Mowing plays an important role in the overall health and appearance of your lawn, and these tips can help.
Avoid mowing your lawn too short.
Higher lawn mowing creates deeper roots and shades the soil, which keeps out weeds and preserves soil moisture. Your grass should be between 2-3 inches tall after mowing for ideal growth.
If it’s hot, raise your mower deck.
During periods of heat stress, it’s even more important to keep your grass a little longer. When the weather gets really hot, raise the height of your lawn mower deck by half an inch (1/2”) from your normal setting.
Mow often enough to keep clippings short.
You should never remove more than one-third (1/3) of the grass plant when mowing. Avoid leaving clippings longer than one and a half inches (1.5”) on your lawn. Also, do not leave large clumps of wet clippings on your lawn.
Keep lawn mower blades sharp for a clean cut.
Dull lawn mower blades tear the grass, giving your lawn a gray or white appearance. For best results, sharpen your blades once a month.
Vary your mowing pattern for a more uniform-looking lawn.
Mowing your lawn in the same direction every time with large mowers tends to compact the soil under the wheels, which can cause issues for your yard.
Don’t mow for 24 hours after lawn care applications.
If possible, please don’t mow your lawn for 24 hours after we have done one of our 5-Step applications on your lawn. Also, don’t bag your clippings for a couple of times after we apply to ensure all of the product makes it where it needs to go.
We can help!
Whether we’re handling lawn care in our hometown of Indianola or across the Des Moines metro area, if we see issues in your lawn related to mowing, we will leave a note with your application receipt. But if you’re wondering if your mower is at the right height, just ask our PRO-TURF Services team for input when they’re in your neighborhood or contact us for a free lawn assessment.
Not sure how tall your grass should be?
After mowing, take a ruler outside and stick it in the grass.
The blades should stand at the 3” mark.
Below 3 inches? Raise the deck of your mower.
Higher than 3 inches? Lower your mower, unless you’re experiencing very hot weather.
