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Lawncare Tips for a Healthy Lawn

June 26, 2021

By Rich Palaia, Thoughts from Customer Service

It’s Summertime….FINALLY! Let’s talk about cutting your lawn. If you do not have a lawn to cut (or the HOA takes care of it), then grab a nice cool beverage of choice to enjoy your morning. For those of us that have a lawn to cut, here are some tried and true pointers that can make your lawn look its best!

Mow Your Lawn the Right Way

Proper mowing is one of the most important practices in keeping your lawn healthy.  If you clip off the growing points of a blade of grass, the grass will become denser. It will turn thousands of individual grass plants into a tightly woven turf or lawn. The mere act of mowing isn’t what makes a lawn look nice. Mowing height and frequency determine how healthy and attractive your lawn will look. After all, cutting a lawn is stressful for the grass (not just for you).

Height Does Count

Follow the 1/3 rule for cutting your lawn.  Never cut away more than 1/3 of the grass blade in any one mowing.  If the grass gets ahead of you, cut your lawn at a higher setting still trying to follow the 1/3 rule.  If clippings are too long and heavy, even at that cutting height, catch them with the bagging unit or clean up after mowing with a leaf rake. Then, move the cutting height back to your normal range, and cut the lawn again in a few days.  Never cut a lawn two times in one day. The stress of frequent cutting may damage your lawn instead of helping it.

Mulch That Grass!

Grass clippings are valuable organic matter, chock-full of nitrogen and other nutrients.  As long as you mow often enough to remove no more than 1/3 of the grass blade, the easiest thing to do is just to leave clippings on the lawn.  The pieces break down quickly and reduce the amount of fertilizer you must use by as much as 25 percent.  Research has proven that the clippings don’t cause thatch to build up.  A mulching type mower works best for accomplishing this.

Directional Cutting of the Lawn

Lawns look better if you take a little time and cut them evenly. Make sure all the cutting runs are even. It should look similar to a baseball field or golf course. Each has a pattern that is almost mesmerizing to look at. You can have this same effect on your own lawn. The last tip is to try and cut it differently every time. Cutting the same pattern every time can create high and low spots and take away from the overall look.

How Does Your Lawn Look Now?

Taking just a little extra time to study how to appropriately take care of your grass will make a difference in the long run. If you utilize some of these tips, we’d love to see before and after photos!

Pulling into your driveway will feel so much for gratifying. Happy Mowing!