you should be blowing the clipping where you have not mowed this gives them
a shot to get cut again you should basically mow in a spiral from the
outside in!

Wayne

"Janice" wrote in message
...
On 14 Apr 2004 08:19:50 -0700, (Don) wrote:

I have about two acres and a 48 inch cut Craftsman lawn mower. Every
time I mow I leave tons of grass clippings. I cut it very short I
think. I only have time to mow once a week.

What is the proper "technique" for mowing? I think part of my problem
is that I usually mow "clockwise" and probably should be mowing so I
blow the clippings where I have just mowed. The reason I dont do this
is it will blow clippings on my driveway/sidewalk/mulch. ANy help
would be appreciated! No one ever showed me the proper way to mow.

By the way I bought some blades that say mulching/discharge blades
from Sears for this mower. Should I make a plate to block the
clippings from being "shot" out? So the mulching blades will chop them
up finer? Any help is appreciated!

3" is the recommended length to cut the lawn to. Shorter is damaging
to most grasses.

Make a pass or two one way, then do the rest the other way. Bag the
first couple passes .. sounds like you're not bagging/collecting the
grass.. such a shame, what a compost pile you could have ;-)

If you want to mulch, then you gotta cut more frequently, and at that
3" height, shouldn't be cutting off more than 1/4 to 1/2 inch I'd
think if you truly want it to mulch, and have the cut off grass fall
to the ground between the grass blades decompose and feed the lawn.
Otherwise, you're just makin' thatch that will eventually kill off
some of the grass and leave openings for weed seed to grow.

Mow a bit each night instead of a big mow once a week.. or hire
someone else to do it if you don't have time.

Reduce your lawn area through landscaping. I'd imagine if you don't
have time to mow, you don't have time to vegetable garden.. although
that would give you a place to use grass clippings that aren't
contaminated with herbicides.

Janice

The guideline is not to cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade at any
mowing. Do not mow grass when it is wet. A mulching mower is
supposed to be like a blender that chops grass blades into small
pieces. It is better to alternate mowing patterns to avoid lines,
ruts, and improve evenness. I would not alter the deck configuration,
but follow advisements in the owner's manual.

On 14 Apr 2004 08:19:50 -0700, (Don) wrote:

I have about two acres and a 48 inch cut Craftsman lawn mower. Every
time I mow I leave tons of grass clippings. I cut it very short I
think. I only have time to mow once a week.

What is the proper "technique" for mowing? I think part of my problem
is that I usually mow "clockwise" and probably should be mowing so I
blow the clippings where I have just mowed. The reason I dont do this
is it will blow clippings on my driveway/sidewalk/mulch. ANy help
would be appreciated! No one ever showed me the proper way to mow.

By the way I bought some blades that say mulching/discharge blades
from Sears for this mower. Should I make a plate to block the
clippings from being "shot" out? So the mulching blades will chop them
up finer? Any help is appreciated!

Richard J Kinch wrote:
Don writes:


What is the proper "technique" for mowing?


Boustrophedonically.


Just hitch a yoke of oxen to the mower. They'll know what to do.

Dale Scroggins

Carl Byrns scribed in
:

6) With two acres of land, any 48" garden tractor is too small. You
need to move up to a 62" zero turn mower or a used 72" commercial
out-front deck machine.

or, get two used engine driven push mowers and tow them behind the
rideon, one each side, or both one side, so you mow a wider swatch.
make sure they are the type with a grass box, and leave the box off
so the clippings go out the back.

yes, you may have trouble in turns or the fiddly bits, but the
majority will be much quicker

sure to be a lot cheaper than a new rideon, but you sure have a lot
of grass there. considered leaving some of it long?
I have an area of my yard that is hard to mow (steep slope), so I
don't, it is just about a foot high and stays about that. no sweat.
and the dogs prefer to shit there rather than the short grass (-:

swarf, steam and wind

--
David Forsyth -:- the email address is real /"\
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PLEASE pretend you don't know me.

William Morris scribed
in :

On the subject of mulching mowers: hate 'em. Hate the *******s.
If the grass if at all high they clog, and always make a mess in
the garage when they're put up. Either collect or discharge the
clippings, and forget the guilt.

and pay for the fertilizer and water your lawn will now use more of.
the mulch fertilizes the lawn
the mulch retains water for you.
I live in an arid climate and water is expensive. your milage may
vary

swarf, steam and wind

--
David Forsyth -:- the email address is real /"\
http://terrapin.ru.ac.za/~iwdf/welcome.html \ /
ASCII Ribbon campaign against HTML E-Mail - - - - - - - X
If you receive email saying "Send this to everyone you know," / \
PLEASE pretend you don't know me.

Richard J Kinch wrote:
Don writes:


What is the proper "technique" for mowing?


Boustrophedonically.


Just hitch a yoke of oxen to the mower. They'll know what to do.

Dale Scroggins
Sounds like a bad yoke to me....
Ken.

"DejaVU" wrote in message
...

