How to Mow a Sloped Lawn

Updated/Fact-Chacked on August 14, 2021 by John

Moving a sloped lawn can be quite dangerous if you don’t pay full attention to all the safety precautions you should follow. If you mow mindlessly, you might fall, tip over and suffer horrible accidents.

And because your safety is critical, I’ve compiled some of the best and most essential tips you should be aware of before mowing your grass. 4 Tips to Follow When Mowing a Sloped Lawn

There are specific critical tips you should know if you want to mow your sloped lawn and still have a perfect lawn. Such tips enhance your safety as well as make the process a lot easier.

1. Set Your Mower to a Higher Setting

Mowing a sloped hill is difficult already, so you don’t want to make it any harder. Therefore, you should always set your mower to a higher setting as this helps make the process easier. When you do this, you allow the mower to move easier over the bumps and bounce less.

Plus, this helps the grass grow thicker and stay longer and thus helps with irrigation control. Last but not least, thicker grass has a better grip on the mower. In other words, thick grass helps the mower stay in place, and so enhances your safety.
>>When should I Mow a Lawn
>>When Do You Aerate a Lawn?
>>How to lay lawn on Concrete
>>When to scarify a lawn

2. Mow From Side to Side

This is a vital tip for your safety. Pushing a mover from down to up or vice versa is very risky because it might get away from you, hit you, or move away while it’s on.

The safest way to do this is to push the mower from the left side to the right side or vice versa. This way, it is less likely for your legs to slip. Yet, note that this is recommended for non-riding lawn mowers.

I don’t recommend you use a riding mower if your lawn is too steep because the mower might flip over and you’ll suffer horribly if this happens while you’re in it.

Generally, using push mowers is better and safer on steep lawns. And if your yard is extremely steep, it’s better to use a brush trimmer.

3. Wear the Necessary Clothes

This is highly important because mowing steep hills is very dangerous. Whenever you are mowing, you should wear fit clothes that won’t get in your way. Also, wearing cleats is highly recommended. They increase your grip on the grass, and therefore you’re less likely to fall or lose your balance.

4. Use a Special Mower

I recommend you use one of the small and light mowers on the market for mowing steep hills because they are easier to push around. Note that battery mowers are more lightweight than those powered by gas.

If you’re still new to the whole mowing process, I advise you to use a handheld trimmer because you’ll be the only one having control over it. On the other hand, gas or battery-powered mowers have a bit of control over their users.

Final Thoughts

Now, I’m sure you’ll safely mow your lawn with no accidents. Wear suitable clothes, steer away from mowing when the lawn is wet, use proper equipment, and you’ll be good to go.

Mary

Mary shares a passion for gardening with her husband John, though she is more focused on growing veg on their allotment at St. Margaret’s Allotments, Durham. Mary also works in the lawn care industry and manages the lawns for the Durham University campus.