Garden Advice

How to Get a Stripped Lawn

Fantastic Team
Published: Jun 22/2022
Last update: May 22/2024
5min read
Views: 98

Stripes on the grass can look fabulous and neat thanks to how they reflect light. One row is pointed towards your home, the other in the opposite direction and so on. Explained like this, it sounds easy, but is it so easy to get stripes on your lawn on your own?

If you:

want to achieve that fresh striped look and finish on your lawn;
want to know what kind of mower you need for this type of job;
want to know how to prepare your grass properly.

Then read along and you will learn how to stripe a lawn.

Choose the right mower for your striped lawn

To make your lawn striped, you must have a lawnmower with a roller attachment. It is the weight of the roller which actually bends the grass with its weight. Besides that, it also has some other advantages. For example, the roller flattens worm casts and divots and allows you to get closer to the edge of the lawn but won’t drop over the edge.

If your current grass mower doesn’t have an attachment, you can purchase one separately. Or if you are in the market for a brand new mower, be sure to take the following points into consideration:

The mower must be small enough to fit into your garden shed or garage;
It needs to have height adjustments for its blades. This is crucial for grass striping;
It needs to either have a roller or have the option to have one attached.

Always make sure the blades of your mower are clean and sharp. Dull blades don’t cut grass, instead, tear it. If the grass is not clean-cut, it will recover more slowly and will be more susceptible to weeds and invasive species. Plus, with sharp blades, the mowing process is actually faster, compared to when the blades are dull.

How to prepare your lawn for striping

You should be well aware that some grasses look better when stiped than others. Cool-season grasses, such as ryes, bentgrass, and fescues, will look lovely when striped, while warm-season grasses, such as St. Augustine grass or Bermuda, are stiffer and don’t stay bent over as long.

No matter what kind of grass you have though, it needs to be in its best shape so you can stripe it. The thicker and more lush your lawn, the better your stripes will look. Hopefully, your grass is already healthy, but if it isn’t, you can take the following actions. Mind you, these are not an easy fix if you’ve neglected your garden the entire year before that.

Remove moss and weeds – when you remove the undesired plants, there will be less competition for resources, and your grass will be healthier and stronger.
Scarify regularly – that will keep moss and thatch levels to a minimum.
Fill patchy areas – always use high-quality seeds when reseeding.
Fertilise the lawn – fill patchy areas with some overseeding.

A few words on mowing height

Growing conditions are different throughout the year and so must be your mowing height. Mow your grass about:

5-6.5 centimetres (2-2.5 inches) for autumn and winter
2.5-3.5 centimetres (1-5 inches) for spring and summer
3.5-5 centimetres (1.5-2 inches) for extra hot conditions

When the weather is hotter than usual, you need to raise the height of the mower blades. This will allow the grass to better retain moisture and provide shading for itself. This shading in turn will prevent potential scorching. On the other hand, never cut your grass too short because it may become weak and weeds will develop more easily.

How to stripe your lawn

Now when you know how to take care of your lawn and have the proper tools at your disposal, it’s time to get down to the actual striping process.

Choose your line of sight
go to the area of your garden where you spend most of your time. The stripes need to run parallel from this point and not perpendicularly. If your stripes run perpendicularly to the area, they won’t be very noticeable.
Mark the first stripe
If this is your first time, use a piece of string to mark the first stripe. Start from the corner of your lawn. Once you mow the first stripe in accordance with the string, you can use that as a guide to mow all the following stripes.
Set your mower to the highest setting
be careful not to trim more than ⅓ of the grass blades when mowing. The longer the grass, the easier it will stay bent. The key is to mow often and not on a lower setting.
Turn 180 degrees
when you reach the end of each stripe, turn 180 degrees and continue with the next stripe by carefully aligning the mower to the previous stripe. By having each stripe mowed in the opposite direction, you will get that nice pattern.
Finishing touches
go over the stripes again, this time with the mower turned off. This will make them last longer until the next time you stripe the lawn. You will also remove any turn marks this time around.

Extra tips:

– Change the direction – do this every two weeks, at least, so the grass blades wouldn’t get used to laying only in one direction. By changing the mowing pattern, you also prevent ruts and compaction of the soil.
– Cut the grass when it’s dry – the grass blades are cut more evenly when they’re dry.
– Use a strimmer for any tight corners.
– If your garden has an odd shape, create a stripe in the middle and use that as a guide for all the other ones.

Hire a professional gardener!

If the task of striping your lawn seems too daunting for you, then hire a professional. Fantastic Services works with experienced and fully equipped gardeners who can provide you with a high-quality lawn care service. They will not only stripe your lawn but also aerate, scarify, top-dress, and overseed it, if needed.

Your lawn will not only look great with its new stripes, but it will also become healthier and lusher.

So, what are you waiting for?

Call us today and have your lawn looking stylish.