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Proper Lawn Mowing Techniques
All lawns need regular mowing, making it one of the most important maintenance tasks in lawn care. By implementing proper cutting techniques you can dramatically improve the health and lushness of your lawn.
Set the blade to cut higher
The most common recommendation from experts is to set your mower blades high, at least 3 to 3.5 inches. Avoid cutting off more than 1/3 of the grass blade at once. Scalping the grass too low will in time make it thin out and become more susceptible to heat, cold, drought, pest attacks and disease.
Mow when your lawn is dry
Mowing wet grass not only clogs your mower, it can also leave ruts in your yard from the mower wheels, leave behind giant clumps of clippings that could smother the grass below, and spread fungal turfgrass diseases.
Change the pattern
By mowing in a different direction every time: front to back, back to front, diagonal, etc., you help the grass grow more upright and avoid developing ruts in the soil.
Mow with a sharp blade
A dull blade creates a ragged cut that causes the lawn to look brown. This creates an injury for diseases and pests to invade your grass.
Leave grass clippings lie
When mowed regularly, clippings filter down into the grass and decompose rapidly, returning nutrients and water to the soil. If you wait too long to mow and the clippings form clumps or rows, you'll want to remove them so they do not smother the living grass underneath. Move the clumps to the compost pile or let them dry for a few days and use as mulch in garden beds.
Determine mow times by height
Find the optimum mowing height for your particular type of grass. Allow it to grow 1/3 taller than its optimum height, then cut it back by no more than 1/3 to bring it back to its optimum height. Newly-seeded grass needs 3-4 weeks of growth after germination before you should mow it for the first time. Mow when the new grass is 3/4 to 1 inch taller than its recommended regular mowing height.