Passing by a garden admiring a beautiful lawn stripes often brings a tinge of envy, but you will be happy to hear that knowing how to get a striped lawn is easy. It’s a straight forward process to do and you don’t need to bring in the professionals to achieve that classic striped look!
Stripes on your lawn are simply due to light reflecting off the grass blades in a certain direction. One row of grass will be facing away from you whilst the other is neatly facing towards you - making your lawn look fabulous. Knowing how to get a striped lawn makes the process easier, and you'll have a pristine garden lawn in no time!
What you’ll need to get a striped lawn:
- A pen and paper
- A cylinder mower with a rear roller or a striping kit attached to your mower
- A little time
Cylinder mowers are the best option when attempting to stripe a lawn, whilst rotary lawn mowers are not suitable for the desired effect. This is because cylinder mowers cut grass in a scissor-like motion, and they usually have an internal rolling cylinder that passes a stationary blade. Many cylinder mowers have a roller at the back, which is crucial for creating stripes as it bends the grass in the desired direction. If your lawnmower doesn’t have a roller, another option is to buy an attachment known as a lawn striping kit.
Preparing your garden lawn for striping
It's easier to stripe a lawn which is in a healthy condition since the dark-green coloured grass ensures the stripes will stand out! You may need to invest a little time preparing your lawn by removing moss and weeds, or perhaps filling patchy areas with some overseeding, or feeding your grass with some fast-acting liquid fertiliser to make your lawn vibrantly green and healthy.
Easy steps for how to get a striped lawn:
Step 1: Make a plan
Begin by sketching out your garden, which will help you plan your stripes. If you're lucky enough to have a rectangle-shaped lawn, it will make the job much easier. Paying attention to corners and shorter sections, if your lawn is irregularly shaped will ensure your lawn striping looks balanced and tidy. Your sketch will allow you to plan out what direction you will mow in.
Step 2: Mowing the grass
Next, start by setting your mower to the highest height setting and then mowing around the edges of the lawn at right angles. By doing this, you're ensuring the grass is cut right to the edges of your lawn. Then, focus on the stripes by lining your mower up in the direction you want your first row and mow to the end, turn 180 degrees and repeat until you reach the end of the lawn.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
Finally, intensify your stripes and make them a prominent feature of your garden. You can do this by either double-cutting or even going over the stripes again with the mower engine turned off and using just the roller.
Top tips for how to get a striped lawn:
- Cut the grass when it's dry
- Make sure you empty the clipping box regularly to prevent the mower from clogging
- Use a strimmer for tight corners or boxed areas.
We have a few more helpful guides and advice on mowing that you may benefit from:
If you have any questions, you can message us, and we will be happy to help.
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