Many people wonder, “What’s the difference between a professionally cut lawn and home cut?”

Spoiler alert! You don’t need to do buy any specialized lawn equipment!

Here’s 3 simple tricks that will take your lawn from amateur hour to professional over night:

1. Maintain Your Lawn Mower

Before each use you should do a quick inspection of your lawn mower. Check the that the wheels are tight, your blades are sharp and that the gas tank is full (never fill up on your grass!!!). You should have your mower serviced at least once a season. Any local mower repair shop can perform a full service on your mower to make sure it’s making the optimal power for that perfect cut. Also, be sure to clean your mower after every use, failing to do so will shorten the lifespan of your lawn mower. A dirty mower deck will also reduce the amount of lift produced by your mower, which will significantly degrade the quality of your cut.

2. Mow Like a Pro

No professional landscaper will do the spiral cut on your lawn, and you shouldn’t either. Professional landscapers always make anywhere from 1-3 passes around the perimeter of the lawn, then work in a straight line back and forth until the lawn is cut. For a typical homeowner style lawn mower you should do 2 passes around the perimeter, then use the already mowed perimeter as your turn around space after each pass. Think about how a swimmer does laps, they swim back and forth in a lane, rather than swimming around the edge of the pool.

(Bonus Tip: By alternating patterns from week to week you’ll reduce soil compaction and eliminate those stubborn spots that seem to “lay down” when you cut them)

3. The Devil is in the Details

One of the biggest differences between a professionally cut lawn and a home cut is the detail work. When a professional mows your lawn they will trim the corners and perimeter of your lawn with a string trimmer. This little detail really differentiates between a professional job and a home cut. Use a string trimmer to trim around any objects in your yard and around the perimeters and you’ll take your mowing game to the next level! For an added effect you can use an edger (or a flat nose shovel that can be found at your local hardware store) and define the edges between your lawn and your beds/sidewalks/driveways.

Conclusion:

You don’t have to hire a professional lawn mowing service in order to get that professional look you desire. However, it can be very tedious, and there’s much more to having a great looking lawn than just how you mow. Prefer to leave the work up to the pros? Call Cascade Lawn Care today. I can provide you with a free consultation and an estimate of a plan to make your lawn the envy of the neighborhood!

Charlie Dunlap
(360) 389-2557
charliedunlap@cascadelawncare.com