Mowing

Regular mowing makes a lawn dense and attractive. The grasses form new side shoots, leaf blades and runners, and weeds are effectively suppressed. The optimum cutting height is between 3.5 and 5 cm (never shorter than 5 cm in the shade). If the grass is mown shorter than its cutting tolerance, the lawn thins out.

If the grass is very long, always mow in several stages, never in a single cut. Depending on the region, lawn characteristics, weathering etc. the lawn must be mown around 20 to 25 times during the vegetation period between mid April to late October, i.e. approximately every week, depending on growth. Regular sharpening of the blades ensures a better cutting pattern and facilitates work.

Watering

Grass consists of almost 80% water. The water requirements of a lawn depend significantly on the temperature and the soil. As a rule of thumb, when watering, it is better to water less often and for a lengthy period rather than more often but briefly. During dry periods, sprinkle the lawn thoroughly in the evening once or twice per week. Water more frequently under trees and on sandy soil. You can test whether the quantity of water is sufficient using a spade: For this purpose, cut a sod to a depth of around 15 cm and check whether the water has penetrated to that depth. If this is the case, the lawn will be able to survive some surface dryness.

Fertilisation

At the beginning of the growth period in spring (approx. mid March), your lawn needs large amounts of nutrients. Provided the cuttings have not been regularly returned to the lawn through mulch mowing, spring fertilisation should take place in March or April.

Nutrients are essential for the growth of the grass, especially nitrogen (N), which promotes cell division and consequently the formation of every part of the plants. A lack of nutrients is visible through a loss of the green colour and poor growth. Good fertilisers contain nitrogen, potash, phosphate and magnesium in well-balanced proportions.

Mulching

Grass itself is an excellent fertiliser. With regular cutting using a VIKING mulch mower, grass cuttings can be left on the lawn where they decompose and serve as a valuable source of organic nutrients.

Remember: the cuttings must be finely shredded and spread. Their nitrogen content is rapidly mineralised and sustainably made available to the plants again.

Autumn leaves

These must be removed, not only for visual reasons, but so that the lawn does not ‘suffocate’ due to a lack of air and light. Provided that the grass is still growing, it can also be mown and the leaves sucked up at the same time. During the winter the grass should not exceed the normal cutting height of about 4 cm.