Re: lawn mower

kgkg1010@aol.com wrote:
> 
> We need a new lawn mower for our soon to be new lawn. Should we get a rotary
> or a reel type mower? The lawn area is fairly small -- at least it seems
> small compared to the five acres we used to mow. Thanks for your help.
> Kathleen

Hi Kathleen,

A lot depends on (a) the kind of lawn, and (b) what kind of result you
wish to achieve.

(a) If your lawn is very level, then either kind of mower can be used
successfully, but if it is uneven, or has large stones very close to the
surface (as ours has!), then I think a rotary will be a better
proposition. With a /very/ small lawn. it might be practical even to use
a "push" reel mower. This will be quieter than any motor driven one,
also non-polluting, and you will gain healthful exercise for yourself
into the bargain!!!

(b) A reel mower will produce a much neater effect, and - should you
wish it - you can get that very neat "striped" effect that English lawns
usually show, due to the way in which the cutting action, followed up by
the roller at the back of the machine, leaves all the cut grass facing
the same way that the mower went over it.

A reel mower will also cut shorter (if you wish to do this), however,
there are advantages (for the grass) in cutting it much higher than
"lawn fanatics" like. Grass kept cut very short is unable to support
adequate roots - if it had them to start with, they will die off to what
the short grass blades can feed, but if you cut the grass "long", then
the blades (leaves) of the grass will feed and support a much more
vigorous and deeper root system. This in turn promotes stronger top
growth and this has the advantages of crowding out most annual weeds and
also of allowing the grass to remain green longer in dry weather.

Even a reel mower can usually be "set" to cut higher, while rotaries can
usually be set higher still.

We ourselves use a rotary, and since we learnt this wisdom about leaving
the grass longer, we have had much less trouble with annual weeds (we
still get the perennials and deep-rooted ones) and with moss, which is
also crowded out by more vigorous grass (this effect also enhanced by
feeding the grass with compost!) and our grass undoubtedly remains green
throughout our summer when the neighbours' grass (cut short) goes dry
and brown.

The most fanatical of the "cut long" advocates, recommend leaving the
grass three inches tall after cutting. Our own mower does not allow this
much adjustment, but we do cut ours to about two inches, and this has
markedly improved the grass. However, we are not "lawn fanatics" and are
satisfied with slightly rough grass areas.

Tony
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ.     Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
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