Lawn mowers and lawns full of moss
LarryA
Posts: 6
I've had the same petrol push mower for years and it has never let me down (even though it's never been serviced)! My lawn has become increasingly full of moss however, and the last few times I've attempted to cut it (even when the grass has been quite short and dry) the front of the mower has bogged down and made pushing very hard.
I don't actually have a problem with the moss itself (and the lawn is pretty big and growing on very poor soil, so the last thing I want to do is kill the moss off or rip it out) - if it's green I'm happy. However, I was wondering if there are mowers that are designed to actually ride higher at the font, to stop this type of problem. Or are there any other solutions, like bigger wheels for mowers to increase the overall clearance?
Posts
We have a Toro petrol lawnmower, and never had that problem. We have so much moss, I basically hoover our lawn as so little grass.
It has the same size wheels front and back. Sorry not very technical, don't know if that makes a difference.
My lawnmower has wheel height adjustments, check to see if your's does. If so, just raise the front up higher than the back. Or even just raise the entire mower deck up higher to a height your moss is happy with.
You should also sharpen your blade (or purchase a new one). They are fairly easy to sharpen with a flat file (I've always sharpened my own). As it's petrol, don't flip it upside down to do it (as you could with electric).. just raise it up a bit either on the front or back and try to reach it. Alternatively, it's far better to remove the blade to sharpen it properly in a vice.. but I'm too lazy myself, so just lay down on the pavement with the front up about six inches and reach the best I can.
The moss could be due to compaction - therefore aerate the lawn (add compost or sharp sand if you have clay soil) and hopefully the lawn will improve. You could also scarify to get rid of the moss, which would help a little. My point being better lawn - no need for new mower. However I did buy the cheapest petrol mower I could find (B&Q?) and all the wheels have the ability to be raised or lowered. The highest setting give a cut of about 2 inches.