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By: Jack Greenwood
Cutting your lawn properly can lead to a healthy growing
lawn. Although it seems like a chore, lawn mowing can give
you a great workout and be relaxing. The smell of fresh-cut
grass gives you a wonderful sense of accomplishment. Before
you mow, here are a few things about mowing that you should
take note first.
1. Never mow a wet lawn
You should avoid mowing when the lawn is wet. The grasses
will settle in big globs and cause clumping of the lawn. It
will help to spread lawn fungus quickly too. Schedule your
mowing task to the evening as the weather is cooler and your
lawn has ample time to dry from the morning watering.
2. Adapt your mowing schedule to the grass growth
Different type of grass flourish in different seasons. Warm-season
grasses will grow quickly in summer and thus you may need
to mow once every three to four days during the summer period.
You can reduce the mowing to once a month during a drought
period. Observe how your lawn grass is growing and adapt your
mowing schedule accordingly.
3. Check your mowing height
A good practice is to cut off top one third of the grasses
at any one time. If your lawn grasses have grown to six inches
and you like to bring it back to two inches, do not cut off
four inches in one mowing session. Cut off the first two inches
and let the lawn rest for a couple of days. This will allow
your lawn to recover and adapt to the new height before mowing
the next two inches.
4. Change Your Mowing Patterns
If you often mow your lawn in the same pattern and direction,
streaks or stripped lines can develop and make your lawn look
horrible. Try to alternate the mowing direction each time
you mow. Mow side to mow during the first pass and then top
to bottom for the next pass. This ensures your lawn will not
be matted or trampled in the same place each time you mow.
5. Mulch your lawn
You should try to get a mulching mower that can cut and re-cut
the grasses to drop back into your lawn. Clippings are actually
a form of natural, slow-release fertilizer and they can help
you reduce your fertilizer requirement by half. You have to
keep the mower blades sharp so that the mowing action will
cut the grass blades and not tear them. Tearing the grass
blades can lead to development of thatches, which are harmful
to your lawn.
Mulching your lawn is good practice during a drought season
and after fertilization. It can provide cover to help the
soil retain the water it received. In addition, the clippings
contain water and small amount of nitrogen (plus a host of
other nutrients in small quantities) which will provide the
fertilization that your lawn need. In the long run, the cost
saving from a reduction of fertilizer purchases can really
add up.
Proper mowing is one of the most important practices in your
keeping your lawn healthy. Keeping these five points in mind
and integrating them into your mowing session will ensure
your lawn stays green and healthy for many years to come.
About The Author
Jack Greenwood is the webmaster of GreenLawnCareTips.com which
provide information on lawn care and lawn maintenance tips.
Sign up for your free 7-part Green Lawn Care min-course at
http://greenlawncaretips.com today.
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