Many people have troubles with their lawn, and don’t realize that they may be caused by not mowing correctly. This can cause problems such as weeds, bare spots, weak root system, and discoloured grass tips.
Below are some best lawn mowing tips and practices:
HEIGHT
Typically, 2.5 to 3 inches is an optimal height to keep your lawn. You may be tempted to mow it shorter to avoid mowing as often, or because you like the look. But you should really resist the urge because…
Mowing too short can:
- Bare more soil for weeds to move into.
- Cause the grass to have a weaker root system which may make it susceptible to insects.
- Allow the soil to become dryer due to lack of cover.
- Allow for less photosynthesis and a weaker plant.
- Kill the grass, particularly in high summer heat.
The type of grass you are growing may prefer a certain height as well, so it doesn’t hurt to look that up.
FREQUENCY
This will quite often need to be adjusted due to the amount of rain, temperature, and fertilization. A general rule of thumb is to try to cut no more than about 1/3 of the blade each mowing session. This will allow you to leave the clippings on the lawn to provide a natural fertilizer without leaving soo much as to allow it to mould or create a thatch barrier.
TIME OF DAY
It is best to mow during a cooler or shadier part of the day. This will cause less shock to the grass because it won’t lose as much water as it would in high heat.
DAMPNESS
It is best to mow when the grass is dry. Mowing a wet lawn can rip the grass and cause an uneven mow as the lawnmower gets clogged up.
DULL BLADES
If you are having discoloured tips after you mow, it may be that your blades are dull. This can rip and tear the grass and cause uneven mowing and hurting the plant.
PATTERN
It doesn’t hurt to mow in a different direction each time. This can avoid leaving ruts in the soil from going over the exact same spot each time.
WEEDS
If you have weeds that are about to go to seed it is a good idea to mow after they do so, to avoid spreading the seeds all over yourself and baring more soil for them to take root. Alternatively, add the bag on to the lawnmower for this cut so that it sucks the majority of the seeds up.
EDGING
If you have even edges around the lawn that are equal height with the lawn then you can simply run one wheel over the edge and get a nice even cut. If not, it is better to break out the weed wacker to avoid scalping the edges and killing the grass. You may wind up getting weeds and moss on the edges if you do cut it too short.
For additional tips there is a good website here: https://www.lawnsmith.co.uk/topic/mowing-the-lawn/grass-cutting-tips-and-tricks
If you would like to hear more on another topic, or have any questions on the above, feel free to comment below or email us at [email protected]. We are here to help!
I don’t mow the lawn.