How Often Should You Mow Your Lawn. How often should you mow your lawn

How Often Should You Mow Your Lawn?

 

Regular mowing your grass has a lot of benefits. It will help your yard looks beautiful, healthy, and vigorous. However, if you mow the lawn too frequently or cut the grass at an excessively short height, you can do the damage you will find difficult to correct.

The primary keys of having a healthy, lush, and green lawn are to mow your yard regularly and keep the grass at an optimal height depending on the season and the type of the grass you have chosen.

Benefits of Mowing Your Lawn Regularly

 

 

Your grass will get a bunch of benefits when mowing your lawn at a specific time interval, bearing in mind that each grass species grows and thrive depending on the cutting height.

• Availability of light and nutrients– Regular mowing by using a riding lawn mower or cordless weed eater will bring enough light and nutrients to every part of your yard which will be beneficial for the growth of your grass.
• Roots – If you mow your grass regularly, its roots will be healthier and better branched. The result will be a beautiful, grassy yard with lush and robust grass.
• Fight against pests – If you let your yard overgrown, it will become a perfect place for numerous garden pests and all kind of rodents to hide. On the other hand, if you trim your lawn neatly, you can prevent almost every infestation.
• Faster recovery from pests and diseases – Regularly trimmed yard will be able to recover faster from the harmful pests, various disease, and adverse weather conditions.

How Often to Cut Your Grass

One of the first things you need to learn when deciding to have a lovely yard is how to maintain your grass. I will give you a couple of tips about grass mowing that will help your lawn to be healthy, thriving, and lush.

The type of grass

 

 

The best timing for mowing your yard is during the grass growing season. If you have warm-season grass in your lawn, you should mow it during summer. In a case that you have cool-season grass, mow it in the springtime or in the early fall.

Since the grass generally grows slower during cold months, you probably don’t need to cut it during late autumn and winter.

The grass growth rate

In general, how often you should mow your yard directly depends on how fast a particular type of grass grows and the desired height of the grass you want in your lawn.

During the growing season, most owners mow their yards once a week on average. In general, it is enough to keep the grass healthy.

During the rest period, you can reduce the frequency of mowing and do that job as necessary. I mean that mowing your yard every other week or even less often is a quite enough, but as I already said, it primarily depends on the grass type you have.

The grass height

 

 

Avoid mowing by ‘the required schedule’. Yes, I know, there is a recommended schedule for appropriate mowing your yard, but these are just general guidelines. You should treat your yard individually, and to follow the instructions in line with the grass requirement you have.

Check the height of your grass before start mowing and be sure that it is tall enough to justify every trimming. Always keep in mind that too short cutting may lead to weak root systems of the grass which won’t be able to absorb nutrients and water appropriately. That will affect the health and appearance of your lawn.

The way of fertilizing and watering

 

 

The type and amount of lawn fertilizer you apply and the frequency of watering will directly influence how fast the grass in your yard will grow. In general, the more fertilizer and water you add to the soil, you can expect more quickly growing of the grass, and consequently, you need to mow your lawn more often.

Mow your grass when it is dry

The essential rule of mowing says that you shouldn’t cut your grass when it is wet. Also, try to mow your yard in mid-morning when dew dries up. When your grass is wet after raining or watering, it will get heavy and stretched.

Every cutting it in that period will be uneven. You can prevent this by syncing up the schedule of lawn maintenance with the announced weather conditions.

The ideal mowing height depending on the type of grass

The ‘one-third of the length at a time’ rule

 

 

You can’t heal an overgrown lawn by mowing the grass too short. It will probably stress the grass and keep it without food-producing parts. Believe me; you won’t like the result because the lawn with the grass that can’t get enough nutrients will turn brown.

The golden rule is to cut the grass only one-third of the blades’ height at a time. It is OK if you want to have shorter grass, but you need to do it gradually. Mow it regularly, but always one-third of the length at once. Repeat the procedure until getting the grass height you desire.

What to do with grass clippings

Since grass clippings contain approximately 3 – 4% nitrogen and about 2.5 – 3.5% potassium, don’t move these clippings from the ground after mowing and use it for the lawn fertilizing. I like that way. Try it!

Is Pest Control Effective if It’s Only Sprayed Outside?

