Mulching Lawnmower Advice and Essential Information

Did you know that a lawn the size of a tennis court can produce over a ton of grass clippings in a season?  If you don’t want to collect and dispose of your grass clippings you need a mulching lawnmower.

The secret of our Multiclip technology lies in the geometry of the cutter deck and blade.  Instead of cut grass being discharged into a collector it circulates beneath the cutter deck to be chopped into tiny particles.  These particles are then blown right down into the base of the turf out of sight where micro-organisms aid their rapid decomposition.

Recycling clippings in this way returns nitrogen and other valuable nutrients to the soil.  You’ll save money on artificial fertilisers but still have a healthy, attractive lawn.  You’ll save time and effort too.  With no collector to empty you’ll find you can cut your lawn up to 30% quicker than with a conventional mower.  Multiclip mowers are quieter too.  Typically they have less than half the apparent noise level of a conventional petrol mower thanks to the revolutionary design of the cutter deck.

To get the best results don’t take more than a third off the length of the grass when mowing.  This leaves enough room in the standing grass for optimum dispersal of the recycled clippings. The Multiclip system also improves moisture retention so you won’t need to water your lawn as often.

Hand propelled models have to be pushed forward - the engine only drives the cutter blade.  Power drive takes the effort out of mowing your grass.  Engage the drive and the mower will move forward on its own, a huge advantage if you have inclines or a large garden.  Some power driven models have a four speed transmission so you can vary the speed to suit your working conditions.

Do you need to mow alongside hedges, walls or other barriers?  If so choose a Multiclip with handles which can be offset like this then you’ll be able to cut your grass without battling brambles or scraping your arms.  Do you really want to collect your grass?  For an excellent finish which saves you time, money and effort look no further than a Multiclip mower.

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Need more information on the benefits of Mulching Mowers?  Visit www.mulching.co.uk

Electric Mower Advice and Essential Information

Mains electric mowers are quiet, lightweight and easy to use.  They are ideal for smaller gardens with a power supply located near the lawn.  We recommend using a Residual Current Device that will disconnect the power if the cable is cut accidentally.

Unlike hover mowers, electric mowers collect the grass clippings and leave a clean, neat finish to the lawn.

Four wheel mowers are very easy to manoeuvre but if you want a stripped finish on your lawn you’ll need a machine with a rear roller.  The roller flattens the grass as you mow; this is what creates the stripes.  A roller also helps balance the mower when you are cutting close to paths or borders.

Electric lawnmowers have simple controls which feature a safety cut out switch.  When you let go of the control lever the motor cuts out in seconds.

On some models cutting height is adjusted by changing the wheel position.  Simply unscrew each wheel and move it to the desired setting.  More commonly, the cutting height is adjusted using a control lever.


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Why Scarify

Scarification is a very important part of lawn care. Scarifying improves the quality of your lawn in several ways.  It will remove organic layers of thatch, moss and dead grass whilst breaking up the surface of compacted soil and retarding the growth of weeds.  Removing thatch and weeds in this way allows water, air and nutrients to reach grass roots more easily, resulting in lush growth. It will also offer better conditions for top dressing and fertilising. Scarifying can be done with a hand lawn rake but to make the job easier and get top results a powered scarifier is a great solution

Scarifying is best done in the spring but can be beneficial during the summer as well. Do not scarify too early, it is important to make sure the grass is growing well so that any space made by scarifying is filled with desirable grasses. If grass is not growing well scarifying can give space for weeds to grow. It can be a good idea to follow scarifying with a lawn fertiliser to aid growth.

To sum up : Scarifying imporves the quality  of your lawn in serveral ways.

It Will:

• remove organic layers of thatch, moss and dead grass
• break up the surface of compacted soils
• retard the growth of weeds like dandelions and plantains
• help to remove clover, pearlwort and similar weeds

How to operate Your Mower Safely

1. Do not operate the engine in a confined space where dangerous carbon

monoxide fumes can collect.

2. Mow only in daylight or good artificial light.

3. If possible avoid operating the equipment on wet grass.

4. Always be sure of your footing on slopes.

5. Walk, never run and do not allow yourself to be pulled along by the lawnmower.

6. Mow across the face of slopes, never up and down.

7. Exercise extreme caution when changing direction on slopes.

8. Do not mow on slopes of more than 20 degrees.

9. Exercise extreme caution when pulling the lawnmower towards you.

10. Stop the blade if the lawnmower has to be tilted for transportation when crossing

surfaces other than grass, and when transporting the lawnmower to and from the

area to be mown.

11. Never operate the lawnmower with defective guards, or without safety devices,

such as the stone-guard and/or grass-catcher, in place.

12. Do not change the engine governor settings or over-rev the engine.

13. On power-driven models, disengage the drive clutch before starting the engine.

14. Start the engine carefully, following the instructions and keeping feet well away

from the blade.

15. Do not tilt the lawnmower when starting the engine. Start the engine on a flat

surface that is free of obstacles and tall grass.

16. Do not put your hands or feet near or under rotating parts.

Preparation Safety

1. While mowing, always wear sturdy footwear and long trousers. Do not

operate the lawnmower when bare foot or wearing open sandals. Avoid

loose clothing that may snag on moving parts.

2. Thoroughly inspect the area where the lawnmower is to be used and remove all

objects which may be thrown by the machine or damage the cutter assembly and

the engine (stones, sticks, metal wire, bones, etc).

3. WARNING: DANGER! Engine fuel is highly inflammable:

• Store fuel in containers specifically designed for this purpose;

• Refuel using a funnel and outdoors only – do not smoke while

refuelling or whenever handling the fuel;

• Add fuel before starting the engine – never remove the cap of the fuel

tank or add fuel while the engine is running or when the engine is hot;

• If fuel is spilled, do not attempt to start the engine but move the machine

away from the area of the spillage and avoid creating any source of

ignition until the fuel has evaporated and the vapour has dispersed;

• Replace all fuel tanks’ and retainers’ caps securely.

4. Substitute faulty silencers. Never use the lawnmower without a silencer.

5. Before use, always inspect the lawnmower, especially the condition of the

blades, and check that the screws and cutting assembly are not worn or

damaged. Replace worn or damaged blades and screws in sets to preserve

balance.

6. Before mowing, attach the discharge opening guards (grass-catcher or stoneguard).

Maintaining a Wild Flower Garden

Maintenance is an essential ingredient in the creation of successful wildflower planting.

Weed Control: A monthly program of weed control is essential to ensure a satisfactory display of wildflowers year after year. Weeds should be eliminated as soon as they can be recognized, either by pulling or spot-spraying with a general herbicide..

Fertilization: Fertilizers are usually not necessary for wildflower plantings. However, if soil fertility is very low, a low nitrogen fertilizer can be used, or add organic matter such as compost.

Autumn Mowing and Cleanup: If a neat appearance is desired after the wildflowers have gone to seed, mow them to a height of four to six inches. The Mountfield SP535HW  lawnmower is the perfect mower for this job, due to the oversized rear wheels which extend their cutting height range.

Autumn Leaves

It’s at this time of year that many gardeners are busy clearing the leaves off their lawns, sometimes an infuriating task as the leaves are back as thick as ever the moment the wind blows!

Using your Mountfield lawn mower to help with this task is much easier and quicker than the traditional leaf rake, simply raise the height of cut above the normal cutting height to allow room for the leaves to pass under the cutting deck and with the engine running at normal mowing speed the blades will vacuum up and shred the leaves before blowing them into the collector.

Not only does this save time and effort with the rake, the leaves are chopped into small pieces which speeds up the composting process and leaves do make excellent compost for the garden.