Did you know you can recreate this iconic criss cross pattern on any cool-season grass lawn?
Have you ever been to a ball game and noticed how the landscaping of the grass looks like a plaid checkerboard? Believe it or not, this design is not the result of planting two different types of grass sod in different colors or species. It’s actually a simple optical illusion that can be done with any type of cool-season grass! This versatile and visually impressive grass design can actually be done at home, and all you’ll need is a simple adjustable lawnmower and a striping kit. Here’s how to make your cool-season grass lawn look straight out of the pages of a baseball magazine using a striping technique.
How Does Cool-Season Grass Striping Work?
Striping is not done using dyes or different species of grass. It actually is just your brain playing tricks on you. All striping does is bend the grass into different directions. The “color shades” that you see are actually just how much light reflects off of the grass. Grass blades that bend towards you are darker, while the blades facing away from you appear lighter. This also means that your cool-season grass lawn’s appearance can totally change from different angles.
Step One: Choose a Pattern
There are lots of different striping designs, like diamonds, checkers, and stripes. Try to choose one that fits best with your landscaping design. For the first time, you stripe your cool-season grass; it may be best to physically draw out the desired design and put it to scale using a ruler or yardstick.
Step Two: Stay Straight
Normally when mowing or edging a cool-season grass lawn, you won’t care if you are moving in a straight line or slightly way. For striping, it is important that you mow as straight as possible. Otherwise, the designs will come out crooked for an undesirable look. Always look ten feet ahead of you when striping your lawn. This will help you maintain a straight, single-file line. Once you come to the end of a row, or wherever you want the striping to stop, lift up the mower deck and mow in the opposite, parallel direction. Want that checkered look? Turn the lawnmower off, and move to an area about 90 degrees away from the endpoint. Turn it back on and repeat the process.
Step Three: Tips to Make Striping Stand Out
Cool-season grass striping looks better than normal grass mowing, but there are some additional steps you can take to improve the look. Try mowing as high as possible and frequently feeding the grass with natural fertilizers.
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