Need an Edge? How About Some Tips?

We’ve all mowed a lawn. For many of us, we used it for mad money as teens. For others, it’s just been about our domestic life for as long as we can remember. Because of their ubiquity, many homeowners think they know all they to about lawn services and mowing. But think again! Lawn mowing takes more than a pusher and a can of gas. In fact, there’s more to lawn services than lawn mowing and more to know about your mow. Here are Mowing R Us’s top tips for mowing your lawn well.

Know Your Grass

There are wide grass varieties, and we’re not just discussing lawn mowing vs. recreational use. No, that green blanket that lines the front of nearly every suburban home is not the homogenous carpet it seems from afar. And while there are many grass species, there are two main divisions.

Cool Season Grass

Cool-season grasses are active for more months of the year than warm-season grasses. But in the summer, they need a little extra length to survive the sun.

Warm Season Grass

Warm season grass’ primary growing season is the summer. Because they thrive in the heat, you can cut them a little bit shorter in the hot months. In the cool autumn, they tend to go dormant.

Keep It Clear

Before you mow the line, take a few minutes to walk around and look at it. Obstacles like stones or kids’ toys can not only damage your mower but also lead to injury for you. In addition, regularly keeping your lawn clear will lead to your grass getting more sunlight and being generally healthier.

Seasons Change & So Should You

Did you know you shouldn’t cut your grass to the same length year-round? In general, grass should be left a little longer in the summer to prevent it from getting scalped. Scalping grass is cutting it too short and then getting it burned by the sun, killing or damaging it. You can generally leave the grass a couple of inches longer in the warmer months. In the cooler months, you can go shorter, but before winter, for your grass’s final mow, it’s essential to cut it to the perfect length. Too long, and it can smother itself. Too short, and there’s not enough grass to protect the roots through the cold winter.

The Cutting Edge

Having the right tools is paramount to doing an excellent job with anything. Mowing your lawn is no different. So before you mow your lawn, examine the mower! Mower blades need to be sharpened or replaced periodically. A dull blade can damage or even destroy the grass. One of the first signs of a dull blade is when the grass turns brown after a mow, but bear in mind this can also result from cutting too short! Think about it this way. If you had a delicious steak, would you try to cut it with a butter knife? It would thoroughly mash it and ruin the experience. If you’ve worked to have a beautiful lawn, a sharp blade will help to keep it that way.

Lawn Mowing Goes Better When You Edge

On to the next edge! With lawns, edging can have multiple meanings, and though we’ve talked about the cutting edge, now it’s time to get into edging your borders. Edging is the process of creating defined lines between your lawn and other yard elements like your driveway and gardens. Defining that edge is best accomplished with an edger. We use an edger to cut a line into your soil. Edging helps not only to define where one thing ends, and another begins but also helps to create a root barrier. For example, when you edge your lawn, you can spend less time doing the detailed work of trimming and even cutting down on your wedding.

What About Those Lines?

Have you ever wondered how landscapers create those pretty stripes on lawns? It’s more straightforward than you might think. We accomplish those lines by cutting rows of grass in opposite directions. But there’s one final essential tip to making the lines clear! Your grass needs to be at least a few inches tall for the lines to be noticeable.

Mowing R Us

And here’s a bonus tip: the best way to have something done well is to hire the people who do it for a living, and lawn mowing is the same way. Of course, no one is a master of everything. But Mowing R Us, you grow it; we mow it!