DIY GUIDE · GARDEN & OUTDOOR · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to mow a lawn yourself
Under an hour a week for a typical garden. £115–£293 for a mower, trimmer and shears you keep.
The one-third rule, the right height for your lawn, a sharp blade, and the order of a cut.
- Every step, start to finish
- Checked October 2026 — sources at the end
- Honest about when to call a pro
FIRST, THE HONEST ANSWER
Do it yourself, or get a gardener?
Do it yourself if…
- The lawn is a manageable size for a walk-behind mower
- The slopes are gentle enough to walk across comfortably
- You have somewhere dry to store the mower and either a power socket or batteries
- You can mow often enough in spring and early summer to keep to the one-third rule
Get a pro if…
- There is a steep bank you cannot walk across safely with a mower
- The lawn is large enough that a ride-on is the realistic machine
- You are away for long spells in the growing season and the grass will get out of hand
- Mobility or health makes pushing a mower for an hour a real risk
Safety first
- With a corded mower, plug into an RCD-protected socket; HSE's advice outdoors is an RCD of 30 mA or less, and testing it with its button each time.
- Keep the lead behind you and over your shoulder, and mow away from the socket, so the blade never meets the cable.
- Before you touch the blade, stop the motor and remove the battery, pull the spark plug cap on petrol, or unplug a corded machine.
- Walk the lawn first and pick up stones, toys, dog bones and sticks; a rotary blade throws them hard.
- Mow across a slope, not up and down, and never pull a mower towards you on a bank.
- Wear closed shoes with grip and long trousers; keep children and pets indoors while the mower runs.
| MATERIAL | COVERAGE | FOR THIS JOB |
|---|---|---|
| Garden waste sacks or a compost bin | For clippings you collect | A few bags a week in spring |
| Trimmer line or spare blades | Matched to your trimmer | One spool lasts most gardens a season |
| Fuel and oil (petrol only) | Fresh fuel each season | A small can goes a long way |
How often to mow
Cut when the grass is about one and a half times your target height, so you remove a third. With a target of 4 cm, mow when it reaches 6 cm. If the lawn grows 2 cm a week, that is once a week; if it grows 4 cm in the spring flush, it is twice a week.
Growth changes with the weather and the season, so watch the grass rather than the calendar. The makers' rule is to mow twice a week once the lawn grows more than 2.5 cm a week.
A rotary mower with a rear roller suits most lawns and leaves stripes; it copes with longer grass. A cylinder mower gives the finest finish on a flat, well-kept lawn but needs mowing often and setting carefully. A hover mower is light and good on awkward banks but rarely collects well.
Corded mowers are light, cheap and never run flat, but the cable limits you and is the main hazard. Cordless suits most gardens; check run time against your lawn. Petrol is for larger lawns and is heavier, louder and needs servicing.
Collecting gives the tidiest look. Mulching chops clippings finely and returns them to the lawn as feed, which suits a lawn mown often; do not mulch long or wet grass, which smothers the lawn.
For a hard-wearing family lawn, the makers' rule of thumb is 3 to 5 cm; for a fine ornamental lawn 2 to 3 cm; in shade keep it longer, 5 to 6 cm. In hot, dry weather raise it to about 5 cm to shade the soil.
Cut away a third of the grass height at most, each time you mow. Taking more stresses the plant, exposes the pale base of the leaves to scorch and invites weeds and moss. If the lawn has got long, bring it down over several cuts.
THE PART THAT DECIDES THE FINISH
Before you start — by the lawn you have
The same mower and the same day can be right for one lawn and wrong for the next. Find your lawn below.
A regular, established lawn
Mown through the season and in decent shape.
- Clear the lawn of stones, sticks and toys
- Set the height for the lawn type and the weather, not where it was left last time
- Mow when the grass is dry, ideally in the late afternoon or a cool morning
- Plan to mow about once a week, more in the spring flush
An overgrown lawn
Back from holiday, or neglected for weeks.
- Start with the mower on its highest setting, or strim the grass down first if it is too long for the mower
- Remove a third of the height at most in any one cut
- Lower the height a notch each cut over a week or two
- Rake or collect the clippings; a thick layer left on top will yellow the grass underneath
A new lawn, seed or turf
Laid or sown in the last few weeks.
- Wait until new grass from seed is about 8 to 10 cm high before its first cut
- Make the first cut high, at 5 to 6 cm, with a freshly sharpened blade
- On new turf, check it has rooted by trying to lift a corner before using a rotary mower
- Avoid turning sharply on a new lawn; lift the mower round at the ends
A shady lawn
Under trees or beside a tall fence.
- Keep the height up, around 5 to 6 cm, all year
- Expect slower growth and mow less often
- Rake fallen leaves off promptly in autumn
- Water in dry spells; trees and hedges take the moisture first
A sloping or uneven lawn
Banks, dips and humps.
