How to get your lawn and Automower® robotic lawn mower ready for spring
When the temperature rises and the grass growth takes off, it’s time to start mowing the lawn. Here are a few things to think of when you prepare your Automower® robotic lawn mower and lawn for the mowing season.
When to start mowing the grass
Start mowing only once the grass has begun to actively grow. Cutting too early can result in damage to the grass blades, which may prevent the lawn from being able to grow back properly. At around 8°C/40°F (may vary depending on grass type) the grass will start to grow. A good rule of thumb is to wait until the grass is between 5 and 7 centimetres in height before you give it the season’s first mow. The same rule applies if you’re sowing new grass.
Getting your lawn ready
Cleaning up
As a part of spring lawn care, prevent grass mould by raking leaves and cleaning up any garden debris—including sticks, pine cones, leaves and scattered mulch. This will help to prevent wear on your robotic mower blades when it starts mowing. Also clear any obstacles that may prevent the mower from operating on the lawn.
Aerating
Aerating the soil is also a good idea, either using a pitchfork or a lawn aerator. This opens up all the compacted soil and enables an oxygen-rich environment that promotes healthy root development. It also allows more water to reach the roots during this important time in their development cycle. Be careful not to damage the boundary wire installation while aerating.
Overseeding
While you’re at it, ensure that you overseed any bare or patchy areas on the lawn. Once applied, keep the surface moist and cover with a fibre cloth for faster germination. If you have an Automower® model that supports Zone Control with AIM Technology or EPOS™ Technology, you can create a stay-out zone to prevent the mower from entering that area. With other models, use Automower® Temporary Fence, Automower® FlexiFence or Automower® Area Switch to temporarily fence off an area that you do not want the mower to enter.
Fertilising
Fertilise your lawn to help it stay green and healthy. If your objective is to create a perfect-looking lawn, you may want to use a slow-release fertiliser. This will result in a lawn that takes longer to grow but encourages more uniform growth.
Watering the lawn
If it’s a dry spring, it’s also time to start watering your lawn.
Getting Automower® ready
Checking the boundary wire installation
Before starting your mower for the season, it’s a good idea to walk around your garden and check your boundary wire installation, to ensure that no stakes have come out of the ground and that there is no visible damage to where the boundary wire is laid.
Checking the mower blades
It is important to have sharp blades for a clean cut of the lawn. This prevents the blade from tearing the grass, which gives a nicer finish to the lawn, as well as protecting your grass against diseases. If you did not change your blades at the end of last season, then now is the time to do it. Always change the screw as well as the blade.
Tips and advice on how to change the blades
Installing the charging station
Place your charging station out in the garden, connect the wires and plug it in. Check that the green light is showing. Place your mower in the charging station to charge. If you do not get any loop signal, check our troubleshooting information on how to fix the issue.
Checking the mowing settings and starting operation
Set the schedule in the Automower® Connect app and start operation. Once your mower is charged and it is scheduled to operate, the mower will start mowing. When you mow your lawn for the first time after winter, it is important not to mow too short as this can cause stress to the grass and leave it vulnerable to disease or weeds. Therefore, start with a high cutting height and gradually lower it.
If you notice that your mower is only operating on half the lawn when it starts mowing, then it is likely that you have connected a boundary or guide wire to the wrong charging station pin. You can easily solve this by checking that the connectors are connected correctly to the charging station pins. Read here for more information: Why is my mower only operating on half or parts of my lawn?)
Enabling smart Automower® features for a healthier lawn
Automower® boasts many smart features that are designed to improve the performance of your mower, while saving you time and maximising the potential of your lawn.
As mentioned, it’s a good idea to start with a high cutting height at the start of season and then gradually lower it. For this purpose, several Automower® models have a feature called TargetHeight, which you can enable in the Automower® Connect app. Then your mower will gradually adjust the cutting height until it reaches the desired height.
You can further protect your lawn against mowing damage by enabling the Frost Guard feature on your mower, either via the mower menu or in the app. This means that your mower will automatically interrupt the mowing schedule in frosty conditions, helping to protect the lawn when there is frost.
On models with a cellular or Wi-Fi connection, you can also make use of one of our smart connections or create your own routines with IFTTT. Under Smart Home in the Automower® Connect app you will find a smart connection that makes your mower automatically park when the forecast predicts heavy rain or frost. Find out more about this smart connection here.