How do lawn stripers work

For many people, it was stepping out from the dark tunnels of the stadium to reveal a seemingly endless sea of green grass, checkered in striking patterns across the outfield. Lawn striping works by bending the grass in different directions using a lawn roller — a device that attaches to your mower.

It is best to mow in a straight line. Start off by mowing parallel to a straight sidewalk, fence or driveway. Keep your eyes straight in front of you, approximately feet ahead. When you come to the end of your row, lift the mower deck as you turn, then mow in the opposite direction of your last pass.

Cool season grasses tend to work better. These would include fescue, bluegrass or rye. Bermuda and zoysia grasses are considered warm weather grasses. While with some work and a yard roller you may be able to get stripes, but they will not be as visible as the cool season grass nor will the striping last as long. Other options for making a DIY yard striper can be anything from weighing down one side of a rubber welcome mat and attaching that to your mower or even breaking the handle off of long brooms or mops like you might see at a store and attaching those.

With endless options you can choose from you are almost bound to have something on hand that will work for you. Even if you already know how to build a lawn striper, or already have a homemade grass striper, you could still no doubt use some helpful tips as to how to use it.

When doing straight lines, go off of the grass and onto the sidewalk or path in order to turn so that the edges of your design look tidy. Also, try to keep your wheels going straight by using the line of the row next to you as a guide. If you have a tree trunk or other obstacle that you have to mow around, mow generally until you get to it and then mow around it on the side where the grass has not been cut.

Then when you turn and come back the other way simply resume the same line that you were following before you deviated so that your lines will still be perfectly straight. You will achieve confidence quickly as you practice. Another tip is to mow high. Keeping the grass longer and softer makes it more pliable and able to be tamped down by the roller.

Shorter grass tends to pop back in place too soon. If you love a short grass, just experiment with how low you can go while maintaining a good striping effect. There are lots of patterns you can choose from when considering striping your lawn. Once you get the hang of it, you can try patterns such as diamonds, circles, checkerboards or waves.

Mowing season has begun, so why not take it to the next level?