Does Robotic Mowing Make My Grass Better?

Well, yes it does actually. There are a few reasons.

Frequency of cutting and quality of cut are two of the most important. With traditional mowing at weekly intervals you are taking a larger piece of the grass leaf off versus mowing every other or every third day with a robotic mower. If you mowed more frequenctly with conventional mowing you'd get the same results on this aspect, however for those of us not on golf courses the idea of mowing more than once a week is rare. The more frequently you can mow and the less of the plant's leaf removed the better turf quality.

The 1/3 rule is very common in the world of grass/turf care, this states one should never take off more than 1/3 of the leaf at a single mow. Adhering to this practice reduces the stress in the grass, promotes deeper and healthier roots, improves drought resistance, reduces weeds, and ensures a healthier, greener, and more lush, dense lawn. This can be difficult to do for those who mow with traditional systems. Our short summer months in the Upper Midwest combined with too much rain, a kid's baseball weekend instead of mowing the lawn, a family trip out of town, a breakdown on a lawn mower, or just wanting to do something else other than fight with the mostquitos while mowing the lawn all happen. Those that have a lake house, vrbo, or second home may struggle more to keep lawns mowed more often and abide by the 1/3 rule. Usually the answer once the lawn is too long or if one isn't sure when they'll be back again to mow is to knock the grass down as short as possible, this puts alot of stress on turf and makes the lawn less healthy.

Lastly most residential robotic mowers use razor blades that have a clean, sharp edge compared to a jagged edge like in a typical rotary blade mower. Traditional rotary mowers cause a jagged edge to the leaf blade and more of a tear than a cut, especially if blades aren't sharp. This forces the grass blade to take longer to heal up causing the grass to lose more water and increase the possibility of pathogens could enter the leaf blade. Robotic mowers with razor blades use the same principle as with a reel mower - the cut quality being better and the cut itself cleaner, allowing the plant to regenerate quicker and healthier.

Robotic mowing also results in less wear and stress on the lawn. Robotic mowers are not nearly as heavy as traditional mowers. This is especially true for those mowing with a riding or larger commercial stand on unit. The long term benefits of using robotics on a lawn include reduced soil compaction and all the benefits associated with that.

If you don't beleive me use a robotic mower for a month or two, you'll see a visibly thicker and greener lawn.