Lawn Maintenance with Automower: How to plan a typical year

So you have got an Automower installed at your home and you are so excited to see your lawn being mowed autonomously. As you continue to use the Automower you see mixed results throughout the year as far as quality of grass is concerned. In this article we'll cover some tips on how to maintain and manage your Automower throughout the year as the mowing season starts until late Fall when most lawns go dormant. The tips and ideas presented in this article are very general and apply for most grass types and climate zones, but each user may have to consider factors such as grass type, climatic conditions, mower model etc. 

March to May - Spring :

As the mowing season starts, it is a good idea to ensure that the mower is fully functional. The best thing to do is to get annual service done from SmartDots, during winter where every sensor and functional aspect of the mower is checked as part of service to ensure smooth operation for the upcoming season. This is covered more in detail later in the article. 

Blades: Once you have checked that the mower is in good physical condition, ensure that you replace the blades. Always start the season with new blades. 

Cutting Height: Most summer grasses stay dormant until mid March to early April. It would probably be a good idea to cut the grass low during this time in order to remove the dead grass and let new growth flourish. Typically we do not recommend our customers to go lower than cutting height of 3 for the low cut models (X). For high cut Automower (XH) models, the lowest cutting height can be set to 1. 

DO NOT start mowing grass at the low cutting height from Day 1. This will not only stress the cutting assembly more, but will also leave your lawn with potentially long clippings making it look ugly. Moreover, the blades tend to wear off much faster this way. 

The best approach will be to gradually lower the cutting height week over week (or once every 5 days) ,no more than 2 steps at a time (ideally 1 step at time). You could also use the "Target Height" feature on the mower where the mower will do this automatically for you over time, but ensure that you start from highest cutting height. If your mower does not show the "Target Height" feature then it could be due to an older firmware version on the mower.

Fertilizing and Weed Control:  When you have an Automower, then the only time when you may need Fertilizer and Weed Control is during Spring. This is mainly because there was no mower running in winter and the natural fertilization process that the Automower provides was not happening for over 3-4 months. Moreover, spring is when lot of pollination occurs and is best time for weeds to flourish. It is therefore recommended that a round of fertilization and weed control is done before beginning of May, while the Automower is trimming down your grass gradually in parallel.

Blade Change: We typically recommend a blade change every 4-6 weeks (depending on usage and type of blade). If you are using Endurance blades, then Mid to Late April may be a good time to change the blades, before changing them again during beginning of summer.

Watering - Ensure that your lawn gets good amount of water, especially to absorb the nutrients from fertilizers and kick start grass growth for the season. Too much water may not be good during this period. The best solution would be to leverage a Smart Sprinkler Controller. SmartDots may be able to help you with Smart Sprinkler Controller as well. 

Mowing Schedule &Time: The mowing schedule for your lawn can depend on the size of your lawn and the model of mower you are using. As a rule of thumb, if a mower is rated for 1 acre of coverage then running it for 24 hours continuously gives you a 100% coverage (Practically 80-90% or lower for more complex lawns). Based on this rule, for a mower rated for 1 acre, if it is scheduled for 12 hours a day, the lawn should be fully mowed in approximately 2.5-3 days, which is quite reasonable. In this example, for a 1 acre area, you can run the mower for 6 days a week and give it rest for 1 day. That 1 day could be used to clean the mower, check on blades etc. 

As far as the mowing time is concerned, it is usually a good idea to mow the lawn when temperatures are low or just before watering the lawn. For example if your lawn is scheduled for watering starting at 3:00 AM, then you could mow until 2:30 AM and then restart after watering is complete. This way the grass will be watered soon after it is cut, causing lesser stress and faster repair. 

June to August - Summer :

Blade Change - Depending on when the last blade change was done, it is usually a good idea to have fresh set of blades before peak summer kicks in. This would typically be late May to early June.  It is important that the blades are sharp during this period as the grass growth is the fastest. A clean cut will therefore keep the grass healthy and avoid it from getting stressed by the heat of the sun. It will also help with better water absorption. 

It may not be a bad idea to change the blades a little more frequently in summer. A second blade change can be planned around late June to mid July, in order to maintain the cut quality during the most aggressive period of grass growth. 

Once blades are changed in July, the next change can happen during late August or early September, which may be the last blade change for the season.

Cutting Height - Managing cutting height during summer can play a vital role in keeping the grass healthy while minimizing need for watering. Starting mid May, the cutting height can be gradually raised week over week, so that by the time peak summer kicks in, the grass is maintained at a taller height. This is important because if the grass is too short during summer, then moisture retention can become a problem, resulting in dry soil and potentially dead or burnt grass. 

It is best for any summer grass to gradually increase the cutting height starting mid May and bring it to 7 or 8/9 level before peak summer. Anything lower than 7 may not help the grass a lot, especially in the southern states of US. "Target Height" feature may be a good idea to leverage during this time. 

Fertilizing & Weed Control: Typically fertilizing or weed control will not be required during the summer months, when Automower is being used. The Automower naturally fertilizes the lawn while leaving tiny clippings  which also help in moisture retention. 