- Mow across the slope, from side to side, not up and down
- Raise the height a notch so the blade does not scalp the humps
- Keep your feet below the mower on a bank and never pull it towards you
- If you cannot walk across it comfortably, it is a strimmer or a professional's job
A wet or soft lawn
After rain, or heavy clay that stays damp.
- Wait for it to dry if you possibly can
- If you must cut, raise the blade to about 6 cm and use the collector, not mulching
- Empty the box when it is half full to keep the weight off the soil
- Do not walk on the uncut grass before mowing; flattened wet grass will not stand up again
THE JOB
How to mow a lawn, in order
Walk and clear the lawn
5 minDo the checks above for your lawn. Walk the whole area and pick up anything the blade could hit or throw: stones, twigs, toys, dog bones, fallen fruit. Note any molehills, which flatten under the mower and leave soil patches; rake them out first.
- Carry a bucket as you walk so you do not just move things to the edge
- Look for pet mess; mowing over it spreads it
- Check the edges for hose fittings and sprinkler heads
Mistake to avoid: Mowing straight onto a lawn you have not walked. A hidden stone dents the blade or flies at a window.
Set the height for today
5 minLook at the grass and decide your target height, then set the mower so this cut removes no more than a third. If the lawn has grown long, set it higher than usual and plan to come down over the next few cuts. Set all the wheels to the same height, unless your mower adjusts them together.
- Lay a piece of card on the grass and measure from the soil to the card to find the real height
- Raise the height in hot, dry weather
- Write your usual setting on the mower with a marker
Mistake to avoid: Leaving the height on the lowest notch all season. It scalps the lawn in summer and lets moss in.
Check the mower and the power
5 minLook at the blade for nicks and bends, and the collector for holes. On a corded mower, unwind the extension lead fully, check it for damage, plug it into an RCD-protected socket and press the test button. On a cordless mower, fit a charged battery; on petrol, check fuel and oil.
- A bent or chipped blade vibrates; replace it rather than straightening it
- A coiled lead heats up under load; unwind all of it
- Never refuel a hot petrol engine
Mistake to avoid: Using a lead with a taped-up nick. Wet grass and a damaged lead is how people get shocks.
Trim the edges first
10 minUse the grass trimmer around trees, fences, beds and paths before the main cut. The mower then picks up the trimmer's clippings as it goes. Hold the trimmer with the line just above the soil, and tilt it so it cuts with the leading edge of the line, not the whole face.
- Go round trees gently; a trimmer line strips bark and can kill a young tree
- Wear glasses; the line throws grit at eye height
- Keep the trimmer moving or it digs a groove
Mistake to avoid: Trimming after mowing. The clippings land on the freshly cut lawn and have to be raked off.
Mow a border strip round the edge
5 minMow two strips round the outside of the lawn first. This gives you a turning space at the ends of every line and stops the wheels marking the edge. Keep the outer wheel on the lawn, not over the edge into the bed.
- Mow away from the socket so the lead trails behind you
- Push the mower; do not pull it backwards towards your feet
- Take the strips a little higher on a soft edge
Mistake to avoid: Starting the lines straight away. You end up turning on the edges, which crushes and scalps them.
Mow in straight, overlapping lines
20 minMow the main area in parallel lines, overlapping each by about a wheel's width so nothing is missed. Walk at a steady pace and only step on grass you have already cut, so the uncut grass stays upright for the blade. On a slope, run the lines across it.
- Pick a fixed point at the far end and walk towards it for a straight first line
- Change direction each week so the grass does not lean one way
- Lift and turn at the ends rather than swivelling on the wheels
Mistake to avoid: Walking on the uncut grass ahead of the mower. It flattens, the blade passes over it, and you get a ragged, uneven cut.
Empty the collector before it is full
5 minStop and empty the grass box when it is about half to two-thirds full; a full box stops collecting and drops clumps. Let the blade stop completely before you lift the flap or take the box off.
- A box that suddenly feels light has stopped collecting; empty it
- Tip clippings straight into the compost bin or garden waste bin
- Wet grass fills the box twice as fast
Mistake to avoid: Lifting the box with the motor still running. A rotary blade throws debris out of the opening.
Finish the edges with shears
10 minCut the overhanging grass along the lawn edge with long-handled edging shears, standing on the lawn and cutting straight down. A crisp edge makes a lawn look far better than the cut itself. Re-cut the edge itself with a half-moon edger only once or twice a year, or the lawn shrinks.
- Keep the shear blades vertical for a clean line
- Collect the edge trimmings; they root in beds
- A board along the edge gives a straight line to cut to
Mistake to avoid: Cutting the edge back with a half-moon every week. The lawn gets smaller and the beds bigger each season.