Lawn mowing is one of those services that can sometimes be an afterthought. Homeowners know that it has to be completed—or else their lawn will start to look like an overgrown mess—but most of the time they aren’t thinking too much about how or even when it’s performed. Unfortunately, this can be a detriment to the lawn. Failing to mow properly, including on the right schedule, can be impactful to your lawn’s health and performance.

The truth is, even if you feel like you can live with your lawn a little taller, mowing every two weeks as opposed to weekly mowing is not ideal for the overall health of your lawn. While bi-weekly mowing is an option that Kingstowne Lawn Landscape will sometimes offer in an effort to be flexible with what homeowners prefer, we’ll explain why if you want the healthiest and best-looking lawn, you should opt for weekly mowing.

Why is Weekly Mowing the Optimal Choice?

The main reason why weekly mowing is a best practice is that it doesn’t put as much stress on the lawn’s health. After all, you have to remember that your lawn is made up of all these different grass plants, and as with any plant, cutting it can cause stress.

However, cutting more frequently is actually much less stressful on the grass than waiting more than a week in between mows and making a drastic cut. That’s because you’re cutting a smaller amount of the grass height at a time.

Ideally, you want to cut a maximum of one-third from the tip of the grass blade to make the cut the least traumatic. When you cut more than that, your grass is likely to turn yellow as it struggles from the stress that it’s been put under.

Is Mowing Every Two Weeks an Option?

If weekly mowing is truly the best practice, you might wonder why bi-weekly mowing would be an option. At Kingstowne Lawn Landscape, we have always been appreciated for our honesty and transparency and it’s no different with our mowing plans.

We are clear in telling homeowners that weekly mowing is best for their lawn.

However, we have also always aimed to be flexible and meet our clients’ specific needs. Some clients prefer bi-weekly mowing because they’re not aiming to have the best lawn on the block, they just want it mowed before it gets completely out of control. We are clear that this is going to impact the lawn’s vigor and overall green color and clients who use this plan accept this reality.

Some homeowners also want bi-weekly mowing because it’s what best fits their budget. Of course, it’s important to note that when you break down the price-per-service, there is actually a cost-saving to weekly mowing. Yes, you pay more in total but the price-per-service is less.

However, it’s important to mention that we do not offer mowing every two weeks to homeowners with irrigation systems and already lush lawns as we want to help homeowners protect their investment. Not everyone is eligible for this plan.

Most bi-weekly mowing clients may also not be lawn care clients. Because lawn care services like fertilization are going to make the grass grow even faster, it’s even more important to keep up with weekly mowing when your lawn is receiving treatments. It’s also counterproductive to invest in lawn care, which will help promote the overall health of your lawn, and then not mow regularly. In many ways, poor mowing habits can undo all of the hard work and progress from a lawn care program.

In fact, some of our clients who handle their own mowing make timing and other mistakes that end up impacting the quality of their lawn’s health and that ends up being a major source of frustration.

Here are two common mowing mistakes that can impact your lawn care results.

• Mow Height: Grass should be cut no shorter than 3 to 3.5 inches as anything further puts unnecessary stress on the lawn. Even if you’re performing weekly mowing, if you’re cutting the grass too short, it could still turn yellow from stress. When you mow too short, you also invite weeds into your lawn. Opportunistic weeds are much more likely to invade weakened lawns, than dense and thriving ones.

• Dull Blades: Another common mowing mistake is mowing the lawn with a dull blade. To promote health, a lawn should be mowed with a sharp blade, making a nice, clean-cut. A dull blade leaves your grass blades jagged and prone to disease. It will likely also turn yellow from the stress of the poor cut.

Because these mistakes are easy to make with a DIY approach to mowing, it may be easier to just hand these services over to a pro.

Choosing Professional Mowing Services in Alexandria, Arlington, and Springfield, VA

At the end of the day, by choosing professional mowing services, you’ll not only support the optimal health of your lawn, but you’ll have professional-looking results. Plus, you’ll also take the burden off of your plate. Most homeowners find mowing to be just that—a burden that they have to make time for (usually on their weekend, when they’d rather be doing something else).

If you only have time to mow on the weekends, you’ve probably also noticed how one weekend’s bad weather can mean pushing mowing off and then having to make one of those traumatic cuts because your lawn is suddenly out of control.

 

 

However, when you hand your mowing services over to a professional, that burden is now off of your shoulders. You won’t have to worry about the timing or setting aside an hour of the weekend. Instead, it just gets done for you—and you have a professional-looking, impressive lawn.After all, when we perform mowing, we’re also doing some of the value-add services that come along with it like edging around hard surfaces for a clean look. We’re also blowing off all of your hard surfaces with a blower. These are added tasks that you no longer have to worry about.

