What Causes Strips From a Riding Lawn Mower?

Riding mowers are great for folks with large yards or bad knees. According to the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, a riding mower can finish off a fairly flat acre of lawn in an hour, but a 21-inch walk behind mower will take 2-1/2 to 3 hours, and the one pushing it will walk 6 miles. Once you master turns and hills, use your rider to make attractive, wide stripes on your lawn.

How Lines Form

Your riding mower cuts a wide swath, so it's important to keep the blade sharp and mow at the highest mark that's acceptable for your type of grass. Its rotary blade swishes the grass around as it cuts and the back of the blade housing brushes it forward as it passes over, leaving a path where your mower has traveled. When you travel back in the opposite direction next to the first line, your mower creates a second path lying in the opposite direction – the contrast establishes the lines.

Other Considerations

Every yard has different contours, so take the time to try different methods of cutting until you find a safe, efficient way to cut yours. Before starting, run around the perimeter of the yard a few times so the turns you'll make don't show up at the edges of your pattern. Your tires will make lines in damp grass, too, so wait for the grass to dry in the morning or after a shower to mow.

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