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020 3026 8712

Opening times
  • Call Weekdays 9am - 7pm (Closed Between 1pm & 2pm)
  • Saturday Phone Lines 10am - 4pm
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The First Cut Should NOT be The Deepest. And There Are Things To Do First.

They say spring is here. They say it’s around the corner. They say the first cut is coming up. I don’t know who they are but they are usually right and it won’t be long before you, I and the rest of the gardening fraternity need to do this.

One of the ‘they’ who says this is Dick Roberts our blogger and country gardener.  My old mate and eastern angles based green-fingered winemeister issued one of his annual first cut blogs  yesterday and advised a jolly decent machine to do it with (the fabulous new, exclusive and superb

value Racing 5073T 4-in-1 Hi-Wheel Self-Propelled Lawnmower at £249 (it’s a steal) 

So. The First cut. It will be on us sooner than we think.

We all know the lawn will be a little grumpy, feeling neglected and perhaps a little needy. So my first question is…are you going to barge straight in with your first cut like a bull in a china shop armed with a lawnmower, or are you going to give your precious sward a little careful preparation and TLC first?

here’s a clue. IT’S RHETORICAL. Of course, you are going to do some preparation. How could you not? Here are a few tips on little tasks to attempt before you get your faithful old mower out of its winter hibernation. ffff

  1. Try raking the lawn lightly to remove moss and matted patches. We’re not talking about full on scarifying yet, you will probably need to cut the lawn before you go for that,  but removing any detritus and some thatch with a rake will enable the lawn to breathe a little and you can get some more nutrients and air into the grass in the meantime so the next growth will be greener and lusher. Check for any obstacles and rubbish that might damage the lawn mower and check the foxes haven’t been using your lawn as a portaloo.
  2. You can also check the lawn for compaction. You may find that some basic and straightforward aerating will help even more air and food into the lawn and relive the compaction. See our MowHow article on aerating and compaction here.
  3. Of course, while you don’t want hard, compacted ground, neither do you want soggy ground. Make sure the ground is firm and not too wet when you do carry out your first cut. Wet clippings will clog up your mower, can cause problems with corrosion, can get everywhere and the cut will definitely not be as efficient.
  4. Check out your lawnmower properly. if you didn’t look after it when it went to bed for the winter NOW IS THE TIME. Let’s hope it’s not too late. You’ll need to make sure there is no old fuel in the tank, clean it, perhaps sharpen the blades, check all the switches and hinges, and so on. See here on MowHow for more details on preparing your mower for the spring
  5. If it’s too late and your mower has decided it’s time to go and live in the great shed in the sky, or you realise it’s just not going to make it through the season. Think about a new lawnmower. MowDirect has a comprehensive range for all needs. Just take a look here or have a look at our lawn mower buying guide articles on our knowledge base, MowHow.
  6. Again, when you do cut. DON’T TAKE TOO MUCH OFF. You really need to start on a high setting, if not your highest, and ease your way into your mowing routine. You do not want to scalp your lawn on the first go. The idea is to cut back winter growth in several stages. If your grass is 15cm tall, cut it back to 12cm on the first cut and next time maybe 9cm and the time after that 5cm.

Don’t forget to clean your mower after this cut. in fact, don’t forget to clean it after every cut, it will last longer and cut better.

And if you need any help and advice on any of the above or impartial advice about purchasing a new mower, please call us on 0345 4588 905 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri & 10am-4pm Sat) and one of our expert product advisors will be very happy to help.

All members of staff are extremely helpful and knowledgeable…no pressure to make a purchase, just good honest advice. I would definitely use them again…They were not pushy. They advised me on the best mower appropriate for my circumstances and not the most expensive. I cannot fault them in any way.’ REVIEW CENTRE

And enjoy your lawn.     Drew Hardy

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