Lawn Care Tips: Mowing

Sound mowing practices are some of the most important parts of lawn maintenance. The most important aspect of mowing that many home owners as well as for hire mowers often miss is mowing height. While there is no “perfect” height to mow your lawn, the perfect look all too often is far from the perfect practice for your grass. I recommend mowing at a height of 3″. I believe this maintains a manicured look while still allowing for grass to deal with the stresses of heat and drought. Mowing at the 1/2″ golf course look creates a high maintenance situation and unless you are prepared to water and treat your lawn with the same effort a golf course does, RAISE THOSE BLADES. Always be sure that the mower blades are sharp. Blades can be sharpened and even replaced at a fairly low cost and a clean cut is much healthier for your grass than a jagged, dull cut which allows harmful pathogens the enter the grass blades with greater ease. Also, always leave your grass clippings. If the grass is being mowed on a regular basis and the proper height, there will not be big clumps of grass sitting on your lawn. Leaving clippings recycles nutrients back into the soil which is worth it since we spend so much time, money and effort on fertilizing. If clumps do develop, simply rake them out or remove those clippings and adjust your mowing practices to ensure that the clippings left are not clumping which means raising your mower deck and/or mowing more often. Remember whenever and however you mow, always wear hearing protection and never run a weed whacker without eye protection. With that said, get out there and enjoy the warm weather and enjoy your lawn!