Plus, if your lawn has some fallen debris like small twigs or leaves, those will get mulched up and mixed into the lawn to breakdown and add nutrients. While that’s certainly no substitute for leaf removal during the prime fall months, it will keep your lawn looking neat and tidy when extra debris falls.

An Impressive Difference

If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you care about your lawn care results. You’re most likely wondering how often should I mow because you want to mow the right amount for your lawn’s health. Instead of having to worry about this, you can hand your mowing services for your Alexandria, Arlington, or Springfield, VA home over to a pro, and know that you’re going to get the best results.

Put simply, mowing has a much bigger impact than people tend to realize in how their lawn looks and performs. But by working with a professional who follows best practices, you’ll begin to see an impressive difference.

Don’t let mowing ruin your chances of a fantastic lawn—instead, request your quote, consider choosing the King Package from our 3 lawn care package options, and relax as you get the royal treatment.

Krisjan Berzins. Owner, CEO

Since 1997, Krisjan has led the Kingstowne team with one simple philosophy, treat every customer like the “only” customer. His passionate pursuit of impeccable customer service has resulted in 24 successful years and a thriving company with over 85 employees, helping thousands of homeowners in the Alexandria, Arlington, and Springfield, VA area get what they want.- a worry-free property they can be proud of.

Getting a striped lawn

• Start by mowing around the edge of the lawn
• For square or rectangular lawns, work from the left side, mowing up and down the lawn using the straight lawn edge as a guide to get a straight line
• For circular or irregular-shaped lawns, line up the mower with a focal point to achieve an initial straight line across the widest point. This first straight line can be your guide for subsequent stripes
• At each turn, line up the mower so that the next mown stripe slightly overlaps the last
• Empty the clippings box regularly – a full box can deposit clumps of clippings on the lawn, spoiling the finish and clogging the mower
• The lawn’s corners may need cutting separately, using lawn shears or a strimmer, if they’re too tight or boxed in for the mower to reach

It’s a good idea to vary the direction of cut regularly, alternating straight with diagonal stripes, so that ruts don’t form in the lawn from going backwards and forwards in the same direction too often.

Mower care and safety

Give your mower a quick clean after regular use and a full clean and check before putting it away for winter. This will help to minimise the need for repairs and keep your mower running well for years to come.

When using an electric mower, be sure to fit a residual current device (RCD) to the plug, so the mower will stop if the cord is accidentally cut.

With petrol mowers, always store spare petrol safely and take great care when refuelling.

Check regularly that the dead man's handle is functioning correctly, so that the mower cuts out instantly if you let go.

Always wear robust footwear when mowing, however warm the weather.

When cutting rough grass or if there might be gravel, stones or other debris in the lawn, wear good eye protection.

When strimming, wear full protective gear, including steel toe cap boots, heavy-duty gloves and safety goggles, and check areas of long grass for wildlife, such as hedgehogs, before you start.

See our guide to using electricity safely outdoors:

Power sources

• Hand-push mowers are suitable for small areas of grass. They’re quiet, with zero running costs, provide good exercise and are environmentally friendly. They’re one of the cheapest options too, but can be tiring to use on anything but a small lawn
• Electric mowers are usually at the cheaper end of the market, lightweight and ideal for mowing a small lawn with a nearby plug or extension reel. They aren’t as powerful as petrol mowers and the power cord can be limiting in larger gardens
• Cordless battery-powered mowers are becoming the norm, with improving battery run/charge times and power. Investing in a system of garden power tools using interchangeable battery packs will save on storage space and reduce costs. They provide quieter mowing with green credentials. After mowing, remove the battery and store in a dry, frost-free location. Batteries need to cool down before they will begin to charge, so having two or more is best for a full day in the garden using various battery-powered tools. Robot mowers (see below) are also in this category, automatically returning to their docking station to recharge regularly
• Petrol mowers are free from an electrical supply, but you do need to remember to fill up the petrol can, and the running costs can be quite high, depending on fuel prices. Noise pollution and fumes are also something to consider

Mower types

There are four main styles of mower that cut in different ways: cylinder, rotary, hover and ride-on. There are also several variations on these, including robotic mowers and mulching mowers. And for longer grass, there are strimmers and scythes.

