When the time comes around for your lawn to be mowed, you want to make sure that your lawnmower is ready for some heavy-duty action. Unfortunately, what many homeowners tend to figure out is that not maintaining their lawnmower throughout its downtime can lead to issues such as stalling. Stalling can be both frustrating and expensive if the issue isn't taken care of right away. However, finding the issue should be your number one focus at the beginning. Therefore, to help you get your lawnmower back in working condition, here are four reasons why your lawnmower keeps stalling. 

1. Stale Fuel in the Tank

Leaving your lawnmower in the shed and not touching it for days or months can cause some issues when you finally decide to turn it back on again. One of the most common issues with not using your lawnmower for a while is that the fuel within it begins to go stale. Fuel can go stale within as little as 30 days and even faster if it's mixed with ethanol. A great way to get around this issue if you don't have the time to start up your lawnmower every once in a while is to add canned fuel. Canned fuel usually doesn't contain ethanol and thus will last you longer. A more thorough solution is to add a fuel stabilizer to your tank. 

2. Dirty Air Filters

It's safe to say that your lawnmower is going to see plenty of dirt and debris during its run. Although most lawn mowers are built to withstand such accumulation of dirt, they all need to be cleaned out every once in a while. Often the reason for a stalling machine is simply due to the air filter not being changed as often. When the air filter is clogged with dirt and debris, it makes it difficult for the engine to receive air. 

3. Overheating

 When a lawnmower overheats, it begins to stall. Homeowners then tend to fix the issue by turning it off and on only for the motor not to restart again. So, what can be the issue here? There are a variety of reasons why your engine may be overheating; fortunately, most of these are simple fixes. Some of the most common factors that lead to overheating include not having enough oil within the crankcase, not running your lawn mower at full throttle, or simply overworking the machine by attempting to cut dense wet grass. 

4. Spark Plug Issues

 If you're noticing a significant stalling motion from your machine, then you may have an issue with your spark plugs. Much like the filter, your spark plugs can also be overtaken with dirt, debris, and even oil. This, of course, causes serious issues as the spark plug cannot provide enough air/fuel mixture to get it running properly. The easiest way to fix this is to clean them thoroughly. Just make sure the lawnmower is powered off first.

Chances are, there are areas of your lawn where sunlight hits the grass at least six hours per day. In addition, there are likely a few areas that remain in the shade for much of the day. This prompts an important question related to lawn care. Should you mow differently in shaded areas compared to sunny areas of your lawn? Discover the answer to this question as well as the reasons behind it.

Shady Areas vs. Sunny Areas

The answer to the above question is yes. In order to maintain the general health of your lawn, you should approach cutting shady areas of your lawn in a different way than the sunny areas. Not surprisingly, the growth rate of grass in shady areas differs from grass in sunny areas.

Leave the Grass Longer in Shady Areas

Once you’re finished mowing the sunny areas of your lawn, reset the mower’s blade to leave the shaded grass one inch longer. When the grass is left longer, it allows the plants to absorb more sunlight in this limited time of exposure.

Change the Direction of Your Mowing

Another important step in caring for the shady areas of your lawn involves the direction of your mowing. Change the direction that you mow each time you work on a shady area. This allows all portions of the shaded area an opportunity to absorb more sunlight and gain nourishment.

Monitor for Moisture Loss in Shady Areas

Is the shade on your lawn caused by a large, older tree? If so, moisture loss is something to factor into maintaining the area. The roots of a large tree tend to absorb any rain that makes it onto the ground. This can result in moisture loss to the shaded area of grass. Also, a large tree with a wide canopy may not allow much rain to filter down through its leaves. This also contributes to moisture loss. The answer is to water the shaded area to ensure the grass is getting the nourishment it needs.

If the shaded area of your yard is caused by a shed or a garage, then the rain will be able to reach the grass without an issue. You don’t need to water those areas shaded by buildings.

Watch for Pests in Shady Areas

Pest issues can be a factor when caring for shaded areas of grass. Because the area is darker, you may not notice pest activity as quickly as you would on grass that gets lots of sunlight. If you see any brown patches or moss growth, you may have a pest issue. Removing leaves, sticks or other debris can take away the hiding places of pests so they can’t multiply.

Finally, taking a little extra care with the shaded areas of your lawn can help to keep those spots as healthy as the open expanses of your yard.