Posted on August 14th, 2021
The secret to a good-looking lawn is smart lawn maintenance. This includes how – and how often – you mow your lawn. Who doesn’t love displaying a manicured, green lawn? It’s a thing of true beauty. Not so much when it’s looking patchy, dry, and unhealthy, though.
A healthy lawn is all about a good lawn maintenance plan, knowing what and what not to do, and when to do it, just like the rest of your garden. The first thing to know is that your lawn habits need to change depending on the type of turf used, where you live, the season, amount of rain, and temperature.
At Turf Unlimited, our expert technicians have years of experience in lawn maintenance in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. We know all the challenges lawns face at every season, and we know just how to deal with them.
To help you out, we share some of the most frequent questions we receive from our customers when it comes to mowing your lawn. We’re sure that these FAQs will help you get the most out of your lawn.
You should mow your lawn while it’s in its growing phase, and according to how fast or slowly it grows. Weekly mowing is generally the rule for spring and summer. But if it grows slowly, stretch this out to every 10 days to two weeks. Grass keeps sprouting in warmer weather. In colder areas, like Massachusetts and New Hampshire, grass stops growing when the temp drops below 50°F during the day. But in warmer places like Florida, you’ll be mowing your lawn year-round.
Height counts! Don’t mow too high or too low. The rule of thumb is not to cut off more than one-third of the grass blade. If you cut more than that, you may harm the grass, as it can go into shock. Don’t worry about when the lawn was last mowed, but rather go by the length of the grass:
In summer, a slightly longer lawn (about 2½-3″), means the root system will grow longer, so your lawn will be more stress- and drought-resistant, and you’ll need to water less often. Another big pluses are that there’s more surface area for photosynthesis, so the grass gets more nourishment. And it means fewer weeds, as less sunlight reaches their seeds.
A close-cut lawn will dry out the grass as soil exposure will increase water evaporation.
Give your lawn a last, short (but not too short) haircut for winter. This is a great way to get hardy, green grass back in spring. And if you don’t give it a last mow, your lawn could develop a moldy fungus.
The ‘Goldilocks zone’ is about 2 to 2 ½ inches high for winter. Mowing too high and leaving the turf too long will smother the grass and kill it, while if you mow too low, you will expose the roots, which could cause die-off.
You can mow the lawn without damaging it if the temperature is above freezing and there is no frost on the ground.
Aerating your lawn allows nutrients and water to get to the grassroots. A mechanical aerator punctures the soil with small holes, helping the grass receive more oxygen, nutrients, and moisture. Scatter some fertilizer on the turf to give it a nutrition boost, so your spring lawn is lush and green.
If you don’t want a patchy lawn come spring, you need to do some TLC. Loosen the soil on the bald spot with a rake. Then feed the area with a lawn repair mix (grass seed, fertilizer, and mulch). Keep an eye on the spots and water them every second day for a fortnight.
Dull blades will rip the grass blades rather than cutting them cleanly. This leaves each blade vulnerable to disease, causes brown frayed tips, and stresses the lawn.
Don’t mow in the hottest hours. Do it early or later in the day, especially during summer. That way, you conserve moisture and prevent the grass from turning brown.
Don’t mow a wet lawn. Mowing a lawn when it is wet tends to cause the same problem, so try to avoid it if possible. If you do mow when the lawn is wet, there’s a danger of ruts developing, and it’s harder to get a good cut.
If you mow long grass, make sure to rake up the clippings, as they will clump up if left, blocking out sunlight, which could stunt growth and even kill the grass, eventually.
Have more questions or don’t have the time to maintain your lawn? Speak to us! Our lawn care program guarantees your lawn gets the best care all year round.
Call us to help at (888) 649-9919 or send us a quick message here.
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