07/28/2026
Those Stripes Aren't Paint
They're light. A roller (or the mower deck) bends the grass as it cuts β blades bent away from you reflect light and read bright, blades bent toward you read dark. Same grass, two directions.
The part that matters for lawn health: alternating your mowing pattern each cut keeps ruts from forming and lets the grass stand back up straight. The stripes are the bonus.
This one's from our own yard. Checkerboard or straight lines β which way do you go?