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How to Stripe a Lawn

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healthy lawn
27
Apr

Don’t let the beauty of lawn striping keep you from trying it yourself. Learning how to stripe a lawn is easier than you think.

In this blog post, you’ll learn the following:

  • How to stripe your lawn
  • Lawn striping patterns
  • How to make a DIY lawn striping kit
  • Lawn care maintenance tips.

How to Stripe Your Lawn

Whether you own a ZTR, a garden tractor, or a push mower, you can still create baseball diamond striping. You just need to add a wide roller behind your mower’s tires.

You can buy a lawn striping kit or design a DIY lawn striping kit by using PVC piping or rubber floor mats.

After you’ve attached the striping roller behind the wheels of your mower, here are the basics of lawn striping:

  • You want to mow the perimeter of your lawn first before you start creating stripes.
  • For classic lawn striping, you want to go perpendicular to your driveway or the walkway in front of your home. Think about generally going in a north/south or east/west direction.
  • When you make turns at the end of each row, either make a three-point turn (a Y shaped turn) or you can make a tight turn. Make sure you don’t tip your mower over while making the turns.

If you’re using a push mower, you can lift the front to avoid cutting the grass and make a tight turn.

  • When you’re finished making the lines, you want to mow around the perimeter of your lawn to cover any marks you made while turning at the end of each row.
  • What do you do when it’s time to mow around trees or other obstacles on the lawn? Simply go around the tree. If you want unbroken lawn striping, scroll down to see how to stripe a lawn with obstacles.
  • When you’re done striping your lawn, mow the perimeter of your yard once again.

Learn more: Got a ZTR Mower? You Need Brinly’s ZTR Attachments.

Getting Fancy with Lawn Striping Patterns

If you want to get creative, you can expand into lawn striping patterns, such as the checkerboard look or zigzags. You’ll be the talk of the town when you create attractive designs in your yard.

Here’s how to stripe a lawn using different lawn striping patterns:

  • The checkerboard pattern: Again, you start by mowing the perimeter of your lawn. Then, you choose your first direction (north/south or east/west). Finish your first pattern.

Next, you go in the opposite direction. For example, if you started with a north/south direction, you now want to go east/west. Finish the design by mowing around the perimeter to “erase” any Y turns.

  • The diagonal or crisscross design: Go with the perpendicular lines first. Then, use the same directions as the checkerboard pattern, but go in a diagonal direction instead of going side to side.
  • Continue with your lawn striping pattern even with trees and other obstacles in the yard: If you want continuity with your DIY lawn striping, you first start the line striping at the bottom of the row. When you get to the tree, go around it and finish that row’s lawn stripe.

When you’re on your second pass, you’ll stripe over the curve you created when you first mowed around the tree. You’ll have an unbroken striping pattern with the tree as part of the design.

Make a DIY Lawn Striping Kit

If you enjoy making DIY products to use around your property, you can make your own lawn striping kit. Here are some ideas for designing your DIY lawn striping kit.

  • Employ PVC piping. You’ll need a 3” diameter piece of PVC piping. Measure the width of your mower and then cut the PVC pipe to the width that you need. Next, you fill the PVC pipe with wet sand and put the end caps on. Attach your roller to your mower using a 2’ length of lightweight chain. Then, you want to attach the chain to each end of the PVC pipe that will serve as your lawn roller.
  • Use boat trailer rollers that you can find at a marine trailer supply store. Since boat trailer rollers have dense rubber on them, you don’t need to worry about weighing the rollers down.Connect the rollers to the back of your mower, using rigid metal brackets and chains.
  • Buy rubber mats at your favorite auto supply store. Since they’re half an inch thick, you can cut the rubber mats into strips. Next, attach the rubber mats with medium-duty angle iron and bolts.
  • Groundskeepers have used the following substitutes for creating lawn striping patterns: Sandbags and rubber mats similar to a truck’s mud flaps are two more DIY lawn striping ideas for creating a beautiful, manicured yard.
  • Save yourself some time and buy a Brinly lawn roller to create stripes and other patterns on your property. Brinly’s lawn roller should be as wide as or slightly wider than the wheelbase of your mower.

Watch more: Learn how to put a Brinly lawn roller together in this video.

Lawn Care Maintenance Tips

Lawn striping is good for turfgrass because you’re switching sides each time you mow.

Plus, you won’t create ruts, grooves, or longer grass blades shading shorter blades that come from cutting the grass in the same direction with each mow. Finally, all grass blades will get enough sunlight for health and growth.

Cool season grasses, such as tall fescue, ryegrass, and Kentucky blue, do best because they’re more flexible. Most warm season grasses have stiff blades that don’t conform to lawn striping.

Also, don’t overdo lawn striping. If you love your lawn striped, you should go in different directions every time you mow. For example, if you went east/west and then north/south, the following week, cut your grass from south/north and west/east, so you don’t stress your lawn.

One final benefit of lawn striping: you’ll notice that you can cut back on mowing to every two weeks.

Don’t forget to use sharp mower blades to give your lawn grass a clean cut. Continue to water your lawn infrequently and apply fertilizer based on your soil’s needs.

Read more: The Best Garden Tractors for 2020

Keep Your Lawn Looking Its Best with Brinly Lawn Care and Garden Attachments

It’s National Lawn Care Month, and you should treat your turfgrass to Brinly lawn care attachments. At Brinly, we create lawn care attachments that make your property look like a pro did it.

Here are some lawn care products to consider for your spring yard care:

Lastly, you can find your favorite Brinly lawn care attachments at these online retail stores, or you can call our customer service at 877-728-8224 or fill out our contact form if you can’t find Brinly lawn care attachments near you.

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