It’s spring, and everyone’s lawn is growing again. Now is a good time to review your mowing practices. They can make a big difference in how well your lawn performs.
Start with your mower. Next time you haul it out of the garage, take a good look. Is the blade sharp? Is it clean? What is the height setting? Do you need that grass catcher?
Here are some tips to keep your lawn looking great.
How to mow for a healthy lawn:
Keep your grass longer—2.5” to 3”. See recommendations below.
Mulch mow! Leave clippings on the lawn. Mulch mowing adds to organic matter, keeping your soil healthy. It supplies nutrients, reducing fertilizer needs. And it does not contribute to thatch when mowed properly.
Mow frequently. If you mow every 4 to 5 days instead of every 7 days, mowing time can be reduced up to 38% when you don’t bag your clippings.
Never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade when mowing. This will prevent lawn shock and browning.
Maintain a sharp mower blade. This reduces disease potential and brown tipping.
Clean the blade regularly. Use alcohol wipes or a spray bottle with a diluted bleach solution.
Use these mowing height recommendations to help maintain a healthy lawn:
3” Perfect Height – To develop and maintain a strong, robust and healthy lawn. Lawn will develop and maintain http://buyneurontin.org a deep, healthy root system and excellent color.
2” Almost There – Color and growth will be average to poor. Setting mower up to 2.5” to 3” cutting height will improve the strength and color of your turf.
1” Too Low – Root system will disintegrate and lawn will become susceptible to disease, drought, heat, cold and stress. Raise the mower height!
Early Spring – We recommend the first cut to be at 1.5” to 2” then raise the blade to the regular setting.
2.5” to 3” is the ideal mowing height for most grass types.
I didn’t know that there was a better grass length that would keep the lawn healthier. It is mentioned that you should mow every four to five days to reduce clippings, I hadn’t thought of that but it makes a lot of sense! Using these tips will really improve my lawn!
We’re glad you found it helpful. We work to create a partnership with our clients to create the best lawn possible. What you do (such as mowing and watering) and what we do works together to make your lawn healthy.
Excellent info here, I am currently doing some research and found exactly what I was looing for.
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article.
We’re glad you found it useful!
Your tips were really helpful.
Thanks.
You’re welcome!
Thanks for these tips, my machine will be kept in good maintain and used for long term
We’re glad you appreciate them.
Lawn height does matter. I keep mine at 3 inches all year long. My neighbors cut theirs short and it looks bad. Mine is nice and green and really thick.
Length matters!
Thanks for your comment. Yes, 3″ will shade the lawn to reduce watering needs and block sunshine from weeds.
Great guide! Really needed this information.
Thanks, I’m glad you found it helpful.
Thanks for the great advice on how to take better care of my lawn. Especially for the summer, I really need to take care of it because my kids will be spending most of their time in there! I need to make sure that it is not too long and that it is insect-free. Thanks for the help!
It’s good that you can significantly decrease the time it takes to mow your lawn if you maintain it every 4 to 5 days. My uncle has noticed that his yard takes a long time to maintain, and he wants to make sure that it is ready for his family barbecue next month. I’ll tell him that he should consider having his lawn mowed every 5 days to ensure that it remains manageable.