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Gardening newbie.. HELP!

thomas.mitarasw9850uAIthomas.mitarasw9850uAI Posts: 4
in Problem solving
Hi all, I just recently moved into a new build property with a fairly large lawn which has rather overgrown over the last month or so. So I attempted to tackle it by using a trimmer and then a lawnmower but it has endless amount of leftover clumps of grass! 

What is the best way to get rid of it? Is it simply using a rake? I bought a leafblower thinking that'd do the trick but it was not at all powerful enough to get rid of that amount of leftover grass clumps. 

Many thanks!

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @thomas.mitarasw9850uAI - what do you mean by 'clumps of grass'? Is it just clumps of coarser grass perhaps?
    If you can post a photo, that might help too - the icon that looks like hills is the one for that, and if you can keep the pix at around 1MB or less, they load better  :)

    If the mower isn't cutting properly and evenly, it may be that blades need sharpening or replaced, so that's worth looking at too.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • thomas.mitarasw9850uAIthomas.mitarasw9850uAI Posts: 4
    Hi @Fairygirl thank you for your prompt response. Sorry I'm new the lingo as you can probably tell. 

    So this lawn was overgrown, I went over twice with my mower but as you can see its left lots of grass debris all over, really thick bunches of cut grass. So I'm not sure what should he my plan of action to sort it. 

    Would by sharpening my mowers blades destroy all of this for me or? 




  • WaterbutWaterbut Posts: 344
    I would take a rake or some sort of power scarifier to get rid of the dead grass and have have another go with your lawn mower. I assume your mower has a bucket attached for the cut grass.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    I would use a hand rake to get the worst of the cut grass up, then raise your mower to the highest level and use it like a vacuum to remove the rest, assuming your mower has a collection box.  Then you can reduce the height of the mower to get a shorter cut and get rid of other loose cuttings. You don’t need to do this all in one day, take time and you’ll see the difference after all your efforts!
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    This might be obvious, but make sure the grass box is fitted properly, and empty it before it gets so full that it overflows which might be pretty often when the grass is long but should be less of a chore if you cut the grass little and often.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I see - yes, as the others have said, it's better to use a box on the mower if possible, but if it's a hover type, that's not possible, so just rake it all up, and then give it another going over. As @Plantminded says, gradually lowering the height of the blades will help too. 
    If you mow regularly, but without taking too much off the height each time, that's always better. Once grass gets too long, it's harder to get a good result as it either doesn't cut well enough, and you have to do it a few times, or you can end up scalping it [making it bare ] which isn't good for the grass.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
     If you have moved and now have alot more lawn, is your lawnmower up to the job. Having the right size lawn mower for your lawn can save you alot of time.
    Perhaps not now but a thought for the future if that is the case.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Looks like you need a new mower to me . Either that or new cutter blades ,it looks like it’s been ripped up rather than cut . When our lawn looked like that , that’s what we did .
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