The 5 Most Common Lawn Mowing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Many homeowners consider mowing as one of the easiest lawn care chores. After all, all they have to do is to bring out the mower and run it across their lawn.
However, lawn care pros from Mosely, Virginia say that simply bringing out your mower whenever you feel like doing so and running it across your yard carelessly will do more harm than good to your lawn. If you really want to have a green, lush, and functional turf, you need to follow the right mowing practices and avoid these mistakes:
Mowing with dull blades
Using a mower with dull blades is one of the most common mistakes many homeowners tend to make. Whether you have a new or old mower, make sure the blades are sharp before running your machine over the lawn.
When you use a mower with dull blades, the grass will be ripped out from its roots resulting in unhealthy and unsightly cuts. The root system of the grass will be damaged as well.
Using lawnmowers with sharp blades, on the other hand, offers the following advantages:
- They cut the grass easier and faster.
- They do not stress the grass.
- The sharp blades give the grass a clean and clipped look thus giving your turf a tidy and lovelier appearance.
To ensure your mower won’t damage your lawn, sharpen the blades every 10 or so cutting sessions. You should also sharpen the blades if you notice that the lawn mower seems to be pulling or trampling on the grass instead of cutting it.
Cutting the grass too short
A lot of homeowners also tend to “scalp” their lawn whenever they mow so that they can avoid mowing it again for a few weeks or so. Although this hack may save them some time and effort in this chore, it does nothing good for the lawn:
- This is because when you cut the grass too short, your lawn will be more susceptible to weed growth.
- The long clippings can also cause stress on the grass which will then inhibit its healthy growth.
- Short grasses are less capable of surviving droughts and other extreme weather conditions.
A good height to maintain in your lawn is between 3.25 and 4 inches. Additionally, the best mowing practice to follow is to mow high and often. By doing so, your lawn will be subject to less stress. The additional height and thickness of the grass blades will also provide shade to the soil below and keep weeds out.
Mowing wet grass
Mowing the grass early in the morning will allow you to avoid getting sunburn, but this is the only advantage of doing this while the sun isn’t up.
When you mow damp or wet grass, the grass blades tend to stick together thereby making the cut uneven. In addition, the wet clippings can clog the mower which can mat on the grass blocking the sunlight. As a result, the mower’s blades will miss the grass that the wheels have matted down. However, the matted grass can pop up later making your lawn look uneven and unsightly.
Moreover, mowing a wet lawn can also spread small patches of fungus which can mean more problems for you. To avoid all these problems, wait until the grass is dry before you mow.
Sticking to one mowing pattern
Although you may have grown used to following the same mowing pattern or you think it is the best one for your lawn, you need to vary the pattern every now and then.
This is because mowing in the same pattern or direction repeatedly will cause the grass to lean toward only one side. This tilt of the blades will inhibit the healthy growth of the grass.
Because of this, it is important to vary your mowing pattern. By doing so, you will allow the grass to grow vertically. In addition, switching your mowing patterns will help you avoid missing or double mowing areas thus reducing wear on the turf. This will ensure you always have a healthier, lovelier lawn.
Bagging grass clippings
Lastly, although bagging the clippings will leave your lawn looking better and tidier, you are simply wasting your time and some useful natural resources if you insist on doing this.
When you leave the grass clippings on your lawn, you are effortlessly spreading mulch all over the turf. They will help the soil retain moisture. And as the clippings decompose, the grass will absorb more nutrients.
To ensure the clippings decompose quickly, cut your lawn following the one-third rule. You can also get a mulching mower or install a mulching attachment to your current mower. This attachment will cut the grass blades smaller.
Properly mowing your lawn is essential to maintaining your landscaping efforts and investments in Mosely, Virginia. As such, take note of the lawn mowing mistakes you may be making and correct them now to always have a healthy, green, lovely turf.