Different mowers provide different qualities of finish, have varying eco-credentials and are suitable for different sizes and types of lawn. The main choices are as follows:

• Cylinder mowers give the highest quality cut, suitable for fine lawns and sports turf. The blades are arranged on a cylinder and cut with a scissor-like action. This produces a very fine cut and a striped finish, and allows very low cutting heights
• Rotary mowers are suitable for most domestic lawns. They have a horizontally spinning blade. The cut isn’t as fine as cylinder mowers, but they cut longer grass and handle uneven surfaces much better than cylinders. Models with a rear roller will also give a striped finish
• Hover mowers are a type of rotary mower, but they sit on a cushion of air instead of wheels. Self-propelled versions aren’t available, but they’re relatively light to handle, gliding over the grass. They can cope with fairly rough grass and a few bumps, and give a smoother finish when used regularly
• Mulching mowers are another type of rotary mower. While most lawn mowers come with a collection box to gather the clippings, these instead chop the clippings very finely and deposit them back into the turf, where they settle as a fine layer at the base of the grass and are barely visible. This returns some of the nutrients lost in the clippings back to the root zone, and can help hold moisture in the soil. They're also a good choice if you’re unable to compost all your clippings. However, when used on longer grass they can produce excess clippings that may need to be collected afterwards. Choose a model that can mulch or collect, so you have a choice
• Robot mowers were once a sci-fi dream, but are now widely available to keep your lawn effortlessly in trim. However, they can be costly and initial set-up can cause a few headaches, but once in place they methodically work their way around their allotted patch, to maintain the grass at a set height
• Ride-on mowers are really just for very large lawns. They can have cylinder or rotary blades, and can be petrol or battery powered. Although on the expensive side, they’ll reduce your mowing time. A self-propelled mulching mower is a cheaper alternative for large lawns, with the added bonus of keeping you fit
• Strimmers, hand scythes or power scythes are better than conventional mowers for cutting grass that is allowed to grow very long between cuts. See our advice on wildflower meadows

Other considerations

Lawn type: pick a mower that suits your style of lawn. If you’re after a high-quality finish, such as a bowling green or very fine turf, consider a cylinder mower. This cuts a lot shorter and creates stripes. For a typical well-used and well-loved patch of grass, a rotary or a hover mower is usually ideal

Lawn size: mowing a large lawn can take more than an hour, but a model with a wider cut could save significant time for only a modest increase in price. If your lawn is really large, consider a self-propelled or ride-on mower, or converting some of it to meadow

Problem solving

• on soft ground (when the wheels sink in)
• on turns (if they’re taken too fast)
• if ruts form in the lawn from not varying the direction of cut
• if the height of cut is too low
• if the lawn surface is uneven, with bumps and hollows. These are best levelled out. See our advice on repairing lawns for further information

If you get an uneven finish with torn grass, it could be due to any of the following:

• blunt mower blades
• when the bottom and cylinder blades of a cylinder mower are incorrectly set – check your manual for how to adjust them
• when the grass has been left to get very long
• if the mower is operated too fast
• when the cutting height is set to maximum
• hovering over the grass rather than cutting it

Mowing practices for healthy lawns

Lawn mowing is more time consuming than any other lawn-care practice. Regular mowing with a sharp mower blade at the proper height will help keep grass growing vigorously and maintain adequate density. Proper mowing practices contribute to a healthy lawn and minimal weeds, and, if you leave grass clippings on your lawn, contribute to lawn nutrition. Typically, the species of grasses used in Minnesota lawns are Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fescues.

Height

• Taller grass shades out weed seeds and keeps soil cooler.
• Taller grass means longer roots and greater ability to withstand drought and reach nutrients.

• Mowing too short or scalping results in stress to the grass plant. Weak grass plants will take longer to recover. To maintain a 3-inch lawn, mow before the grass reaches 4.5 inches tall.
• Mowing too short can allow weed seeds to get more sun and increase the chance of germination.

 

• Decomposed clippings add the equivalent of one fertilizer application to your lawn each year.
• Decomposed clippings improve soil quality and minimize runoff.
• Leaving clippings on your lawn improves carbon sequestration.
• If your clippings are too long, mulch by mowing several times or rake them off.
• If you have used herbicides on your lawn, leave clippings after you mow – don’t use as mulch on other plants or add to compost.
• Read more about the benefits of mulching lawn clippings.

 

Mower blades

Continue mowing until the grass stops growing in the fall, generally around the end of October.

