Everything You Should Know About Mowing And Your Grass

Mowing your lawn is a common practice, but homeowners don’t often stop to think about what it does to your grass or why it’s beneficial for your landscape. In addition, many must realize there are wrong ways to attempt this lawn maintenance job themselves.

Mowing your lawn is a science, whether you realize it or not – and your grass goes through changes every time you do it. However, what if the way you’ve done it all along isn’t what’s best for your lawn??

Why is it important to routinely mow my lawn?

We know appearances matter in many aspects of life, and good first impressions and positive curb appeal of your home are one of them. A clean-cut lawn looks better and makes your home look well-kept and cared for.

Cutting the grass regularly also stimulates new growth, so your lawn continues with the cycle it’s grown accustomed to. In addition, all the grass blades will grow evenly, promoting a healthier environment and encouraging stronger grass to grow in the old grass’ place!

What happens to my grass when it gets mowed?

The grass is different from most other plants because it doesn’t continue to “bloom” or “grow” from the top of the plant but from the crown just above ground level. This type of growth means animals can graze or cut the blades without killing the plant.

When you mow your lawn, it’s like conducting a science experiment – every cut you make puts the plant in a state of shock. The plant will seal off that new “wound” and then grow to make up for that missing piece (the time it takes varies depending on weather and grass type).

Top six things to avoid when mowing your lawn:

Don’t mow your lawn during the heat of the day

Attempting to mow during the heat of the day will be hard on you physically and wear your grass out just as fast. In addition, the sun evaporates what moisture is around, making your newly-cut grass extra thirsty and risking the new “wounds” becoming sunburnt and turning brown.

Don’t mow when the grass is too wet

Mowing is much easier when it’s dry, but mowing the lawn when wet can do much real damage. It can clog up your mower blades easier, pull at the roots due to softer soil, and possibly tear at the blades rather than make clean cuts, leaving it susceptible to disease.

Don’t mow the grass blades too low to the ground

It may seem okay to cut the grass shorter than necessary to avoid having to do it again for a little longer, but this puts too much stress on your grass. In addition, it relies on photosynthesis to grow, so blades that are too short don’t have enough surface area to soak up sun rays to grow.

Don’t mow with dull or chipped mower blades

If you don’t ensure your blades are sharp enough, you can guarantee you won’t get an even cut across your lawn. In addition, dull blades also tear at the blades of grass, making the lawn look ragged and harming the grass in the process.

Don’t mow in the same direction or pattern every time

Eventually, you get into a pattern when mowing the lawn, but mowing in the same direction every time will cause your grass to bend that way. Also, mowing in a different direction each time will reduce thatch development and slow down soil compaction.

Don’t wait too long before mowing again

It’s best to mow your lawn consistently to promote further growth and avoid shocking your grass the wrong way. Additionally, if your grass gets too long, it will become much more difficult to mow, you risk breaking your mower, and the chances of pests and diseases developing rise.

Why should I get professional help with something as simple as mowing?

It may sound strange, suggesting that a lawn professional should take care of the mowing for you, but it can do you a lot of good. Mowing seems simple, but it’s more complex than you may have thought. First off, you don’t have to worry about putting in the labor or risk hurting yourself by doing it continuously on your own.

Secondly, you may be doing more harm to your grass without knowing it, which could result in it not growing how you’d like. However, the Mowing R Us team has the knowledge to take care of your lawn correctly and professionally to make it look beautiful!