Whether ornamental or play lawn – the right lawn mixture is available for every requirement. Maintaining a healthy, dense green carpet, however, requires a fair amount of care and effort. Fast-growing and demanding types of lawn in particular require pruning several times a year. When preparing to mow the lawn, however, it is not just about having the right tool at hand. Existing laws and other regulations restrict work with motorized equipment. In order not to cause trouble with neighbors and law enforcement officers, many gardeners rightly ask themselves when lawn mowing is allowed.
Table of Contents
Permitted times and legal regulations
In the early spring, when the first heralds of spring are sticking their heads out of the ground, passionate gardeners start to work in their own garden. But mulching the soil, creating beds and cultivating seeds are not the only measures that wake up the local green oasis from hibernation. This also includes the preparation and care of the lawn. Glued and dead stalks can be removed with a leaf or street broom, and bare spots are filled with lawn seed.
After only a few days of sunshine and the right weather conditions, the green area grows noticeably and lawn trimmers and mowers are used. The first pruning in spring takes place when the stalks have reached a height of about 7 or 8 centimeters. However, the so-called Device and Machine Noise Protection Ordinance, also known as the 32nd Federal Immission Control Ordinance, regulates in detail which machines and devices may be used when and where. In addition to lawn mowers and trimmers, this implemented EU directive also lists chainsaws, tillers and drills.
For residential areas, there is a requirement that certain machines and devices may no longer be used on weekdays between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. A stricter restriction was also introduced for particularly noisy work equipment: Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. Federal states, municipalities and also your own rental agreement can limit the working hours specified in the law even further. If you value a well-groomed and short-cut green space, you should inquire about the existing legal situation in your area at an early stage. The term “working day” includes the days Monday to Saturday, on Sunday there is a general ban on the use of motorized devices and machines.
muscle power and other alternatives
Mowing lawns mechanically by hand has many advantages. In addition to physical exercise in the open air, it also means that you theoretically do not have to observe the legally permitted times. Even on Sundays or weekdays after 9 p.m. you can use the scythe or the mechanical lawnmower without having to reckon with a sanction from the legislator. However, this work can still be a violation of the rules in rental agreements. Check in advance what your rental agreement says about gardening and talk to your neighbors.
Would you like to avoid the hassle of mowing the lawn or can you only do this gardening work during the statutory rest period? Then use alternatives. Instead of lawn, for example, you can fill up dreary garden areas with gravel and bark mulch. Ground-covering plants fill empty spaces between the beds, and small spice plants such as lemon thyme are also suitable as robust and versatile gap fillers. Use slow-growing grasses that only need mowing once or twice a month.
The right time for the perfect cut
How often your own lawn should be mowed depends on the variety and the strength of the growth. Fast-growing types of lawn should be trimmed with the lawnmower at least twice a week between April and June. Shorten the green area to a maximum of 5 centimeters to avoid dried-up areas from strong sunlight. Avoid the midday sun and mow early in the morning or early evening. This gives the blades of grass enough time to close the resulting cuts until the next midday heat. This measure promotes a lush and healthy lawn and prevents the formation of moss and bare patches.
Mowing the lawn is one of the last jobs in late autumn, when the garden is winterized and prepared for the coming spring. It is difficult to determine the exact time for this, because sunshine and temperatures above 5°C are enough for the blades of grass to sprout. The last cut can often only be made at the beginning of November. Mow in dry weather and when nighttime temperatures are consistently around freezing. Remove lawn clippings and withered leaves immediately so that there is no breeding ground for fungal and rotting pathogens. Many pests also prefer to overwinter in withered grass and leaf clippings. Therefore, prevent and remove the organic material, with this measure you will also enjoy a dense, even lawn in the following year.
When planning the garden, keep in mind that planting lawns involves a lot of maintenance. For a dense and lush appearance, the stalks must be shortened regularly and the application of fertilizer must not be missed. Simple gardening, such as mulching and weeding, can be done over the weekend. Mowing the lawn, on the other hand, is strictly forbidden on Sundays and also at certain times of the day during the week.
Tips and care instructions
- only mow in dry weather conditions
- Soil that is too moist can compact under load and affect the supply of nutrients and water
- Diseases and the growth of moss are encouraged
- Wet grass clippings clog the mower and make work more difficult
- do not walk on frozen grass
- Straws break off
- next spring a lot of effort and mowing work is needed to trim blades of grass back to length
- Regulate the growth of the lawn minimally via the supply of nutrients
- Full-time fertilizer works for up to 6 months, normal lawn fertilizer is applied every 2 to 3 months
- Overfeeding weakens plants and often leads to rapid, uncontrolled growth
- Limit lawn mowing even further
- plant colorful farmers and flower meadows
- only needs a slight pruning once a month
- Lawns need at least two days to recover from being cut back
- Avoid stress of any kind during this time
- Choose types of grass that best suit your garden and requirements
- frequent mowing of decorative lawns, also unsuitable for playing children and pets
- Shaded lawn grows slowly, but requires a partially shaded to fully shaded location in order to develop optimally
- After a holiday of several weeks, do not immediately trim the lawn to the previous length
- only shorten by a few centimetres
- mow twice a week until the desired height is consistently reached
- Rule of thumb: With each mowing, only up to a third of the existing length of the blades of grass is cut.
Postpone unimportant and “quiet” gardening to the weekend. Mowing the lawn is forbidden on Sunday and can not only cause trouble with the neighbors as a result.
Conclusion
If you want to own a dense, well-kept green area, you have to invest a lot of work. Lawn mowing is not allowed at any time of the day, as laws and regulations restrict the use of noisy equipment. With the right tips, however, you can limit mowing to the bare minimum and thus save yourself a lot of time and trouble with the neighbors.
