Who couldn’t use a few lawn mowing tips this time of the year? Why? Because there’s nothing like a freshly mowed lawn. The fresh smell, the crisp green. But when done wrong, the results are less than aesthetically pleasing.
Put your mower blades too low and the sun could scorch your lawn. Mow in the wrong weather condition and you could put your lawn at risk of disease.
When it comes to lawn care, there are a handful of best practices to follow for better results. In this blog post, we share four lawn mowing tips that will make your healthy lawn the envy of the neighborhood.
4 Lawn Mowing Tips for a Better Lawn
In addition to making sure your mower blades are sharp and your mower is in tip-top shape, here are four tips for growing and maintaining the best lawn.
Adjust Your Mower Height Properly
Set your mower blades to a height of about 3 inches and only cut one-third off the top each time you mow. This may result in cutting the grass more often, but longer grass blades can support more roots and help develop a deeper root system, making it easier for those roots to locate water and nutrients in the soil. What’s more, is longer grass blades will make it harder for weeds to establish themselves in your lawn and give your lawn the appearance of a thick, green carpet.
Cutting the grass too short, what’s referred to as scalping, forces grass to focus its energy on regrowing blades rather than deepening its roots. This also makes it easier for weeds to push their way through.
Stick with Versatility in Your Mowing Pattern
Have you ever noticed the different patterns in the grass of baseball fields? This variation in mowing patterns is prompted by an effort to boost the turf’s health, and because it looks good.
When you constantly mow in the same directions, your grass will start to lean in that chosen direction. Freshening up the pattern will allow your grass to stand tall and straight. Also, mowing in the same pattern will eventually leave ruts in your lawn.
Account for Weather Conditions
The best time of day to mow your grass is in the early evening because that’s when it tends to be the driest (if it hasn’t rained that day). It’s also when the hottest part of the day has passed and it gives the grass time to recover before the next day’s heat.
Avoid mowing the grass when it is wet as this can result in an uneven trim and clog your lawnmower. When wet clumps of grass clippings sit on your lawn, they smother the grass below, causing brown spots to form.
Utilize Leftover Mower Clippings
Resist the urge to rake or collect grass clippings as you mow. They act as natural compost and break down quickly, adding nutrients back into your lawn. This only works if your clippings are small and they aren’t in huge clumps. If you’d rather bag your clippings, use them as mulch in your garden or compost them — but only if your grass hasn’t been treated with weed killer.
The experts at Lush Lawn know all the tricks to keep your lawn healthy and green. Ready to work with your next lawn dream team? Request your free quote.