Lawn Mowing Matters

Mowing the lawn is an activity many of us take for granted. Most feel is doesn’t take a rocket scientist to cut grass. But in reality, proper mowing is more involved than just starting the lawnmower and heading for the yard. Mowing your lawn can also be one of the best or worst things you ever do for your turf. Proper mowing will help discourage weeds and disease, lessen irrigation requirements, and provide nutrition for the lawn.

I’ve listed here some of the common lawn mowing mistakes many homeowners and grass cutters commit:

• Cutting the grass on a strict schedule whether it needs it or not.
• Not paying attention to height of cut.
• Allowing the grass to grow too long and then cutting too short.
• Never sharpening the mower blade.

Grass should not be cut on a strict schedule but only when it is needed. This means you may cut three times in April and May and only once or not at all in July or August. It’s amazing how many people will mow the lawn during times of heat and drought, even though the lawn is not actively growing. Some professional grass cutters are among the worst offenders.

Not recognizing the importance of cutting height can be very detrimental to your lawn. The grass plant in nature does not want to be cut in the first place. It wants to grow tall and set seed. But since a savannah is not usually considered an acceptable lawn, we cut the grass.

Each time the grass is cut, it suffers a certain degree of shock. The lower you cut, the more severe the shock. Different grass types also do best at different mowing heights. I’ve listed the best mowing heights for selected popular lawn grasses.

• Kentucky Blue Grass – 2 1/2 to 3 inches
• Fine Fescue – 1 1/2 to 2/1/2 inches
• Tall Fescue – 2 1/2 to 4 inches
• Perennial Rye – 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches
• Bahiagrass – 2 to 3 inches
• Bermudagrass – 1/2 to 1 inch
• Buffalograss – 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches
• Centipedgrass – 1 to 2 inches
• St. Augustinegrass – 2 to 3 inches
• Zoysiagrass – 1/2 to 1 inches

One rule to keep in mind: Never cut off more than 1/3 of the grass growth at any one mowing. So if your grass has grown to 3 inches, you may safely remove 1 inch of blade. Mow more than that and you will severely stress your lawn and make it more vulnerable to weeds, diseases, insects, and drought.

If you’ve been away for a while and your lawn has grown very tall, adhere to that 1/3 rule. Mow 1/3 one day, wait a few days, mow another 1/3 and so on until the desired height is reached. Also bear in mind, grass-root growth is directly proportional to leaf growth; the longer the grass, the deeper the root system, and the healthier the turf.

Keep your mower blade sharp. A dull blade shreds the grass leaf tip which often gives the lawn a silvery sheen. This damage to the grass opens each grass plant to disease.

Shaded lawns require somewhat different care than those growing in sunnier environments. Shaded grass needs more leaf surface area for photosynthesis so you should keep this in mind and mow a little higher and less often.

Keep your lawnmower clean. After mowing, remove all accumulated grass clippings from beneath the mower deck. If the disease has been a problem, wipe down the wheels and underparts with alcohol.

Most modern folks are aware of the benefits of mulching mowers. Those clippings can reduce your lawn’s nitrogen requirement by as much as 20 percent. There are times though when you should collect clippings. If your lawn has disease problems, especially Red Thread which invades the upper 1/3 of the grass blade, mow those spots last and bag the clippings.

Also, if your lawn has heavy thatch , your soil may not have enough microbial activity to decompose those extra clippings. This can be true in lawns treated with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.