Mowing annual ryegrass is simple, given that it lasts for barely one season. Like its sister grass, the perennial ryegrass, Lolium multifolium, also needs to be mowed only two to three times per month at a mowing height of two to three inches.
In this blog post, we will guide you through the particulars of mowing this grass on the lawn. You will also get cool tips on how to improve the growth of grass after each mowing session.
Mowing Annual Ryegrass Like A Pro
In order to mow annual Ryegreass, get out your mower and ensure it is in good working condition before using it to mow systematically, and set a proper height. This grass needs mowing only for a brief period of active growth during late winter to mid-autumn as it is a cool-season grass.
– Get Your Mower Ready
The first step to mowing this grass is to take your lawn mower out of its shed and get it ready. The deck and blades need to be cleaned to prevent the grass tearing and blockage of the deck, because they will bring out different complications, if not.
What you must do is to ensure the fuel tank is not empty and fill it before starting the engine when needed. If you own a battery-powered mower, it must be charged fully before use.
It would be best if you took all the usual precautionary measures while operating machinery. If your mower is too loud, then it helps to wear mufflers to muffle the sound. What you must do to protect yourself is to wear goggles because grass might flow into your eyes. If the day is hot and sunny, then make sure to put on sunscreen and a hat and keep yourself well hydrated.
– Set A Proper Cutting Height
Once you get your mower ready, adjust the height of the deck according to the height you want your grass to have, this is upon your choice regarding the new height, and previously, how tall has it grown till now. Both annual and perennial ryegrass are at their healthiest when kept two to three inches short. Even if you like slightly taller grass, this one can be grown up to four inches.
Although keeping the grass lawn tall has the advantage that it will have to be mowed less frequently. However, this typically goes against the well-being of the grass because tall grass blades easily get bent and broken when walked upon. There is a lever on most lawnmowers with which you can increase or decrease the height of its cutting deck per your wishes.
– Clear Lawn Before Mowing
Make sure the lawn is empty, and no one is there before you mow grass in it. If you have kids at home, have them stay indoors until you are finished, because you do not wish to cause any trouble. The same goes for pets, as you must ensure they stay away from the lawn during mowing.
Make sure you have cleared out the way with different pieces of furniture, toys, rocks or any other debris also need to be picked up, or you will face a lot of obstructions during mowing. It is best to clean your lawn beforehand to eliminate even small debris like stones; otherwise, the mower will keep throwing them out with pressure.
– Ensure the Parameters
When mowing, it helps to mow around the periphery of the lawn first to create a proper outline within which to stay. If you do not have a square or a rectangular lawn, mow an outline first to create a square area in the center. This is only to make your task easier, so it is okay if you skip this part.
If there are obstacles in the lawn, like a tree or an ornament, it helps to mow around it first. Start systemically mowing the lawn from one side to the other so you can see all the spots.
On the other hand, if you want to create stripes on ryegrass, make one stripe in one direction and the adjacent one in the opposite direction. With regard to the latter, make sure that each adjacent line mowed overlaps the last one slightly; otherwise, you risk losing a thin line of uncut grass between each stripe, which would make things more difficult.
It would help if you also decided what to do with the grass clippings you cut. One option is to spread them all over the lawn as an instant fertilizer. A mulching type of blade comes in really handy in this case as it cuts grass finely enough for efficient lawn care. It is okay to bag the clippings instead and use them for your composting bin.
– Use A Trimmer Or An Edger to Finish
Once you are done mowing most of the grass, please take out your string trimmer and give your lawn a neat finish. Mowers are large machines and are often unable to reach grass in corners or around obstacles. These are the areas where a grass edger or a trimmer comes in handy as the last part of a mowing session, so if you get it last thing, it will be the ideal approach.
Ways To Mowing Annual Ryegrass Better
Ways to mow annual rygrass better is to place a schedule for cutting, and you must make sure that the blades are sharp and ready, this will ease your task and the process. Remember that you must change your direction of mowing once a while.
When you mow this annual grass variety, do it with clean and well-maintained mower blades. Only mow this grass once the gulf annual ryegrass seeds have germinated and grown about one to two inches tall.
– Place a Schedule For Cutting
It would be best if you decided on what height to keep rye grass so you can set the right schedule for mowing it. When the grass reaches that height or about four inches tall, it is time to take the mower out. Keeping the growth rate of this grass in mind, you will have to mow it every second or third day during its active growth.
You can stop mowing it once it enters the dormancy during the peak or during summers and even in winters. The last mowing session of the season should be carried out at least three weeks before the estimated date of winter dormancy. This annual grass dies during its period of dormancy despite good care and weed control, so there will be no need to mow it then.
– Keep The Blades Sharp And Ready
Having sharp and well-maintained cutting blades is an absolute necessity for mowing ryegrass. You will tear the grass with old, overused, dull blades instead of slicing through it neatly. A torn grass uses all of its energy to heal itself, leading to slow-growing and poor-quality when it is cutting the grass, this will make the matters more difficult and will end up with a weaker result.
If you mow grass regularly in an average-sized lawn, then sharpening the blade every five to six months or twice a year should be enough. Notably, the blade needs to be cleaned and disinfected before and after each use.
On the other hand, if you do no aim to do so, you will be risking the spreading potential infection in your lawn. Inspecting for damages in the blade and replacing it immediately in such a case is also pertinent.
– Change The Direction Often
It is understandable to get comfortable mowing grass only in one direction each time. Let’s say you always mow your annual grass lawn in rows from north to south. It would be best if you stopped doing this; otherwise, the grass will begin to bend permanently in that particular direction.
Not only will this affect the growth of the grass negatively, but you also risk making tire ruts in the soil. Try alternating the direction of lawn mowing every other week or every third week.
Conclusion
The annual type of ryegrass requires reseeding each year from ryegrass seeds and is a cool-season lawn that cannot grow in summers or very frosty winters.
- Allow this grass to grow about two to three inches tall before mowing it.
- This grass grows at a moderate speed, so that you will be mowing it approximately two to three times in one month.
- The cutting blade of the lawn mower better be clean and sharp, and the mower’s fuel full.
Hopefully, you will be able to cut your annual ryegrass much more efficiently after reading our detailed article.
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