Navimow takes precise mapping to the next level with Off-limit Islands or No-mow zones. It is an incredible function that keeps the mower away from areas that you don’t want to mow.
Let’s learn how to set a no-mow zone or an off-limit island through the Navimow application. We will show the step-by-step process to map out the area manually and enjoy precise results.
What is an Off-Limit Island or Area in the Navimow App?
There are some areas in the lawn that don’t require mowing, or your mower shouldn’t go there. Suppose there is a swimming pool in the middle of a lawn, so this is a special area, and you have to keep the mower away from it.
Similarly, there could be flowerbeds, ponds, sprinkler systems, etc. These areas do not need mowing, and your mower will get stuck. Moreover, there could be areas where you have temporarily placed anything, such as an above-ground pool, trampoline, or swing set. If you have such areas in your lawn, it’s necessary to prevent your robot mower from going there.
For such areas, Navimow has the Off-Limit Island function. With this, you can map a specific area within the zone. Once you do that, the mower will not mow in that area. It will automatically avoid going there.
So, if there is a pool, the mower will mow around it. There is no risk of falling. You can have multiple off-limit areas in a zone. It’s an exceptional function for complex lawns.
Off-limit Islands are also called BioLife Islands. That’s because these are the areas where the grass and plants grow freely. It attracts bees, butterflies, and hedgehogs and creates a balance.
Which Areas are Ideal for Off-Limit Islands?
Flowerbeds
The flowerbeds you have created in your lawn, along the fences, and other areas are responsible for balancing the biological life. Your Navimow mower can sense these areas as obstacles and won’t mow them. But it will detect the whole flowerbed as an obstacle again and again and reroute. It will waste more time than mowing the area around the flowerbed.
A better option is to make the flowerbed an off-limit island. When you do so, the Navimow mower knows the boundary around the flowerbed and only mows that area. It neglects the flowerbed as an obstacle. It freely mows the lawn with perfection.
Swimming Pools
Whether you have an above-ground or underground swimming pool, you need to create an off-limit zone. You can map the whole area with perfection.
After mapping, the mower will stay away from the pool, but it will mow the grass around it. It will work without any issues, while keeping it safe from falling into the pool.
Play Areas
Often, play areas in the lawn do not have grass. You can eliminate this area from the mowing cycle by setting an off-limit zone. Children can play in the area without any disturbance.
If you have recently moved anything, such as a trampoline or swing, you can set the off-limit zone temporarily and then delete it later.
Some Navimow mowers can mow under suspended objects. You can leave them on the lawn without any worries. But if your mower doesn’t mow under suspended objects, like a table, chair, or trampoline, you can set such designated areas as no-mowing zones or off-limit islands.
Pond
If you happen to have a pond on your property, it is a must to create an off-limits island there. No matter how small or large the area is, if it is within your mowing zone, you can separate it with the off-limit island function.
It’s also safe for the mower. It won’t get too near to the pond. However, it will maintain the grass around it with perfection.
Area Around a Tree
The area around a large tree is usually uneven. It has visible tree roots and some other plants as well. To save this area, you can map an off-limit island.
Most Navimow mowers, such as i2 AWD and X4, can mow such areas. But still, you can make it a no-mowing zone, especially if there is no grass and large tree roots are visible.
Fountain
The fountain area is also a section that you want to avoid during the mowing cycle. You can keep the mower away from its boundary or specific radius using the off-limit island. Often, there are stone paths or plants around the fountain. You can also include them in the no-mow zone.
Water Sprinkler
You might have set up an automated watering system for your lawn. There would be sprinkler heads at certain places.
Navimow mowers can detect these sprinklers and safely mow the lawn. However, they will detect these sprinklers in the lawn again and again. The detection and rerouting waste time.
Thus, it’s a great idea to create these sprinkler areas as off-limit zones. The mower will mow around them without any hassle.
How to Map a No-Mow Zone or Off-Limit Island?
It’s quite easy to map a no-mow zone or off-limit island in the Navimow app. Keep in mind that you have to do it manually. Auto mapping does not work in this scenario.
By manual mapping, you need to move the mower along the boundary of the off-limit island. It won’t take much time, and you can precisely map every corner, curve, and contour.
Here are the steps you need to follow.
Step 1: Open the Navimow application.
Step 2: Go to the map and tap Add More.
Step 3: Tap Off-limit Island. Use the arrow buttons on the smartphone screen and move the mower to the location from where you want to start mapping. Tap “Reached starting point.”
Step 4: Move the camera around the island to map the area. Keep the right side of the mower to the edge of the off-limit island.
Step 5: After mapping, you will see the off-limit island on the map. If you want to map more off-limit islands, you can follow the same process. Finally, save the map.
How to Edit or Delete Off-Limit Islands?
You can also edit the off-limit island whenever you want. And if you made it for temporary objects, you can also delete it without any hassle.
Step 1: Open the map and select the off-limit island you want to edit or delete.
Step 2: Tap Edit.
Step 3: You will see a few options there. You can adjust the boundary and also delete the off-limit island.
Final Words
Navimow allows you to set no-mow zones or off-limit islands within the lawn. You can create off-limit islands around swimming pools, trees, flowerbeds, ponds, sprinkler heads, etc. Once you do that, the mower will never go into that area. It will only mow along the boundary. That said, you can separate no-mow zones from the mowing area without any hassle. You can create multiple off-limit islands in the lawn and ensure artisan-level mowing.
