Mowing Your Lawn Properly

One of the most common problems that Lawn Care Operators face involve lawns that are mowed too short. Many homeowners are under the impression that if they cut the lawn short, they don’t have to mow as often. To a certain extent that is true, but by mowing short, the lawn will not grow well since it is trying to recover from the loss of food that was being produced by the grass blades. This is NOT a healthy practice to follow as it will weaken the lawn.

Here are the four main reasons why a lawn needs to be cut at a longer length:

1. 1. The grass blade is the food producing part of the plant. When mowed short, less photosynthesis is taking place until the plant grows a new grass blade.
   2. The longer grass blade will shade the ground underneath, keeping it cooler and inhibiting water evaporation. The lawn will require less water when cut at a higher length.
   3. By shading the ground underneath, less sun will reach the soil and there will be less chance for weed seeds to heat up and germinate. Having longer grass will help reduce weed growth.
   4. It is a natural balance of nature that the roots will grow in depth to match the height of the lawn. This does not mean that the grass should be mowed at 6 inches, but it does mean that the roots will be better developed and grow deeper than a lawn where the grass is cut short.

Many commercial lawn maintenance companies mow too short, stating that is what their customers want. It is important to discuss the mowing height requirements with the company that mows the lawn and find one that will mow at the proper height.

 

These are the recommended summer mowing heights for common lawn grasses in the US:

• Bermuda Grass 1-1/2”
• Zoysia Grass 1-1/2”
• Centipede Grass 2”
• St Augustine Grass 3-1/2 ”
• Tall Fescue Grass 4”
• Bluegrass 3”
• Perennial Ryegrass 3”
• Fine Fescue 3-1⁄2”

 

It is very important to follow these requirements with the trimming and edging as well. 

Have you ever wondered why weeds just seem to always want to grow around the edges of the lawn? More often than not it’s because the edges are being trimmed at a 45* angle. Doing this results in the grass around the edges being very short. Usually anywhere from 1″ tall to the dirt. This not only takes away all the natural benefits described above, but destroys any pre-emergent that has been applied by exposing the soil to direct sunlight. The manual soil disturbance from the trimmer itself is another cause. Instead of the 45* angle it is always recommended to trim all turf edges at a 90* angle, or often described as a hard edge or straight up and down.

Feel free to contact your neighborhood lawn care professional at Shamrock if you’re interested in learning more about any of our lawn care programs.