Mow Your Lawn the Right Way
The most important thing you can do for your lawn to keep it healthy is to mow regularly. However, using improper techniques can cause as much damage as mowing your lawn inconsistently. We typically recommend following the one-third rule. This means you shouldn't cut away more than a third of the grass blades in a single mowing session.
When rain makes the grass grow faster than normal or you don't cut the lawn on schedule due to other obligations, change the cutting head on your lawnmower to the highest possible setting before you mow. In normal circumstances, the middle setting is most appropriate.
Perfecting Your Lawn Mowing Technique
Cutting your lawn in rows will help to keep the lines straight so your grass looks evenly cut when you're finished. This practice ensures that you don't miss any spots while still cutting all the blades. If you have one or more beds in the middle of your lawn, be sure to cut one to two rows around their circumference. The benefit of doing it this way is that you get all of the blades around sections of the grass that can be difficult to cut.
Don't Let the Bag Get Too Full
A bag attached to your lawnmower catches the grass and other clippings after you cut them. When the bag is too full, clumps of grass fall out onto the lawn that you just cut. This can actually kill the grass. To avoid that from happening, be sure to check the bag often while you're mowing and stop to change it if necessary.
How Often Should You Cut Your Grass?
At The Lawnsmith, we advise clients to mow their lawn once a week. Mowing more often than that is stressful for your lawn and a wasted effort on your part. On the other hand, mowing too infrequently can damage your lawn because you remove too much of the plant at one time when you do get around to mowing. This weakens the integrity of the grass and makes it less able to withstand the stresses of extreme heat, drought, and related weather conditions.
We understand that you're busy and may not have time to devote to lawn mowing once every seven days. The Lawnsmith offers weekly professional lawn mowing services that include cutting and trimming the grass and removal of grass clippings from your driveway, patio, and walkways. We can also bag your grass upon request. Now that spring is here, our lawn mowing schedule is filling up quickly. Please contact us today to reserve the spot that works best for you before all available spots are gone.
Photo Credit: MariuszBlach / iStock Photo
There's an Art to Raking Your Yard in the Springtime
A Simple Three-Step Process
Believe it or not, you don't have to rake your entire lawn for it to benefit. In fact, you shouldn't. What you need to do is identify areas of your lawn containing matted and dead grass. By now, your grass should be out of the dormancy stage and should show early signs of greening. The areas where this has not happened yet need your attention.
After identifying the patches of dead and matted grass, bring a metal thatch rake over each one to pull the dead grass away from the rest of the lawn. Take care not to apply too much pressure to the rake or you could damage the healthy layers of lawn underneath the thatch. Keep in mind that your goal for raking is to remove the top dead layers to allow air to reach the roots of your grass.
The last step is to gather all of the dead grass you raked up and place it in a garbage bag. For best results, you should aim to rake all of the brown areas in your yard during the spring season.
Schedule Your Dethatching Service Now
All lawns develop brown patches, but you may not have the time or the desire to rake to remove the thatch. The Lawnsmith offers dethatching services with a power rake that will eliminate the problem areas in no time. We also provide you with advice on how to rake your lawn in the summer and fall. By making the investment now, you are well on your way to having a summer healthy lawn.
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