In order for any lawn to look lush and smooth, it is vital that it be mowed frequently. The height of the grass has to be maintained at optimal levels to ensure that the lawn remains healthy even as it looks terrific. Proper mowing techniques include determining the right length of grass to cut, the frequency of the mowing, and the direction of the mower. When it comes to mowing, you need to determine how much you are willing to reduce the lawn height by each time you mow. This is because very short grass will dry the soil quickly and necessitate more frequent watering. Moreover, if the lawn is mowed very short the roots will not be able to grow deep, leading to grass that cannot survive dry conditions or pest attacks. At any given time you should also not cut more than a third of the grass height. This means if you have missed mowing the lawn for a couple of weeks during the growing season, reduce the height of the grass gradually by reducing only third of the height each time. In order to have a thriving and lush lawn you need to ensure that you are mowing it at the right frequency. Grass that is too short or long can both lead to weak roots. In summer, the peak of the growing season, you might need to mow the lawn twice a week. In spring and fall you must schedule mowing only once a week. Generally, in winter grass grows very slowly so you do not need to mow the lawn at all. When you mow the lawn you need to deal with the clippings as well. If you are mowing periodically and the clippings are short, you can leave them on the lawn as they will disintegrate and add valuable nitrogen to the soil, reducing the fertilizer requirement by 25 percent. If, however, you have missed a few mowing and the lawn is very high, you need to collect the clippings and mulch or compost it before returning it to the soil. A striped lawn looks much more attractive than a lawn that has been mowed without any design. To achieve this, simply fix on the pattern you want and move the mower in opposite directions to obtain the stripes. One of the other important factors that can affect the quality of your lawn when mowing is the quality of the blades of the lawn mower. If the blades are blunt or not sharp enough, the grass can be cut with ragged edges and not provide a smooth surface. Moreover, the grass can be damaged, leading to bald patches or browning. Inspect the blades of the mower periodically to ensure that the grass is not damaged when you mow it. These steps will ensure that your lawn sparkles after mowing it.