The smell of fresh cut grass, beckons lawn lovers outdoors!
Done correctly, mowing offers more than just a cosmetic trim and great smell to go along with it. It can contribute to the overall health of your lawn, controlling weeds, recycling nutrients and encouraging deep root growth.
Here are some best mowing practices for maintaining a healthy lawn.
Sharp Blades - Installed Correctly
No one likes to use a dull razor, and the same goes for your lawn. A dull or upside-down blade will hack at the grass resulting in a ragged look and potential of entry points for disease. A sharp blade provides a clean cut, an even look and healthier grass.
Set The Mower Deck Height
The general rule of thumb when mowing is to try not to remove more than one third of the leaf in a single mowing. This may mean you end up mowing more frequently to keep your desired height but is better in the long run by not taking too much off at once and stressing the grass. A shorter lawn can often result in more weed problems as the canopy isn't as thick.
The best plan is to keep your mowing height consistent throughout the year.
Mow At The Right Time
As mentioned above in order to only take one third of the blade at a time and consistently mow at the same height throughout the season one needs to mow when the grass needs a trim, not just when the weekend falls.
Time between mows will vary greatly on how heavily fertilized your lawn is and Mother Nature. At times you might be mowing every other day and during drier conditions it may only be once a week.
Just keep in mind the rule of only removing a third of the blade at a time. So, if your desired height is 2 inches, you would mow whenever your grass reaches 3 inches in height.
Clippings
It is ideal to deposit grass clippings right back onto the lawn to feed the soil. They are full of nutrients the lawn can recycle and put to good use. If mowing at regular intervals you should not have issues with clumps or excess material on the lawn
Or if you do like the cleaner look of no debris, consider a combination of mulching and bagging to take advantage of the natural nutrients clippings can provide for a lush looking lawn.
Lawn care means different things for different people, whether you just want to keep the grass cut, or you want the best looking lawn in the neighbourhood applying the above practices will help you achieve both!
*Disclaimer: Martin Deerline merged with Agland as of July 31, 2024, and is now known as Horizon Ag & Turf