Blade Change: Blade change may be required with a shorter time lapse in the summer months, mainly because the rapid growth on grass can wear off the blades faster and can start affecting the grass quality. Provided that a blade change was done just before or during start of summer, a second blade change around mid July may not be a bad idea. 

Watering: Watering the lawn thoroughly in summer months is very important to maintain grass quality. It is best to water the early morning rather than mid day or late evening. By watering early morning (starting around 3-4 am), one can avoid fast evaporation of water that can happen during mid day and can provide sufficient time for the grass to absorb water and nutrients.  As the sun comes out, any unnecessary moisture evaporates. Also watering late evening can cause the water to sit for too long closer to grass roots, which can potentially make the grass prone to diseases and moss . 

Mowing Schedule & Time: While the mowing schedule can be maintained similar to the Spring season, it is best to avoid the mower from mowing during extremely hot periods of the day in the summer months (Example: 12 pm to 5 pm). This is not only good for the grass, but can also help improve the mower's battery performance and overall mechanical life. 

September & October: Fall: The Fall months is the time when the grass growth starts slowing down and we start entering a situation similar to the Spring months. 

Blade Change - Depending on when the last blade change was done, it is usually a good idea to have fresh set of blades before early to mid Fall. This would typically be late August to early September.  

Cutting Height: The cutting height can start going down in Fall as the temperatures start falling. Rather than gradually going from a tall height to a low height, it may be a good idea to have two step changes to the grass height. If the starting cutting height before Fall is 8 or 9, then the height can be gradually reduced to 6 or 7 in the month of September and then it can be again gradually reduced from 6/7 to a 3/4 during the month of October/November.

Fertilizing & Weed Control: Typically fertilizing or weed control will not be required during the fall months, when Automower is being used. However, it may be a good idea to treat your lawn with some pre-emergent during late Fall/ early winter (Oct-Nov). 

Watering: The watering requirement will gradually reduce during the Fall months. The best way to manage this is through a smart controller. 

Mowing Schedule & Time: As the grass growth slows down, it may not be required to run the mower for the same duration as the summer. Instead of manually managing the schedule to accommodate this, it may be a good idea to leverage the "Weather Timer" feature on the Automower, which parks the Automower automatically if the blades do not detect any resistance from grass. In the month of September this feature can be used at a sensitivity setting of "Low", with a change to "Medium" during October/November months. 

November to February: These are typically the winter months when mowing is not required. If winter grass is being used, then an approach similar to the Spring time can be followed. For lawns that have grass which go dormant in winter, it will be a perfect time to get your Automower serviced and prepared for the next mowing season. At SmartDots, we offer full end to end services, where Annual Service of Automowers is very popular and enables customers to have a hassle-free mowing season the following year. 

As part of the annual service out of many other things some of the aspects that is addressed by SmartDots is listed below,

• Thorough clean up of mower - This helps remove debris/dead grass clippings from hard to reach areas , which can cause mechanical issues over time if left unattended.
• Full Service of Cutting Assembly - The cutting assembly is the most hard working part on the Automower. It is therefore important to open it up, clean it, grease it, check bearings and replace any damaged parts (covered in warranty) to ensure it operates smoothly. A lot of times we find tangled wires, hair and other debris lodges inside the bearing which can add resistance to the rotation of the cutting disc and hence impacting the mower's battery life.
• Change of Blades - Once cutting assembly is serviced, new set of blades are installed on the mower
• Polish Contacts - The mower charging contacts are polished and any oxidization on the copper contacts is removed, to ensure smooth charging performance. The same process is followed on the charging base.
• Service Charging Station - Charging station is cleaned and checked for any infestation inside.  It is then tested to ensure that the mower is getting charged as expected.
• Weather Seal - The mower is opened up and the weather seal is replaced - During this time, it is also inspected if there is any moisture damage/presence inside the mower and necessary steps are taken to resolve it.
• Firmware Update - The mower is connected to the AutoCheck software (available only to authorized dealers) and latest firmware is loaded on the mower
• Recalls & Service bulletins - Any issues reported by manufacturer for specific models is checked against the mower and any service/parts replacement is done if required. 
• Sensor Calibration - All the sensors of the mowers are re-calibrated for optimal performance
• AutoCheck - Every component of the mower is checked by connecting it to the computer 
• Front/Rear Wheel Inspection: Treading on front and rear wheel is checked and recommendation is made to replace the rubber lining or the wheel based on its condition.

All these and many more little things like air filter clean up, check up of rubber bellows, fully charging the mower battery for winter storage etc are also performed during this service. 

With a thorough service the mower will be once again ready to mow the lawn in the upcoming mowing season. More importantly a hassle free season of mowing is always desirable. 

These guidelines may need to be adjusted based on the location, seasonal differences , grass type and personal factors. The idea of this guide is to provide end users with some direction on making the most out of an Automower, while getting a perfect and health lawn. 

If you have any questions or concerns then please do not hesitate to reach us out at [e-mail]