There is nothing quite like the look of a well kept lawn that has precise stripes running up and down it.  But getting this all important look isn’t always easy.  So how is it done – and how can you make sure you leave all your customer’s lawns with perfect stripes on them?

First of all it is vital to realize the effect is created by having the right equipment.  For instance if you have a hover mower and you use that to try and create stripes, you will be disappointed by the results.  The basic trick to getting stripes is to have something that is heavy enough to weigh down the grass and flatten it in one specific direction.  You can then go along the lawn in the opposite direction to flatten down the next section in the opposite way.

The trick to mowing the lawn and getting those stripes is to buy a lawn mower that has a roller attached to the rear.  When you mow the grass the roller goes along behind the mower and flattens it down after it has been cut.  As you go up and down the lawn you will gradually achieve the rolled striped look that we all know and love.

If you haven’t got this kind of mower you can always go for a rotary mower instead.  This is almost as good as it has wheels on it and these are enough to press down the grass to create the stripes you want.  The stripes will tend to be thinner than you would get if you had a mower with a roller on the back though.

Once you have the right mower you should always go along the edges of the lawn first.  If you don’t you will end up running out of room, and you will struggle to achieve the smartest stripes as you reach the outskirts of the lawn on each run.

Start by working out which way you want the stripes to go.  Once you have this straight in your mind, make sure you go along the outer edge of the lawn so you mow across the ends of where the stripes will eventually be.  Once you have gone around the edges you can start from the side you eventually finish up at, and start to put your stripes in.

Remember too that you need to overlap your stripes to a certain extent in order to get the best results.  If you try and match up the edges each time you will notice that there is a bigger chance of missing a strip and ending up with a tufty bit of grass sticking up just where you don’t want it!

As you work on different client’s lawns you will notice that some stripe more readily than others.  This is because the grass could well be different.  Not all grasses are the same; those which work better in this respect are those which lie down more easily than others.  But with the right mower you should still be able to get a pretty good result.

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