Mowing is the job of cutting the grass regularly to keep your lawn tidy and healthy. Cutting the grass encourages strong growth and finer grasses for a smooth, even lawn. The average lawn will need 30 cuts a year, but bear in mind that the less you cut your lawn, the slower it will grow. Your lawn will also benefit from some annual or on-going maintenance.

Top tips to make mowing easier

• If you have a close-cropped lawn it will need more frequent mowing. A longer 1-inch cut shouldn’t need mowing more than once a week in summer.
• Hard-wearing, slow-growing grass varieties are best if you are sowing a new lawn and avoid a fussy lawn shape with sharp curves as it will be more time consuming to maintain.
• Clover, daisies and other ‘weeds’ will keep your lawn greener in dry weather and leaving them in place will mean that you don’t have to spend time weeding.
• Lawns cut level with the path are easier to mow and try to plan the direction of mowing to avoid unnecessary turning, reversing or overlapping.
• If you use a wheelchair, it can be a good idea to reinforce the lawn. You can do this by laying semi-rigid netting, such as Netlon Turfguard, which allows the grass to grow through.
• If you can’t cope with the whole lawn, mow pathways, and leave the rest of the grass longer. Or perhaps consider reducing the size of your lawn.
• If you find the upkeep of your lawn difficult, consider replacing it with an area of paving, or other hard surface.

Taking care

• If you can manage to use a mower, be aware that it can put a strain on your back, legs and arms. Mow a stretch at a time, and don’t overdo it. Always 'warm up' with a few gentle stretches before you start.
• Make sure that any power-driven mower you use has a reliable speed control and have seats near the lawn where you can take regular breaks.
• All electrical equipment should always be fitted with a residual circuit breaker.

Equipment and tools for:

Mowing the lawn

• A strong wheelchair user might be able to manage a light hover mower but bear in mind that it will need to be carried, rather than wheeled into place. A small wheeled electric mower may be an alternative.
• If your lawn is a simple shape, a robotic battery powered mower might be suitable. It works by detecting a perimeter wire and mows the lawn automatically. Automatic and robotic mowers are now available from around £600 and once set up require little or no effort to use.
• Depending on your disability, a ride-on mower might be a good solution for mowing a larger lawn.
• A lawn mower with grass box reduces the amount of debris in the lawn and therefore the scarifying needed.
• You can cut trips to empty the grass box with a mulch mower, which chops up the cuttings to a fine mulch and deposits them on the grass.

Lawn maintenance

• A wheeled lawn feed applicator gives an even distribution of lawn feed and is particularly useful if you walk with a stick or use a wheelchair. You can also apply one of the mixes of feed and weedkiller in this way.
• Soluble feed or weedkiller can be applied using a spray attachment on your hose, a pump-spray and lance, or a watering can fitted with a rose. Some weedkillers also come in ready to use applicators
• Edging the lawn can be managed from a kneeling position – try using one-handed grass shears or battery powered (rechargeable) one-handed shears – but don’t over stretch.
• You might want to consider employing a specialist company to carry out seasonal lawn maintenance. They use machinery to weed, feed, aerate and scarify your lawn. This can be a cost effective solution as it will save you the expense of buying specialist equipment that you will only use once or twice a year.