Tips - Mowing

Lawns should be mowed regularly at their proper heights(see below). This means that your lawn may require mowing more than once a week during peak growth and only once every two weeks during periods of slow growth.

Since the root system of a grass plant grows proportionately to the above grounds parts of the plant, a longer cutting height results in a stronger, deeper root system.

Calculate your mower blade height by measuring the distance between the ground and the base of your lawn mower.

To maintain a razor-sharp blade, it may be necessary to have the blade sharpened 3 times yearly. Remember to sharpen the blade of even a new lawn mower. As a safety precaution, few new lawn mowers are sold with a pre-sharpened blade. A sharp blade results in a longer life and less wear and tear on your lawn mower engine.

Please mow frequently, No more than 1/3 of a grass plant should be removed with each mowing.

It is only necessary to remove lawn clippings if they are long and will smother the lawn. Returning grass clippings to a lawn when mowing is an environmentally beneficial practice referred to as grass cycling. Leaving grass clippings to naturally decompose on a lawn adds valuable nutrients back into the soil and also helps to conserve valuable landfill space by reducing waste.

The use of a mulching type mower is preferred for this practice since it promotes a more uniform distribution of grass clippings, thus allowing for quicker decomposition of the recycled grass plants.

If the optimum mowing height selected is 2 inches then the lawn should be mowed before the lawn height exceeds 3 inches to ensure that only 1/3 of the blade height is removed.

To reduce chance of frayed grass blades and slips and falls, lawn mowings should be done when grass blades are dry.
The mowing direction should be altered upon each mowing. This procedure will keep the grass growing strong and straight while reducing weed grass infestation.

Lawns cut at the proper height are stronger and healthier because the root system is stronger and deeper.

Your lawn will require fewer waterings and will be more able to resist insect and diseases attack!

An EPA public/private partnership to promote responsible pest management practices.This logo is acknowledgement that the company is a member of the EPA Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program. This information was reviewed for accuracy by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prior to its distribution. EPA does not endorse any product or service.

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