Mowing Your Lawn

By mowing correctly, you’ll be rewarded with a healthier, more beautiful lawn. Here are four easy ways to make the most of your mower:

• Adjust your mowing height according to the seasons. Mowing short in cooler weather discourages disease. Mowing high in hot weather retains moisture, encourages deeper root growth, and keeps the soil shaded to help prevent weed seeds from germinating.
• Keep your mower blades sharp. Dull blades lead to brown, shredded grass tips that are unattractive and more susceptible to disease.
• Alternate your mowing pattern so that your grass won’t bend in one direction.
• Try to mow regularly and remove no more than ⅓ of the grass blade at a time. “Scalping,” or cutting too short, removes too many of the green, food-producing cells needed for healthy growth. For obvious safety reasons, avoid mowing wet grass. This will also give you a more even cut and the clippings won’t clump up as much.