Mowing
Mowing is the most timeconsuming lawn maintenance practice, but it is not without its merits. The primary purpose of mowing a lawn is to improve its appearance. Proper mowing technique, equipment, frequency and height will improve the quality of a lawn while also increasing the health of the turfgrass plants and decreasing weeds.
Property owners take great care in watering, fertilizing, weeding and protecting their lawns but few realize that improper mowing practices can undo the care they so diligently show to their lawns. Mowing has an immediate impact on your lawn and by observing proper practices you can ensure you are contributing to the development of a high quality lawn. The two most common mistakes are cutting grass too short and mowing too infrequently. When mowing, you should never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade's height. By removing more, you can cut into the crown of the blade and damage it. Furthermore, mowing grasses too low leaves limited leaf area for the grass to sustain photosynthesis, which reduces grass vigor. Lawns that are too short also have shallow root systems, which become apparent during summer stress periods: as soil moisture drops, these lawns will begin to die. By leaving the height longer, you keep grass healthy and reduce the number of weeds by providing shade and competition to weed seedlings. If you miss a mowing and your grass is longer than usual, cutting at your regular height is, therefore, detrimental to the grass. You should reset the mower to its highest cutting level and then three or four days later cut again at the normal height. This ensures maximum protection for your lawn.
Knowing when to mow is also important. Mowing during the heat of the day causes undue stress on the lawn and mowing when the grass is wet leaves it susceptible to disease. The best time to mow is in the evening when the sun is less intense and morning moisture has long burned off. You should also vary your mowing patterns. Retracing the same lines every time you mow can harm the grass that is constantly run over. Mowing at right angles to the previous direction will prevent grass from repeatedly being pushed to one side and minimize stress on those areas.
