Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Lawn Mowing- 5 Tips for Healthier Grass


    1.      When mowing avoid removal of more than 1/3 of the grass blade. Letting the lawn get long and then removing large portions of the leaf blades will add stress to the lawn and will decrease the rooting of the plant.

    2.      Make sure that you are always mowing with sharp blades. Mowing with dull blades will tear at the leaf blades instead of making a clean cut. This adds stress to the lawn and offers a path for diseases to enter the leaf blades. The need to sharpen your blades will depend on how often and for how long the mower is used. We sharpen our blades daily!

     3.      Whenever possible, mulching is beneficial for the grass instead of bagging it. By mulching, you are putting nutrients that are in the leaf blades back in to the soil.

     4.      Make sure that you mow at the correct height. The optimum height for most cool season grasses is 2.5-3.5 inches. During hot summer months it is advised to move the mowing heights up to help with drought and heat stress.

     5.      Alternate patterns when you can. On big open lawns you should alternate the pattern that you mow weekly. This will help with the overall cut and appearance of the lawn.