Lawn Mowing FAQ

Lawn Mowing Activity

We would like to think of ourselves as a grass roots organization. So, it may not come as a surprise that we got down to the “grass roots” last summer, by getting involved with lawn mowing and gardening activities for some of our faculty members at ISU.

We have a dedicated and concerted workforce, who are willing to volunteer for simple jobs like lawn mowing, gardening, fencing and wall painting during summer. We intend to utilize the financial compensation earned for sponsoring projects supporting rural development.

If you would like to avail our services during Summer, contact us and we would be glad to meet with you and discuss this further.

Here are some tips our volunteers have to offer on lawn mowing and equipment maintenance based on their experience last summer

Lawn Mowing Tips

• Cut lawns when they reach 2-3 inches in length.
• Cut no more than 1/3rd of the grass blade length at a cutting.
• Alternate cuttings, going horizontally and vertically across the lawn.
• For a neat look, cut the lawn diagonally.
• Always mow when the lawn is dry. This will save wear and tear on your mower. It will also keep cut grass from clumping on the lawn.
• It is better to mow the lawn in the evenings rather than mornings and afternoons.
• If your lawn turns brown a day or two after mowing, you are either cutting too much off or your mower's blade is dull.
• It is better to cut too often than not often enough.

Equipment Maintenance Tips

• Check the mower blade regularly to assure a sharp cut. Dull blades will hack and chop the blade, leaving unattractive ragged, brown edges, and risking lawn damage.
• Before starting a mower, check for gas and oil.
• Be careful not to pour the gas into the oil tank and vice versa.
• Once the gas is filled, press the primer thrice (or five times depending on the mower) and then start the mower.
• Don't forget to change the mower's oil at least once during the mowing season.
• While mowing, if the mower stops midway, the following could be the reasons
  • Mower might be out of gas (fill gas)
  • Mower might be out of oil (fill oil)
  • Grass could be stuck to the bottom of the blades (tilt the mower to one side and remove the stuck grass).
• Most of the lawn mowers have a lever shift. Push the lever before moving the mower.
• Some times, the mower is manual (no lever shift). You will have to mow it manually.
• Do not mow over the curbs or around the tree barricades. If the blades hit the stones, it may hurt you or the mower.

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank Prof. Murti Salapaka, Prof. Srinivas Aluru, Prof. Akilesh Tyagi, Prof. Sriram Sundararajan, Prof. Balamurali Natarajan, Prof. Simanta Mitra, Prof. Gurpur Prabhu, and Prof. Pranav Shrotriya for engaging our services last summer.