Clean the mower and store it dry
10 minUnplug or remove the battery, then tip the mower as its manual says and brush or scrape the packed grass from under the deck and around the blade. Wipe the body, check the blade again, and store it under cover. The makers recommend sharpening the blade after every 20 to 25 hours of use, and at the end of the season.
- Clean while the grass is soft; dried clippings set hard
- Never hose a corded or cordless mower's motor
- Store batteries indoors in winter
Mistake to avoid: Putting the mower away with wet grass under the deck. It rusts the deck and the blade and the next cut is ragged.
The mistakes that thin a lawn
- Cutting too short and scalping the lawn
- Taking more than a third off in one go after letting it grow
- Mowing with a blunt blade that tears the grass
- Mowing wet grass and leaving the clumps lying
Stop here and get a lawn mowing contractor
- A bank is too steep to walk across safely with the mower
- The lawn has become a meadow and needs a brushcutter or a flail before any mower can cope
- The area is too large for a walk-behind mower and you do not want to own a ride-on
- You cannot keep up with the spring growth and the grass keeps getting away from you
| WHAT YOU SEE | WHY, AND THE FIX |
|---|---|
| Yellow or brown lawn after mowing | Scalped or cut too short, or a blunt blade tearing the tips. Raise the height, sharpen the blade, and water in a dry spell; it greens up in a couple of weeks. |
| Bald or scalped patches | The blade caught humps, or the height is too low. Raise the cut and mow across the high spots; top-dress hollows over time. |
| Uneven, ragged cut | Blunt blade, wet grass, or walking on the uncut grass. Sharpen the blade, mow when dry and only step on cut grass. |
| Stripes of longer grass left behind | Lines not overlapping enough, or the mower moving too fast. Overlap by a wheel's width and slow down. |
| Clumps of grass on the lawn | Mowing wet or long grass, or a full collector. Wait until dry, empty the box sooner, and rake up clumps before they yellow the grass. |
| Mower cutting out or struggling | Grass too long, deck clogged, or battery low. Raise the height, clean under the deck, and charge or swap the battery. |
| Brown tips a day or two after cutting | Torn leaf ends from a blunt blade. Sharpen or replace the blade; a clean cut heals almost invisibly. |
| Moss spreading | Cutting too short, shade or poor drainage. Raise the cutting height, deal with the shade and drainage, and treat the moss in season. |
WHAT YOU SAVE
What it costs to do it yourself
| Lawn mower, corded to small petrol | £65–£200 |
|---|---|
| Grass trimmer | £32–£75 |
| Edging shears | £18 |
| Total, first time | £115–£293 |
| DIY total | £115–£293 |
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
The kit lasts many seasons, so the yearly cost is a blade sharpening, trimmer line and electricity or fuel. Against a weekly visit through the growing season, owning the mower pays back quickly.
RATHER NOT?
Lawn mowing contractors near you, with prices shown
The ones who cover your area, nearest first, with one score from every review. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
Compost them in thin layers mixed with drier material, use them as a thin mulch on beds, or put them in the council's garden waste collection. Too much in one compost heap turns slimy.
The makers recommend sharpening after 20 to 25 hours of mowing and at the end of the season; a sharp blade gives a cleaner cut and a greener lawn.
Mow two or three days before you apply a lawn feed, and wait until the granules have gone in before mowing again.
Clean, dry, and under cover; drain or stabilise petrol, charge batteries and keep them indoors, and coil corded leads loosely.
Mowing a lawn: questions people ask
For a family lawn, about 3 to 5 cm. A fine ornamental lawn can go to 2 to 3 cm; a shady lawn is better at 5 to 6 cm. In hot, dry weather raise the height to around 5 cm.
About once a week in the growing season, and twice a week when growth is fast in spring. The test is the one-third rule: mow before the grass grows half as tall again as your target height.
Better not. Wet grass clumps, blunts the blade and the weight of the mower compacts the soil. If you have to, raise the height to about 6 cm and collect the clippings.
If you mow often and the clippings are short, yes; they return nutrients to the soil. Collect them when the grass is long or wet, or they smother the lawn.
Grass from seed at about 8 to 10 cm, cut to 5 to 6 cm with a sharp blade. New turf can be mown once it has rooted, which you test by trying to lift a corner.
The Locufy UK price guide puts lawn mowing at £20–£60 per visit, typically £35. Ask whether that includes edging and taking the clippings away.
MORE GUIDES
More DIY guides
Sources — checked October 2026
- STIHL — how to mow your lawn: heights, frequency, the one-third rule, slopes, blade sharpening
- Rolawn — mowing your turf: never more than a third, sharp blades
- HSE — electrical safety FAQs: RCDs outdoors, no more than 30 mA
- GOV.UK — dispose of garden waste
- Wickes — price check: lawn mowers
- Wickes — price check: grass trimmers
- Wickes — price check: edging shears