Mow, Mow, Mow the Lawn…

With spring showers and the best Greenview Fertilizer products stimulating the growth of the most beautiful lawn you’ve ever created, you’ll soon be merrily, merrily mowing and watering to keep your lawn looking neat, trim and green.

Besides our desire for the look of a “manicured lawn” that we all admire, why do we mow our lawns? It’s a lawn maintenance practice that’s part of our American culture because mowing regularly and mowing properly is important if you want a weed-free, golf-course quality lawn that is stress free.

Lawn Mowers

And what’s a sunny weekend in the burbs without the hum of gas or electric-powered lawn mowers, cutting and vacuuming up the pieces of excess turf? From push-behind, or stand-behind to the sleek and  fast riding zero-turn mowers and tractors, before you buy, examine the most important functions of these common rotary-type mowers. They are: the height adjustments, mulching capabilities for recycling, cutting width, horse-power and innovative features like self-propelled mowers with speed sensing and cruise-control. Whichever mower you use, pay special attention to proper cutting height. Cut your grass too short and it will develop a shallow root system and weakling roots that will be easily stressed in the summer heat. You want turfgrass with a deep, strong root system, and higher mowing heights result in stronger roots and fewer weeds.

How often should you mow?

During periods of active turfgrass growth, your lawn may require mowing more than once per week. Mow about 1/3 of the leaf blade during any one mowing. Generally, you should mow when the grass is dry, but if it rains quite a bit and the grass becomes too wet for timely mowing, the turfgrass may shoot up and become quite tall. In this case, do a “double cut,” mowing at the highest setting and once the lawn dries, mow again to the recommended height. And don’t forget to vary your mowing direction to avoid the “rut” effect.

Some additional tips for proper mowing:

• Mow your grass at the right height during the summer, about 1 to 3 inches (it actually varies by grass type.)
• Each mowing season, tune up your mower and keep the blade sharp.
• If you let the grass grow too high, then cut it too low, such scalping can cause your grass plants to go into shock, making them susceptible to drought and disease.
• Mow during the coolest part of the day to avoid browning.
• And don’t forget the headphones—lawn mower engines can be loud!

As with any gardening task, stop mowing and watering occasionally….just to smell the flowers. Enjoy the view!

Content courtesy of Ohio State University Extension. Image courtesy of Green Pro.

Submitted by J. Weinmann