How to Get Lawn Stripes like on a Baseball Field

Everyone loves seeing a beautiful lawn. Lawn stripes can add that extra touch most people don’t have the patience for. There are a few tips to get you closer to that baseball-field look.

Those really defined lawn stripes are caused by the way the light hits each blade of grass, making some areas appear darker and others lighter. Ball fields use rollers after mowing to get the added effect. You probably don’t have one lying around in the shed.

1. Mow a bit higher.

Leaving extra length makes the grass bend more. Shorter lawns don’t show the striping nearly as well. Shorter lawns tend to stand up straighter, making the sunlight hit it in similar directions. If you want dark and light stripes, the grass blades need length to bend.

2. Mow wider.

We’re not suggesting you go buy an extra wide lawn mower deck. You can accomplish a similar feat by mowing the same direction for multiple parallel paths. Most people mow their lawn in alternating paths (e.g. mowing north to south then mowing south to north for the path next to it). If you give yourself some room for the first path, you can mow one path in the “light” direction, then mow the first path in the “dark direction” before doubling back to mow another line in the “light direction” next to the previous one. You can then continue to create these double or even triple paths parallel to each other as you mow. If you don’t have previous lines to show you where each path starts, you may need to use previous paths to get the mower back to the correct side of the lawn for the next path.

3. Fertilize & Water.

Fertilizing your lawn in the Spring helps ensure the soil has all the proper nutrients to grow. Farmers can tell you, soil gets depleted after years of growing in it, the same goes for your lawn. Don’t forget to water more than usual for the week after fertilizing.

Even if it rains, your lawn will need extra water to ensure the fertilizer ends up in the soil, not burning your grass. Watering regularly is important even when you haven’t applied fertilizer. Rain usually doesn’t provide your lawn with enough water, so unless it’s been raining for several days straight, it’s still a good idea to water the lawn once or twice a week, and the morning is the best time to water to help your grass handle the sun all day. Watering too late in the day can cause lawn mold or fungus build-up.

4. Aerate your lawn.

Aerating & overseeding your lawn in the Fall and/or Spring helps promote growth by breaking up the compacted soil. It also helps the roots “breath” which most people don’t know, they also need some airflow in the first couple inches of soil.