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Here are some mowing tips on mowing your tips (of grass)

Though often a relaxing change, mowing cannot be rated a favourite pastime. Anything that reduces the time it takes to cut a lawn or the energy needed is welcome news. Here are a few helpful suggestions to get "more" from your mower. If you are the mower, make your lawn care easier on yourself.

 

Mower Okay?

A lawn mower cannot run indefinitely without attention to its working parts. Here are a few routine things to keep your mower doing its best for your lawn maintenance.

First, keep the blades sharp. A crisp, clean cut allows the grass blades to heal quickly. A lawn can end up looking botched simply because the mower has dull blades. Instead of slicing, blunt blades whack and bruise the turf leaves and the "mowed" lawn will, in a day or two, end up with an overcoat of brown, dried up leaf tips. The ragged ends are also more likely to allow disease to enter the plants.

A sharp blade also means the lawn mower engine doesn't have to work as hard and will consequently require less maintenance.

Mow Often.

The more often you mow, the easier it may be for you, the mower and the lawn. You don't have to work as hard. The mower won't stall as often. And the turf plants, mowed frequently, will not suffer the shock setbacks that come with infrequent mowings. Infrequent mowings allow the lawn to grow so high that each cutting exposes tender undergrowth to scorching sun and drying winds.

Generally mow the lawn at least weekly after spring growth starts. Fast growing lawns may need clipping more often. No more than 1/3 of the blades should be removed at one time.

If, because of wet weather or being away from home, your grass gets tall, it is better to raise the mowing height so as not to whack the grass too much at one time. Removing too much can shock the grass and cause browning. This is especially so in hot weather.

Proper Lawn Mowing Tips

Avoid mowing when the grass is wet.

This results in a tidier mowing job. This also reduces the chance of spreading lawn disease. Also do not mow in extremely hot weather. The added stress can also increase the likelihood of disease. If you do get a turf disease, mow that area last to avoid spreading the disease to unaffected areas.

Follow the contours. Don't push a mower up a hill, or let it pull you down a hill. Instead mow across the slope. The quality of the lawn's appearance is improved if the mowing pattern is varied. This will reduce the compaction caused by mower wheels and prevent the grass from getting a slant. The grass will grow straight and look better.

Replace corners with curves. If your garden's design gives you too many stop and start places - redesign and rebuild it to eliminate as many such corners as possible.

A word about mowing height.

Mow your lawn high-- (we recommend a mowing height of 3 inches.)  Grass roots grow proportionately to the leaf blades. A higher mowing height means a strong, deeper root system. The stronger the root system, the healthier the lawn will be. Shorter mowing heights require more fertilization and increased watering.

Longer leaf blades will shade the ground to keep grass roots cooler. Grass plants prefer the cooler moister environment. A cooler lawn is also less likely to attract insects. The most common insects prefer warm dry areas. The longer blades also reduce sunlight to the soil surface. The extra shade will help to keep weeds and crabgrass out.

The last mowing in the fall (you may have 2 or 3 last mowings) should be half (1/2) an inch or an inch shorter (If you have been mowing at our recommended 3" height, you could mow at 2 to 2.5 inches high.) This will reduce the chance of disease during the winter and also permit the lawn to green up quicker in the spring. If in the spring you realize it's too late to cut short in the fall, set the mower short for the first cutting. This will allow the soil to warm up quicker and get the lawn growing.

Clippings.

Short grass clippings may be left on the lawn to decay. This provides organic matter to the soil and recycles plant nutrients. If the grass clippings are excessively long, they should be removed to prevent smothering the lawn and the possible spread of disease.

See our Library Article on GrassCycling

 Mowing Stripes Can Enhance a Lawn's Looks

 If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

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