Recently, we posted about making proper watering and mowing techniques part of your spring lawn care routine. Here, we follow up with basic tips for maintaining your lawn mower. Keeping your mower in good working order does more than spare you the hassle of a breakdown. It also affects the health and appearance of your lawn.
For your lawn to be its healthiest, both the grass and the root system need to be getting enough nutrients and other resources. Without regular mowing, the grass uses up more than its fair share of resources to grow longer. Since you’ll be removing the over-growth once your mower is back up and running, those resources essentially get wasted, when they could have been nurturing the root system.
Also, depending on how long it’s been since you last mowed, there’s a good chance the color of the grass that remains after you finally mow again will be pale green or even brown, instead of the rich green you want.
Late spring and early summer are the peak growing periods for warm-season grasses, so it’s especially important to stay on top of mowing. Here are some maintenance essentials to keep your mower going strong all season.
Our 5-Point Mower-Maintenance Checklist
Before performing maintenance, please be sure to disconnect the spark plug wire. This is a must-follow safety measure to prevent the mower from starting and the blade from spinning while you’re working on it.
1. Check the spark plug.
A dirty or fouled spark plug makes starting the mower difficult and can prevent it from starting at all. Once you’ve disconnected the spark plug wire, remove the plug. If you see dirt or signs of corrosion, you can clean it using brake cleaner and a wire brush or simply replace it.
2. Change the oil.
This should be done after 50 hours of use or once a year, whichever comes first. Running time and seasonal temperature changes cause the oil to degrade, which reduces the mower’s performance and lifespan.
3. Check the air filter.
Most filters need to be cleaned or replaced every three months or at the start of each season. Check the mower manual to see if the filter can be cleaned and reused or if it needs to be replaced.
4. Have the blade sharpened.
A sharp mower blade makes a clean cut. A dull blade, on the other hand, rips and tears, resulting in grass that turns brown at the torn tips. Many hardware stores offer blade sharpening if you’re not up to doing it yourself.
5. Keep the mower deck free of debris.
It’s a good idea to clean the mower deck (the underside of the mower that houses the blade) at the start of the mowing season and again around mid-season. The grass and other debris that accumulates in the deck can become a vector for fungal disease, spreading it from one part of the lawn to another.
Our natural lawn care, including organic fertilization and add-on services like spring aeration, is designed to give you a healthy, great-looking lawn. By keeping your mower in tip-top shape, you can help maximize the benefits you get from our service.