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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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