Lawn Mowing of Flower Mounds

What Flowers

• The lawnmower shreds the entire plant, including any flower heads. This actually is an effective method for reseeding some varieties of annual flowers. If you do not intend to grow species such as calendula, marigolds, alyssum or snapdragons in the same flowerbed again next year, those plants should be hand cut or pulled from the flowerbed to avoid spreading seed.

Mowing

• Set the blade of the mower high enough to avoid obstacles such as soil clumps or garden edging. Depending on the density of the flower plants, you may need to work slowly through the flowerbed to allow the mower a chance to shred the plant matter without bogging down. Do not use a bagger unless you intend to compost the shredded plant debris.

Follow Up

• Till or plow the shredded plant matter into the soil after mowing. This increases the organic material in the soil, gives it a higher capacity to hold water and returns nutrients to the soil. Rake any of the shredded flower material onto the flowerbed before tilling. If desired, lawn clippings from the surrounding lawn can also be raked onto the flowerbed and incorporated into the soil by tilling.

Other Fall Mowing

• Rake all the leaves and grass clippings from the lawn in the fall. This allows better air penetration into the sod throughout the year. Compost the leaves and clippings through the winter for use as a soil supplement the next spring. Shredded flower garden debris can also be added to the compost pile if not tilled into the flowerbed as part of the fall garden preparations.