With the arrival of spring, it's a good idea to start mowing your lawn again. In this article, Stefano explains how to do it and which tools to use to keep it lush green all season long!
Let's now find out in detail who our guest today is.
Stefano Pagano
For Stefano, the world of greenery is first and foremost a passion, and then a profession. His career began as a gardener, where over time he gained extensive experience and, above all, expertise.
His skill has led him not only to become known as an expert gardener but also to be sought after to write for local newspapers and to participate in television programmes on green issues.
Over time he began editing articles for the most important national magazines and still ends up in Italian homes every Sunday at 2:00 pm on ITALIA 1 with his E-garden column within the E-planet program.
Let's start now with a question that may seem trivial but to which not everyone can give a precise answer.
HOW TO MOW THE LAWN?
"The secret to enjoying a soft lawn that's perfect for little ones to play on is regular mowing.
Frequent mowing, in fact, promotes continued growth and greater development of the grass in width, especially if carried out with efficient machinery.
This reduces the free space within our lawn which, otherwise, could be occupied by unwelcome weeds or moss."
Let's now move on to defining one of the main dilemmas of all gardening enthusiasts.
WHEN SHOULD YOU MOW THE LAWN?
"There is no general rule since growth varies according to the mixture that makes up the lawn, the light and the water.
My advice, however, is to mow it frequently so that you never have to shorten the grass by more than 1/3 of its height.
Right now, we're still in the "first cuts" phase, where you can overdo it. But when the heat arrives, it's a good idea to leave the lawn higher to allow it to retain moisture and night dew, thus avoiding the risk of sunburn and the resulting brown spots on the turf.
ARE THERE GOOD PRACTICES TO FOLLOW BEFORE MAKING THE CUT?
"As for the first cut of the season, my advice is to get a rake and go through the lawn, removing stones, branches, and twigs that have accumulated during the winter months.
Before any mowing, however, it is a good idea to make sure that there are no toys left on our lawn by our four-legged friends that could damage the lawnmower.
Once these steps have been completed, we can turn on our lawnmower and make sure everything is working perfectly and that there are no strange noises. In that case, we'd better have it checked and, if necessary, repaired.
HOW SHOULD WE BEHAVE IN THIS CASE?
"There are so-called "light mechanical" jobs that we can do ourselves, such as replacing the used oil, which should be done periodically, but even changing the spark plug and cleaning the air filter will help the start-up experience.
Another very important operation, but one that must be carried out in maximum safety with thick gloves and a lawnmower without a spark plug, is sharpening the cutting blades.
A worn blade ends up fraying the grass and making it more susceptible to disease."
WHAT IS MULCHING?
"It is a type of mowing without collecting the residue. The term mulching is an English word that means mulching.
In this practice, the lawnmower pulverizes and disperses grass particles on the lawn, protecting and fertilizing it at the same time.
If you decide to carry out this practice, mowing must be done every week because these machines have difficulty working on tall and uneven lawns."
We thank Stefano Pagano for his time and valuable advice. We close this article by suggesting some ideal products to use this time of year for your green space.
