Mowing is the most fundamental yet least understood aspect of turf management.
Improper mowing can negate all your other efforts to have a nice lawn, such as fertilizing, watering and weed control. It can also result in lawn diseases, poor appearance, stunted root growth and increased water usage.
Proper mowing should increase the health and appearance of the lawn.
First, be sure to use sharp blades.
Depending on the size of the lawn you should have your blades sharpened every two or three months. Take a look at the leaf blades after mowing. Is there a nice, clean cut, or does the leaf blade appear to be torn? Torn and shredded tips are more prone to disease and water usage. The lawn will also have a brownish appearance as the tips are bleached by the sun.
Next, don’t cut more than one third of the leaf blade at one time. Cutting more than that amount can result in tearing, instead of cutting. This will also result in uneven cutting and a poor appearance due to the ‘hay field’ look. The excess grass clippings will also prevent sunlight from reaching the lawn.
Mowing is always stressful on the grass, to some degree. Adhering to the one-third rule will result in the least amount of damage.
Be sure that you cut the grass to the correct height. The proper height is based on the turfgrass species. For example, Tall Fescue should be mowed to a height of about 2 ½ - 3 inches, while Bermudgrass should be cut to a maximum height of one inch. Cutting the grass too long will result in shoots that tend to bend over, and the turf takes on an unkempt appearance. Turf that is mowed too high also tends to thatch more severely and is more susceptible to disease.
There are homeowners that believe in cutting the grass as short as possible to increase time between mowing, which results in scalping. Scalping is the excessive removal of grass blades and will result in a brown appearance. Cutting the grass too short will actually cause the plant to stop growing.
Most grasses will eventually die from a lack of carbohydrates at low mowing heights.
To summarize, cut the lawn when it is dry, use sharp blades, abide by the one-third rule, and mow to the correct height.
Mowing is time consuming and expensive, but if done correctly, will result in a nicer lawn.
Donn Hoffmann can be contacted at 615-971-6780. |
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