Achieve a Beautifully Striped Lawn With An Allett Cylinder Mower

February 17, 2017

Cylinder Mowers For Complex Lawn Stripes

Admit it. You want them. Those beautiful stripes on your lawn that'll make your grass look like a premier league football grounds pitch. Clean and professional. You're in luck, because it's really not too hard to make stripes in your lawn with an Allett cylinder mower. The effect of stripes you see on a lawn or sports field is simply light reflecting off the grass blades. Blades bent towards you look dark, while those bent the opposite way look lighter. Once you appreciate the effort that goes in to creating the perfect lawn stripe, you truly recognise the full worth of a crisp, sharp stripe. Our very own MD, Austin, shows you how here. A few months ago, we posted an update on creating the perfect lawn stripe. It is almost time to dust off the mower and get back out onto your lawn and get putting into practice the lawn stripes you've thought about over winter. We thought we'd give you a challenge with some more complex techniques to try your hand at. In order to achieve a striped lawn there are a few factors that come into play.

#1 As always, you must pick the perfect mower

You're not going to achieve flawless lawn stripes without a rear roller. A Cylinder mower is always best in our opinion, as it cuts cleanly like a pair of scissors which makes the grass plant less susceptible to disease. We have a range of cylinder mowers available for the Home Owner (Click Here). Every machine we manufacture will help you achieve a beautifully striped lawn. Please contact your local dealer for a friendly chat about which mower would be best suited to your lawn. We have a range of machines for a range of lawn tasks from scarifying to aerating and even brushing. Sports professionals and groundsmen, like the Home Owner, aim to achieve perfect aesthetically pleasing stripes. Professional groundsmen cut their pitches daily which helps them achieve a stronger stripe if they are mowing in the same direction. In order to achieve a strong stripe we recommend our Sports/Pro Range of cylinder mowers - we have a wide range to suit all tasks from cricket wicket and bowling green mowers to mowers that clean up debris after games. Get in touch with your local dealer or more information on our range, or contact Allett directly sales@allett.co.uk or 01889 271503.

#2 Make sure to carry out regular maintenance to improve lawn quality

The best way to do this, is to have a monthly check of our lawn care calendar. Each month we provide our top tips for what you should ideally be carrying out that month, in line with the season and what would be best for your lawn. For example, this February, you should be making a small application of fertiliser to the grass to give it a bit of a nutrient boost after the wet and cold winter. Now is also a perfect time to service your lawn mower, in preparation for creating your lawn stripes. As we get into March and April it is the ideal time to scarify your lawn and get rid of any unwanted thatch that has built up over the winter months. Allett's Classic and Kensington cylinder mowers incorporate an innovative Quick Cartridge system which allows you to swap out the standard six-blade cutting cylinder for a variety of optional lawn care tools. This includes aerators, de-thatchers, lawn brushes, scarifiers, verticutters and a ten-blade cutting reel, transforming your cylinder mower into a complete lawn care system. Removing thatch with our optional cartridges will enable stronger striping as the grass will be much healthier and grow through thicker and stronger.

#3 Pick your pattern

What will you go for? The subtle stripe? The circular swirl? The chessboard? Or even a total creative masterpiece (check out some that were created in our 2016 Creative Lawn Stripes competition for some innovative ideas). The more complex the pattern, the more you'll need to plan ahead to work out where your curves and corners need to be. Take a look at last years creative entry from Kev Morgan, our third-place winner, who's lawn is currently turning his neighbours green with envy!

#4 Prepare your mower

You know what they say preparation is the key to success! Mowing at a higher height of cut, and having a longer blade of grass means that there's a larger area of grass of the light to reflect from once it's been mowed and rolled. Set your mower to approximately 25mm - we find that this height gives the strongest stripe. If you haven't done so already get your mower serviced by your local Allett Dealer - sharper blades mean a cleaner cut, meaning stronger stripes. Just think how difficult it is to make a clean cut when you're using a blunt pair of scissors!

Allett”s Top Tips!

Make sure you are mowing in straight a line as possible (unless, of course, your design is more creative). Some people use string to keep to a straight line - otherwise just ensure to line up the rear roller with the previous line. We recommend you look about 10ft in front of your mower to line up your stripes.
Mow frequently - with a cylinder mower you should be cutting 2-3 times a week rolling over each stripe more than once in the same direction will help strengthen the stripe (although change this every few weeks so your lawn doesn't become bumpy).
To avoid scuffing up your edges as you turn the mower, try tipping the mower back on the rear roller and stop once you get to the end of a stripe.
Cut at a higher height of cut for optimum striping (25mm setting 3/4 on your machine).
Keep your lawn free from weeds to keep your stripes looking strong. Make sure you remove any debris before cutting!
There's really not a lot more to it- the Allett cylinder mowers can stripe any lawn! It's not just about mowing though- your lawn needs to be kept free of thatch to allow nutrients to get to the roots.