Mowing the lawn is one of the key tasks property owners must diligently perform on a regular basis if they want to achieve that lush, manicured look that they covet. If there is one thing to remember, mowing is not rocket science — almost anyone can do it. However, you should be mindful of how you perform this essential task and avoid doing it haphazardly lest you damage your lawn.
Here are some tips on mowing and lawn care Kirkwood MO residents should follow in order to facilitate the optimal growth of the grass on lawns.
Whether you are using a rotary push lawn mower, a push reel mower or a zero-turn lawn mower, one of the most important things that you have to regularly check is the sharpness of your lawn mower’s blades. If its blades are too dull, you risk damaging your lawn. If you look closely at the grass and notice discoloration at the tips and that the grass blades are shredded, then it is time to sharpen your mower’s blades. Ideally, you should sharpen your mower’s blade at least once a year. However, it is worthwhile to factor in the type of grass you have on your property, as some types are tougher and can dull lawn mower blades faster.
It is tempting for many homeowners to mow too closely so that they can skip on mowing the following weekend. However, if you cut more than a third off the grass’s blades, the grass becomes too stressed and its ability to photosynthesize becomes hampered. Sure, you may have to mow the lawn more than you want to, but the trade-off of a lush lawn should be enough motivation for you.
But how often should you really mow? The best way to gauge whether you need to mow your lawn is to simply look at the height of the grass blades. Do remember that you should never mow the lawn when it is wet or when it is too hot outside. If you mow wet grass, you’ll notice brown spots on your lawn a few days after. This is because the clippings left during your previous mowing session have begun to clump.
If the grass on your lawn is recovering from damage or drought, ease off a little bit and set the mowing height a bit higher than usual.
What should you do with grass clippings? A lot of homeowners simply leave these behind after mowing the lawn. Apart from allowing them to save time and effort in bagging these, clippings can offer numerous benefits. These include increased moisture retention, lowered soil temperature and transfer of vital nutrients to the grass.
