Mow the lawn after sowing

The dream of a velvety green lawn carpet is within your grasp when the delicate blades of grass sprout after sowing. The first mowing of the lawn is now the focus to ensure that the time-consuming re-sowing meets the ambitious goals of ambitious home gardeners. The decision for the date is just as important as the mowing itself. Our green guide gives you all the relevant criteria to precisely choose the optimal time and your new one race to mow perfectly.

The height of the lawn determines the point in time

Height dictates the appointment

A look at the calendar does not provide you with the central information as to when it is for the 1st Time has come. Rather, it is the height of the young noble grasses that gives you a meaningful orientation for the optimal point in time. If sowing took place after winter, growth progresses rapidly on warm spring days. In contrast, the stalks allow more time in the cool autumn to gain height. No reliable conclusions can be drawn from the number of days since sowing as to when you will mow the lawn for the first time.

Mowing the lawn prematurely after sowing puts an end to all hopes for a dense, even sward. If the stalks have not reached their minimum height, they have not grown in the ground and are torn out of the ground together with their roots. If, on the other hand, the seedlings exceed their maximum height, this results in a shift of the vegetation point upwards, which also prevents closed scar formation. The ideal height for the first mowing pass also depends on the specific type of lawn.

• Sports and play lawn: 7.0 to 7.5 cm
• Ornamental lawn: 8.0 to 8.5 cm
• Shadow lawn: 10 cm

These values ​​apply both to new sowing on previously undeveloped land and to lawn renewal. Do not be afraid to measure with a folding rule when in doubt. A trained eye and years of experience are required to assess the current height of stature simply by looking at it. Since the first cut of the lawn sets the course for the formation of a gap-free, even sward, the effort is definitely worth it.

Ideal framework conditions

The height of growth plays a key role in choosing the perfect date for the first lawn cut; however, it is not the sole criterion. Other decisive factors must be taken into account so that your new lawn fulfills its function as a green business card to the fullest satisfaction. Therefore, please also take into account the weather and the current condition of the soil.

• dry, cloudy weather without direct sunlight
• largely dry lawn
• The night-time temperature minimum of 5 degrees Celsius is no longer undercut

If you make an appointment after winter, please also ensure that the meteorologists no longer announce any belated frosts. Likewise, the first frost in autumn should still be a long way off. If the lawn has not reached its ideal height before the onset of winter after the autumn re-sowing, put the first cut back until spring, as the grasses will now stop growing anyway.

Sharp lawnmower cutting blade

Flawless cut thanks to sharp knives

If your lawnmower celebrates its premiere on the newly laid lawn carpet, subject the blades to a thorough inspection beforehand. They should be freshly sharpened to leave a flawless cut. Blunt sickle knives fray the stalks or, in the worst case, tear the young grass out of the ground. The battered green provides an ideal target for diseases and pests.

In addition, the level of the engine speed contributes to an even cut. It should be at least 3,000 revolutions per minute that the cutter bar of a gasoline-powered lawnmower can do. This speed guarantees that the grass is cut smoothly and that there are no unnecessary cuts.

Proper lawn mowing

Correctly mow the lawn according to the one-third rule

If all criteria are met for the first cut after the lawn renewal, it depends on the correct implementation. The key to a perfect result is the depth of cut. If a lawn is mowed too short after it has been re-sown, the grasses cannot regenerate sufficiently until the next cut. In the long run, this leads to an accumulation of stress, to the detriment of vitality and scar density.

The golden rule of one thirds has proven itself excellently in practice. Accordingly, you do not cut more than a third of the stalk height per pass. If your ornamental lawn has reached a height of 80 mm after sowing, set the cutting height on the lawnmower to 50 mm. If the general conditions only allow a first cut with a stalk height of 100 mm, mow in stages. The first cut shortens the lawn to 70 to 75 mm. Only in the second pass is it mowed to the ideal height of 45 to 50 mm. Please adapt these values ​​to the respective type of lawn.

Exemplary cutting width

Pay special attention to the cutting width, create paths the first time you mow the lawn, as if drawn with a ruler. It's not difficult to include this detail in the mowing process. The horizontal wheel spacing on conventional lawnmowers is designed so that the mown tracks are between 30 and 55 cm wide, limited by the track of the wheels on the sides. To create a seamless green area, align the mower so that exactly the width of a wheel extends into the previously mowed path.

Before mowing the lawn

It is forbidden to enter before mowing

Surrounded by perennial beds, flower beds and bushes, the lawn is inevitably stepped on during maintenance work. This work should not be on the program shortly before the first mowing of the lawn. If an uncut lawn is trodden down, the grass will only straighten up slowly. The result is that the lawnmower does not catch all the stalks, resulting in an uneven cutting pattern.

Do not leave clippings lying around

Not every lawn mower is equipped with a collecting basket, so that at the end the green area is covered with clippings. If this layer is not removed promptly, rot, moss matting and fungal diseases are inevitable. Therefore, please always sweep the lawn clear and dispose of the clippings on the compost or use them as mulch in the ornamental and useful bed. However, this requirement does not apply if you are using a special mulching mower. Here, the clippings are chopped so finely that they fall between the grasses on the ground, where they can be used as organic fertilizer.

Respect rest periods

Motorized lawn mowers generate a high level of noise. So that the first lawn cut after new sowing does not impair the good relationship with the neighbor, we recommend observing the legal requirements. In the 32. Federal Immission Control Act regulates the operation of lawn mowers in residential areas. The most important data at a glance.

Petrol lawn mower

• Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. - Not on Sundays and public holidays

Mower with the EU Ecolabel

• Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. - Not on Sundays and public holidays

Hand mower

• Operation allowed at any time

Modern cordless and electric mowers bear the yellow-blue EU eco-label because they work very quietly. It is expected that the operating hours will be extended to Sundays and public holidays. Please note that states and municipalities have the right to have individual guidelines. Therefore, if in doubt, ask the local authority.