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| Proper, regular mowing is the most important thing you can do to keep your lawn looking its best. Even if your lawn is in rough shape now, proper mowing can help gt it back into shape. |
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| Mowing Tips |
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Mowing Musts:
1. Mow when cool-season grasses are 3" to 3 1/2" high or warm-season grasses are 2" to 2 1/2" high.
2. Cut off no more than 1/3 of the actual grass height each time you mow.
Additional Mowing Tips:
1. Keep your lawn mower blade sharp. A dull mower blade tears and shreds grass blades so that the ends dry out and turn brown. This produces a dull, tarnished - looking lawn and provides access for disease.
2.Change your mowing pattern each time you mow. Always mowing the same way trains the grass to grow in one direction, eventually flattening it out.
Frequently Asked Mowing Questions:
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Why should you worry about cutting height?
To grow properly, grass roots need access to air and water. If left long, the grass itself can block both from the root system. Yet at no time should more than 1/3 of the actual height of grass be cut. Take any more than that off, and you run the risk of severely damaging the individual grass plants. Such damage can lead to a dull, lifeless - looking lawn or worse - brown spots of dead grass.
Should you collect/bag your grass clippings?
Generally, no. If handled properly, grass clippings are actually beneficial to your lawn. Some of the benefits of leaving grass clippings on your lawn include:
•Healthier Lawn: clippings serve as fertilizer and help retain and conserve needed moisture.
•Time Savings: you do not have to stop to empty the mower bag and do not need to fertilize as often.
•Cost Savings: you save on both clipping disposal and fertilizer costs.
Grass clippings left on the lawn can generate up to 30% of your lawn's nitrogen needs and can return previous applications of fertilizer to nourish your lawn again and again.
Will mulching or leaving grass clippings on your lawn contribute to thatch build-up?
No. If you cut your lawn no more than 1/3 of the blade at a time, you're cutting off only the leafy part of the plant (versus the delicate stem); the leafy part is composed of 85-90% water. This means that clippings will easily and rapidly decompose.
Are some types of mowers more efficient at returning clippings to the lawn than others?
Yes. While virtually any mower can return clippings to a lawn, "mulching" mowers are specially designed for this purpose. These mowers cut and re-cut grass into small pieces, then force the clippings deep into the lawn. The result is a clean looking lawn without bagging. Lawn-Boy makes mowing easier with its full line of Easy Mulch mowers, which are ready to mulch right out of the box.
What should you do if your grass has grown too long?
Cut it down to the proper height in stages, never cutting more than 1/3 of the blade at any one time. If you don't have time to cut your lawn down in stages, you may want to bag your clippings for that mowing only. Large clumps of clippings not only look bad, they can temporarily choke the lawn they cover if not raked evenly over the lawn Use your own judgement, but for the most part leaving clippings on your lawn is beneficial. And here's the best part- studies have shown that not bagging reduces mowing time by as much as 38%.
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