The frequency and height of cut will depend on the use to which the lawn will be put. By varying them the lawn can have either a formal appearance or a more natural look. There are a wide variety of lawnmowers available, and again, these should be chosen to be appropriate to needs and circumstances. For a small lawn a hand push mower with cylinder cutting blades would be sufficient, but for larger areas it might be worthwhile to consider the benefits of power mowers, including mulching mowers. These chop the cut grass into tiny fragments which are then blown down close to the soil surface where they will quickly decompose, recycling nutrients and adding fertility to the turf. Regular mowing should only be required during the growing season between spring and autumn. Frequency will depend upon speed of growth, which will vary according to conditions, but generally speaking a weekly trim will be sufficient in early spring, increasing to twice a week later on, especially on play areas or that are required to be neater. Grass growth decreases again in autumn, and whilst the grass will still grow in winter, it isn’t usually necessary to mow, besides which conditions are often too wet.

Longer grass tends to resist drought better than short grass, and is more able to compete with weed growth. Most lawn areas can be cut to about 3 cm (1.5”), although may be shorter in play areas. Lawn mowings should never be discarded, instead should be either composted, used as a high nitrogen compost activator or used as a mulch around trees, shrubs or vegetables.

The organic gardener can recreate the traditional ‘stripe’ pattern favoured in more formal landscapes simply by using a cylinder mower or one fitted with a rear roller, but these can be a chore to maintain. Instead interest and wildlife friendly habitats can be created by mowing large lawn areas to different heights, leaving some areas to grow long with mown ‘paths’ between them.

Lawn edges can be trimmed with long handled shears, which avoid the need to bend down, and occasionally cut to a clean border edge using a spade or half-moon edge cutter.