 

• Maintaining grass height before winter can minimize diseases that occur when grass is too long over the winter.
• Longer grass during winter may encourage vole activity.

 

Keep your lawn healthy and actively growing

• If possible, mow at right angles every other time.
• Alternating mowing patterns will prevent continuous scalping and soil compaction.

Sam Bauer, Extension educator and Jonah Reyes

How to Mow Your Lawn

Mowing is one of the most important factors in maintaining a healthy lawn. Cut it TALL and let the grass clippings FALL.

Mowing is one of the most important factors in maintaining a healthy lawn. Do you want a beautiful landscape? Of course! Start with a healthy lawn. One of the most important factors in growing a healthy lawn is to mow it properly. Here's how:

Cut your lawn tall. A tall turf will:

shade the soil and protect it from summer’s heat;.- develop a deep root system; and.- reduce weed populations since the tall grass blades shade out and smother emerging weed seedlings.

Cut your lawn between 2.5 and 3.5 inches. Tall heights are especially beneficial during summer and for low-maintenance conditions. The first lawns that turn yellow in summer are the lawns that are cut too short.

Follow the “one-third rule.” Avoid removing more than one-third of the grass blade at any time. Cutting too much of the grass will slow its regrowth. It will expose the soil more, which leads to drought stress and the establishment of more weeds. Using this “one-third rule” as a guide, if you kept your lawn at 3 inches, you would cut it when it is no more than 4.5 inches tall.

Thus, the timing for mowing your lawn is dependent on its growth. You may need to mow every 5 days in spring, but every 5 weeks in summer.

Dull mower blades shred the grass tips. This leads to water loss and greater susceptibility to disease.

Mow frequently when the turf is actively growing. Clumps smother the lawn and contribute to thatch.

Let the grass clippings fall. You don’t need to collect clippings. Your lawn wants those clippings. The clippings will shade the soil and conserve moisture. The clippings will recycle nutrients to the soil—it is like getting a free fertilization every year.

If you mow regularly, clippings will not create a thatch problem. Clippings are mainly water and they will quickly decompose.

The exception is when your lawn gets neglected and grows very tall. Excessively tall grass when mowed can gather in clumps on the lawn (see photo). This can smother the turf. Tall blades can get more fibrous and become slower to decompose—this can lead to an accumulation of thatch. In these cases, it is wise to collect these clippings.

Mow when grass is dry. This will reduce clumping and help to mulch the grass blades finer.

Use a sharp mower blade. A sharp blade will make a clean cut. Dull blades will tear the tips of leaf blades (see photo). The damaged leaf blades will develop a brown tip. Frayed blades lose water more quickly and become more susceptible to diseases. Depending on how much turf you cut, you may need to sharpen or replace your blade every year.

Written by Tom Kalb, Extension Horticulturist, North Dakota State University.

MOST IMPORTANTLY.

Don’t make this common lawn care mistake.

Most people aren’t aware of this, but sharp blades are more important than the time of day in which you mow. Seriously, make sure that your blades are sharp!

This may not seem important, but it really is. Sharp blades will affect the lawn more so than the time of day that you mow. Why is that? Well… If your blades are not sharp then the lawn will become torn. This is because dull blades will not make a clean cut, but will instead tear the grass apart! This can make the perfect entryway for disease and fungal infections.

Check out the below video of a lawn mower in slow motion, and you can see why sharp blades are so important.

Hiring a Professional

Now, keep in mind, if you are going to be working with a professional service you will probably have to pay a premium if you are wanting to have the lawn mowed at specific time of day. These professionals make their schedules out by route density. Meaning they complete their stops in the most efficient manner possible as they navigate their way throughout the neighborhood, town, or city.

So asking for a specific time will be invasive to their schedule, and you will probably have to pay extra. Take for example a St. Augustine turf that grows in Florida, it would be extremely hard for a lawn service provider to bag and haul all those clippings off.

This is where GreenPal comes in, make sure the time of day you want service is spelled out when you request pricing, so you will get more accurate pricing and get what you want!

If you want the best lawn care in your town, and a professional landscaper that will always keep their blades sharp, then connect with your next landscaper through GreenPal. If you live in any major city in the Southern US; Atlanta. Tampa, or Nashville and you want your lawn mowed at a specific time signup for free lawn quotes with GreenPal. We will give you the choice to specify what time you would like it cut.