I have an area of my yard that is hard to mow (steep slope), so I
don't, it is just about a foot high and stays about that. no sweat.
and the dogs prefer to shit there rather than the short grass (-:

"Don't go into the tall grass" - Soon to be dead guy in one of those
Jurassic Park movies

Joel. phx


swarf, steam and wind

Joel Corwith scribed in
:

"DejaVU" wrote in message
...

I have an area of my yard that is hard to mow (steep slope), so I
don't, it is just about a foot high and stays about that. no
sweat.
and the dogs prefer to shit there rather than the short grass (-:

"Don't go into the tall grass" - Soon to be dead guy in one of those
Jurassic Park movies

ROFL!

swarf, steam and wind

--
David Forsyth -:- the email address is real /"\
http://terrapin.ru.ac.za/~iwdf/welcome.html \ /
ASCII Ribbon campaign against HTML E-Mail - - - - - - - X
If you receive email saying "Send this to everyone you know," / \
PLEASE pretend you don't know me.

You should only take off 1/3 of the height of the blade of grass.


"wayne" wrote in message
news:2vkfc.140476$w54.900311@attbi_s01...
you should be blowing the clipping where you have not mowed this gives
them
a shot to get cut again you should basically mow in a spiral from the
outside in!

Wayne

"Janice" wrote in message
...
On 14 Apr 2004 08:19:50 -0700, (Don) wrote:

I have about two acres and a 48 inch cut Craftsman lawn mower. Every
time I mow I leave tons of grass clippings. I cut it very short I
think. I only have time to mow once a week.

What is the proper "technique" for mowing? I think part of my problem
is that I usually mow "clockwise" and probably should be mowing so I
blow the clippings where I have just mowed. The reason I dont do this
is it will blow clippings on my driveway/sidewalk/mulch. ANy help
would be appreciated! No one ever showed me the proper way to mow.

By the way I bought some blades that say mulching/discharge blades
from Sears for this mower. Should I make a plate to block the
clippings from being "shot" out? So the mulching blades will chop them
up finer? Any help is appreciated!

3" is the recommended length to cut the lawn to. Shorter is damaging
to most grasses.

Make a pass or two one way, then do the rest the other way. Bag the
first couple passes .. sounds like you're not bagging/collecting the
grass.. such a shame, what a compost pile you could have ;-)

If you want to mulch, then you gotta cut more frequently, and at that
3" height, shouldn't be cutting off more than 1/4 to 1/2 inch I'd
think if you truly want it to mulch, and have the cut off grass fall
to the ground between the grass blades decompose and feed the lawn.
Otherwise, you're just makin' thatch that will eventually kill off
some of the grass and leave openings for weed seed to grow.

Mow a bit each night instead of a big mow once a week.. or hire
someone else to do it if you don't have time.

Reduce your lawn area through landscaping. I'd imagine if you don't
have time to mow, you don't have time to vegetable garden.. although
that would give you a place to use grass clippings that aren't
contaminated with herbicides.

Janice

You should only take off 1/3 of the height of the blade of grass.


"wayne" wrote in message
news:2vkfc.140476$w54.900311@attbi_s01...
you should be blowing the clipping where you have not mowed this gives
them
a shot to get cut again you should basically mow in a spiral from the
outside in!

Wayne

"Janice" wrote in message
...
On 14 Apr 2004 08:19:50 -0700, (Don) wrote:

I have about two acres and a 48 inch cut Craftsman lawn mower. Every
time I mow I leave tons of grass clippings. I cut it very short I
think. I only have time to mow once a week.

What is the proper "technique" for mowing? I think part of my problem
is that I usually mow "clockwise" and probably should be mowing so I
blow the clippings where I have just mowed. The reason I dont do this
is it will blow clippings on my driveway/sidewalk/mulch. ANy help
would be appreciated! No one ever showed me the proper way to mow.

By the way I bought some blades that say mulching/discharge blades
from Sears for this mower. Should I make a plate to block the
clippings from being "shot" out? So the mulching blades will chop them
up finer? Any help is appreciated!

3" is the recommended length to cut the lawn to. Shorter is damaging
to most grasses.

Make a pass or two one way, then do the rest the other way. Bag the
first couple passes .. sounds like you're not bagging/collecting the
grass.. such a shame, what a compost pile you could have ;-)

If you want to mulch, then you gotta cut more frequently, and at that
3" height, shouldn't be cutting off more than 1/4 to 1/2 inch I'd
think if you truly want it to mulch, and have the cut off grass fall
to the ground between the grass blades decompose and feed the lawn.
Otherwise, you're just makin' thatch that will eventually kill off
some of the grass and leave openings for weed seed to grow.

Mow a bit each night instead of a big mow once a week.. or hire
someone else to do it if you don't have time.

Reduce your lawn area through landscaping. I'd imagine if you don't
have time to mow, you don't have time to vegetable garden.. although
that would give you a place to use grass clippings that aren't
contaminated with herbicides.

Janice

Xref: kermit rec.gardens:272524 alt.home.repair:463864 rec.crafts.metalworking:449806

Fisher Price wrote:

You should only take off 1/3 of the height of the blade of grass.

(I can just see some poor sucker laying there, measuring each blade,
and calculating 1/3.)