Advice for How To Mow a Lawn from Wilson Bros Gardens

Posted by Brent Wilson on 8/9/2016 to Lawn Care

Tips for Mowing a Lawn

Cut your lawn with a mower that has a sharp blade (s). Dull blades whip and shred the grass ends rather than cutting the grass cleanly, causing your lawn to look yellowish the next day. Ragged grass blades also lead to more water use by the grass and possibly an increase in disease. So, it's a good idea to use the two-blade system. Keep one extra sharp blade around for a replacement. Replace blade every 8 cuttings.
No matter what type of grass you have, when mowing, do not cut your grass too low. Fescue and bluegrass are highly susceptible to burnout when cut too low during the heat of summer. It's best to mow more often to insure you're not cutting too much foliage off at one time. Never cut more than one third the height of the grass when mowing. Generally, wait to cut your bermuda or zoysia lawn is 3 inches tall, or your centipede, fescue or St Augustine lawn is 4 inches tall, and then remove about one-third the height. Use a ruler to measure the height of the grass. When it reaches the desired mowing height, mow a test strip. Then measure the height of the grass in the test strip. If necessary, adjust the mower deck to cut the grass blades at desired height. Note: Some varieties of bermuda and zoysia lawn grasses can be mowed lower than others. If you know the variety ask your local lawn care professional about mowing height tolerances.
As long as you cut your lawn on a regular basis you can leave the clippings, since they are a natural way to feed your grass. Clippings also reduce the amount of water the grass needs to stay green and healthy looking. Research has shown that letting the clippings fall on the ground does not lead to disease or thatch problems.
Always mow when your lawn grass is dry. Mowing when wet is a sure fire recipe for those dreaded clumps that can lead to fungus and disease!
Avoid ruts and help your grass to stand straighter by mowing at a different angle across the lawn each mowing.
In fall, let the warm season lawn grass types, such as bermuda, centipede and zoysia, go dormant without excessive mowing. It will have a nice light brown color during the winter. In early spring, mow off the top brown blades to expose the soil to the sun and warm the soil. Scalping the grass very low is not necessary. Burning the dead grass is also not recommended. It is illegal in most areas and it is dangerous in all places.
It puts less stress on the lawn to mow in the evening than to mow when the sun is pounding down in the afternoon.

Tips For How To Mow A Lawn

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