Do you want a great-looking lawn? If you say of course, then you need to check out these great lawn care tips. A greener lawn starts with using these 6 best lawn mowing practices….
Mowing Blade Height
An optimal height for a cool-season grass generally is about 2 1/2 inches. And at each mowing, you should only be removing about the top 1/3 of the grass blade. Consequently, a good time to mow lawns is when your grass is about 3 2/3 inches high. Mowing too short can create severe stress on the lawn, causing it to burn-out, while creating an environment favorable for weeds to move in. Cut it too tall and the grass will look bad.
Keep the Mower Blade Sharp
Start your spring season strong with a great cut from the start. Your mower will cut faster and deliver a better quality of cut with sharp blades, so make sure your blades are sharp! One of the top maintenance items for any rotary mower is to ensure blades are properly sharpened, balanced, and in good working order. A good rule of thumb is to sharpen your blades every 3 months. Mowing with dull blades rip the grass blades making them susceptible to disease and insect feeding.
Mowing Pattern
Vary Your Mowing Pattern. Each time you mow, do it in a different direction. If you always cut your lawn using the same pattern, not only will you end up sending your brain straight to snoozeville, but your grass will start to lean in the direction you mow and you may even end up with ruts in the lawn.
Clippings
You should bag your clippings if the grass is tall, leaves are covering the lawn, or you need to prevent disease and weeds from spreading. When the grass is high, bagging reduces thatch and leaves an overall neater appearance. It’s best to not let the grass to high and having a professional mower on the job will make sure it is consistently cut on time.
Hot Summer Month Change
When the dog days of summer bring on their swelter, it’s time to rethink how you mow your lawn. Raising the mowing height during the summer months discourages turf diseases, such as summer patches. Though a low-cut, manicured lawn might seem ideal, turfgrass actually does better in the summer heat when you let it grow a bit. Longer shoots mean deeper roots, which the lawn needs to suck up moisture from the soil. A shaggy lawn also shades the soil, minimizing evaporation. Lawnmowers today have height adjustment levers that make it easy to raise and lower the deck.
Leave It to the Professionals for Best Results
You will want to observe and direct how they are mowing each week. A good question to weed out low-quality lawn care providers: “How often do you sharpen your blades?” Good lawn care companies usually sharpen or change blades every 1-2 days. Here’s a quick rule of thumb: ask them how many mowing hours they go through before changing/sharpening blades. The answer should be no more than 10 hours.
Contact us (859-314-LAWN) for more information or a free instant quote!
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About Green & Grow
Green & Grow is a full service lawn care company specializing in lawn mowing, fertilization & weed control, aeration & seeding, insect control, and more!
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