Mowing plays an important role in the overall appearance and health of your lawn. Next to insufficient watering, improper mowing is one of the biggest factors in turf decline.
Here are some helpful things you can do to ensure you’re getting the most out of your lawn:
- Keep blades sharp. Dull blades shred the grass tips, inviting disease and discoloration to the lawn.
- Alternate mowing patterns every other cut: Mowing consistently in the same pattern or direction causes the turf to wear out and develop ruts. It compacts the soil below and reduces the grass’s tolerance to withstand weeds, insects and disease. Alternating patterns plays a major role in keeping the grass looking good, long term.
- Mowing height: Be aware that not all grass is the same. Know your turf type and know the mowing height (see the chart below). Be sure to set the mowing height so you don’t remove more than a third of the grass blade’s height.
- Be careful mowing shaded areas: Keep settings higher in shady areas, since the grass may already be struggling from insufficient sunlight. Keeping the grass a little taller in those spots helps reduce the stress.
- Mow dry: Wet lawns and mowing don’t work well together. Mowing wet turf can promote disease and can clog the mower, causing uneven cuts.
- Use a mulching blade: Recycling grass clippings back into the lawn is a great way to recycle nutrients. The only time we recommend bagging the clippings is when there are a lot of weeds in the lawn (especially sedge). Once weeds are under control, resume mowing without a bag to recycle nutrients.
- Clean the mower when done: This is an important step in maintaining a lawn. Weed seeds and such diseases as brown patch fungus can spread via mowers. When you’re done, clean it.
Remember, Slug-A-Bug is Brevard County’s premier lawn service. Contact us to find out more.
