you mow widthwise. This way you take much fewer turns, saving you time.
2. Circular pattern: This is very effective as if you mow in concentric circles, you take turns in the same direction every time which makes mowing much easier. This also helps you in case you forgot to go around obstacles in your garden in the beginning.

• Double spiral pattern: Circular pattern works best if you can start at the centre of your lawn and work outwards. Otherwise, you can start on the outside, work in circles leaving one unmowed patch each time. Once you reach the centre, you take a turn in an S-pattern and mow in the direction you came from, getting the patches you left out the last time. You get out of your lawn along with your mower, vegetation and pattern intact.

Conclusion

The above tips will certainly help you save a lot of time mowing your lawn. In case it is absolutely not possible for you, expert lawn services at Jim’s mowing are always there to help you – just give us a call.