How to Mow a Yard

Moving from an apartment to a house is exciting. Not only do you now have your own garage, you also have your very own front and backyard to care for. Your yard is very exciting, at least until its time to mow it for the first time. Here’s how to mow a yard.

Locate a Mower

Your first step in a successful mowing experience is to actually locate a mower to use. You may already own one in anticipation of this very day. You might be able to borrow one from a friend, family member or new neighbor, but don’t plan on making a habit of it. The old owners might have left one behind, but most likely your mowing needs are the cause of one of many trips to the home improvement store.

Buy a Mower

If you’re going to buy a mower, be sure you know what sort of yard you are working with – especially if this mowing experience is completely new to you. An average yard can be cut with a gas powered push mower. A self propelled mower helps with a yard that has hills or dips, or a larger yard, but is not required. Electric lawn mowers work best on smaller yards, and very large yards might be best cut with a riding or heavy duty propelled mower.

Buy Accessories

You’ll also need at least one additional piece of lawn equipment. A mower will cut 95% of the grass in the yard, but you need a weed eater or edger to go around sidewalks and objects in the yard such as metal yard art. A leaf blower and separate edger can supplement a weed whacker, but are not required.

Start the Mower

When you’ve assembled your supplies, read the instructions for your new mower or get help from its owner as to what fuel it requires. It’s likely it takes a combination of gas and oil, but read to be sure. Different mowers turn on different ways, but the most common push lawn mowers require a pull start. Push the prep button three to ten times to prime the mower. Then hold the handle down while pulling up quickly on the start cord.

It is common that a mower requires a few attempts at starting before the engine catches. If the engine doesn’t catch right away, don’t despair. Prime the engine again and pull. If the mower doesn’t catch in a few tries, consult with a friend or neighbor to see if you’ve missed a step.

Mow!

Once you get the mower going, hold down the handle and begin pushing it in rows over the yard. Overlap your rows slightly to avoid leaving a path between each pass. Go in straight lines to make your lawn appear manicured. If you are bagging your grass clipping you may have to stop to put the clipping in trash bags. If you’re mulching, you can mow your entire yard without stopping.

Trim

When the moving is complete, use your weed whacker to cut in on the edges you were unable to reach with the mower. Be sure to trim the grass along the flower beds, house walls, driveway, sidewalk and any other lawn objects. Then, put your equipment away, relax, and enjoy your manicured yard.

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