Basic Lawn Care

5 Tips for a Great Lawn

Basic lawn care for handymen, how to mow your lawn.

Mow Dry Grass

For the best lawn, you should mow your lawn when it is dry. A dry lawn will stand up straighter and won’t clump as it does when your lawn is damp. This is a basic lawn care tip.

Mowing a damp lawn won’t hurt it, but it does make it harder to mow as the wet grass will cling to your mower and bog down the mower it the lawn is long.

By mowing your lawn when it’s dry also helps if your are not using a catcher to catch the clippings. As you mow, discharge the clippings over the areas of the lawn that you have already mowed and let the clippings mulch into the lawn.

Mowing HEIGHT

The height you should mow your lawn depends on the type of grass you have. Heights vary from 1/2″ to an 1″ or 2″ depending on what sort of grass in your lawn.

A general rule for mowing height is 1/3 of the length of the grass blades, leaving 2/3 of the length. This helps with suppressing weeds and delivers a healthier lawn. If your lawn is overdue for mowing and has become fairly long, gradually lower the height of your mowing blades a 1/3 of the length per pass.

In shaded areas, allow the height of the grass to be a bit longer than sunny areas, as this will help your grass with its photosynthesis and is the secret to a great lawn in shady areas.

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mower blades

Keep your mower blades sharp, dull blades make for ragged cuts and doesn’t cut as efficiently as sharp blades.

If you are not catching the clippings, you may be better off putting mulching blades on as these cut your grass into small clippings enabling better mulching of your lawn.

Ensure your blades are balance as this helps reduce the vibrations from your mower.

best times to mow

The best time to mow your lawn is when you only have to remove 1/3 of the length of the blade. Another basic lawn care tip.

Never mow your lawn during the heat of the day, as this produces unnecessary stress on your lawn and on yourself. If you are able to mow when your lawn is shaded, you will have a healthier lawn.

Mowing your lawn on a regular basis will help keep your lawn in good condition and the grass will never get to long.

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new lawns

If you are just starting a new lawn, allow your grass to grow for 3-4 weeks before mowing it the first time. When you do mow your new lawn the first time, cut it to about a 1″ above the recommended height for the type of grass you have.