Tips for mowing your lawn
Mowing your lawn seems like a simple enough task right? After all, how hard is it to start a lawn mower and push it across the lawn? But what you may not know is that there is a correct way to mow the lawn and some other small tips to help mow it so that it grows better and looks nicer. Here are some simple tips for mowing your lawn.
- During the warmest seasons of the year which is normally in June and July grasses really begin to grow. And we all know if we have a yard of grass it's going to need to get mowed; probably every week. And like we said before there is actually a correct way to mow it so that grass can grow at its fullest potential. When you mow your lawn at the correct height you are actually promoting a more dense, higher quality turf that not only looks good but will compete vigorously to keep the weeds out. One way of knowing if you've let the grass get too long is if when you're done mowing it still looks like a hayfield; that would be bad.
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- Keeping your blades sharp is another good tip to keep in mind when it comes to mowing your lawn. If you think about it, isn't it easier to cut things when the blades are sharp; like cutting a piece of paper. It's easier to cut your lawn with sharp, clean blades instead of dirty, dull ones. It might sound silly but when the blades are sharp it's easier for the grass to heal itself and it will actually lose less water. Sharp blades also create a barrier to fungi.
- Try not to over fertilize or over water your lawn. In the early spring seasons it can be quite a temptation to overwater as you want to see that lush green grass begin growing, but it will actually do more damage than good. Watering your lawn every day is only going to promote shallow root systems and can create several different fungal diseases that will eat your grass to death.
- Many homeowners will bag their lawn clippings because they believe that they add to the buildup of hatch. They couldn't be more wrong. The only way to prevent thatch buildup is by frequent mowing and proper fertilization. Clippings that remain on the lawn are actually the best kind of nutrients the grass can get. The left over clippings will decompose quickly and leave valuable nutrients behind. Essentially you will use less fertilizer if you leave your lawn clippings in the lawn than if you do not. The shorter the clippings the deeper they will fall into the turf. The more frequently you mow your lawn the smaller the clippings; which in turn will give you healthier grass.
- Don't every cut your lawn more than 1/3 the grass height when you mow it. Scalping your lawn, despite what you may think will not make it so you have to mow less. When you leave the grass at least 1/3 of the grass height the blades of grass can capture more sunlight and build stronger roots. Scalping your lawn will damage the grass and allow several undesirable things to happen. It's like inviting weeds and pests right into your yard.
- Spreading disease throughout your lawn can happen very easily. If you mow your lawn when it's wet you can spread disease all over the lawn. If you cut your grass too low you may also see an occurrence of disease. So choose when to cut the lawn carefully as you don't want to create any problems that aren't already there.
Hopefully these helpful tips for mowing your lawn will give you lush green grass that is desired by all your neighbors. If you're lawn has suffered in the past then you might have to be patient in the lawn care process and wait a season before you see the benefits of correct mowing techniques.
